Yara Shahidi has joined the cast of The Beekeeper 2, the sequel to Miramax’s successful action thriller The Beekeeper, which starred Jason Statham in the lead role. Statham will reprise his role and return as a producer through his Punch Palace Productions banner.
The sequel is being directed by Timo Tjahjanto, known for his recent work on Nobody 2 and several acclaimed Indonesian action films on Netflix. The script is written by Kurt Wimmer, who also penned the original. Chris Long (Longshot Productions) and Wimmer are also producing. Production is slated to begin this fall, with Amazon MGM Studios handling worldwide distribution. Jeremy Irons is also set to return.
Released in 2024 and directed by David Ayer, The Beekeeper followed Adam Clay (played by Statham), a former government assassin from a covert “Beekeeper” program, who embarks on a brutal quest for justice after a personal tragedy. The film became a box office hit, grossing $162 million globally.
Shahidi, widely recognized for her work on ABC’s Black-ish and Freeform’s Grown-ish, has also made her mark as a producer. She recently starred in and executive produced Sitting in Bars With Cake and is set to appear in Catherine Hardwicke’s Street Smart. She continues to develop projects under her 7th Sun Productions banner with producing partner Keri Salter-Shahidi.