Yes, you read that right. Action star Jason Statham is set to executive produce and star in a new TV drama from Gaumont Internatonal Television, titled VIVA LA MADNESS though a network is not yet set for the project.
The series is based on the book of the same name by J.J. Connolly, a sequel to Connolly’s novel, “Layer Cake”, which was adapted into a 2004 starring Daniel Craig. Statham along with Steven Chasman own the rights to the project, and will serve as executive producers along with Connolly, who will write the series. “Viva La Madness with its riveting characters and twisting storyline, is a volatile cocktail of action and comedy that only J.J. Connolly can create,” said Gaumont CEO Katie O’Connell Marsh. “Jason [Statham] brings such strength and credibility to his characters but also has an effortless shade of vulnerability that gives him so much dimension on screen.”
“The way J.J writes is so on the ball and authentic, it’s hard to let any of it go. Trying to lose characters or shave down scenes every other page didn’t work, we wanted it all. The best place was a 10 hour-plus show that lets you fully disappear into Connolly’s world,” commented Statham.
The series will follow an anonymous hero who is stranded in the Caribbean longing for the criminal life he left behind – even though he’s still a wanted man back home. Soon he joins forces with two robust London gangsters: the menacing Sonny King and his paranoid partner Roy “Twitchy” Burns.
Other shows from Gaumont include HANNIBAL, HEMLOCK GROVE, NARCOS, and F IS FOR FAMILY. No word yet on when production on VIVA LA MADNESS is scheduled to begin.