The first official poster for Guy Ritchie's Wrath of Man, which reunites him with star Jason Statham, confirms a May theatrical release date. Ritchie, whose most recent movie The Gentlemen, saw him return to his crime comedy roots, shot Wrath of Man in late 2019 and wrapped in early 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic hit. The duo has a long history, with Ritchie giving Statham, a former Olympic diver and model in the 1990s, his first feature film gig on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
That movie was a breakout hit and made Ritchie one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Instead of taking on a blockbuster, though, he made one more crime comedy with Statham in the lead, Snatch, which made the actor a Hollywood action star and cemented Ritchie's reputation. The pair has thrived in Hollywood since, with Ritchie moving onto increasingly big-budget fare like the Sherlock Holmes franchise and Disney's Aladdin remake, which made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. His 2019 movie The Gentlemen, starring Hugh Grant, Matthew McConaughey, and Charlie Hunnam, saw him return to his British crime comedy roots, though, and Wrath of Man appears to continue that trend, albeit set in Los Angeles.
Now, the first poster for Wrath of Man has been released, and it's vintage Statham and Ritchie. The bald, muscular action star wears a good-looking suit, but his polished exterior is undercut by the blood and scratches all over his face and hands. He has been through some things. Ritchie's trademark dark brown and yellow color palette is firmly in place on this poster, and it has a distinctly 1970s B-action movie feel to it, which in this case is a good thing. The poster, which you can see in full below, also confirms Wrath of Man will release in theaters on May 7.
The poster confirms that Ritchie is firmly back operating in his wheelhouse, following up The Gentlemen with what looks to be another hard-nosed crime film full of bloody action and, hopefully, his trademark sharp, humorous dialogue. There's no doubt he and Statham enjoyed working together again, as the pair reteamed again in 2020 to shoot the spy action thriller Five Eyes, proving that their chemistry hasn't disappeared two decades after first working together.
As for Wrath of Man, its May 7 release date should mean there will be an audience ready to watch it. In the USA, the hope is to have vaccinated a large percentage of its population against COVID-19 by then, allowing businesses like movie theaters to accept more people in at once. And with significant blockbusters delayed later into summer, Ritchie's latest may be one of the few in theaters, increasing its chances of capturing a large audience. Hopefully, it lives up to expectations, then.
Source: MGM