When last we heard news on The Transporter franchise, the television adaptation starring Chris Vance had been picked up by TNT for distribution in the United States. But when it came to the uber-awesome film series starring Jason Statham, littleâs been spoken on any future entries, which isnât surprising given the age of both the franchise and its lead. But as of today, things are starting to heat up for the suit wearing action-hero, Frank Martin.
At this yearâs Berlinale, Luc Besson-run EuroCorop announced plans to produce a new installment of the series. But before you get your hopes up for more Statham awesomeness, you should know a few things:
1) The latest entry, currently titled Transporter 4, is going to be a prequel that, if successful, will spawn two more installments, thus creating an origin story trilogy for Frank Martin.
2) Jason Statham will not be returning, and Frank Martin will now be played by Games of Thrones’ Ed Skrein.
So weâre getting a new Transporter film. YAY! But itâs a Stathamless prequel. Now, that news isnât horrible. The question of whether or not Frank Martin needs an origin story aside, thereâs potential in watching a younger actor take on the role of Frank. Statham is, of course, a hefty pair of shoes to fill, but considering Chris Vance seems to be holding his own fairly well in the currently running series, why not let someone else take on the role of Frank for the big screen?
Speaking of the series, thereâs currently no word if the show is in any way connected to the new set of films, but considering movie-makingâs recent push for transmedia franchises thanks to Marvel, the possibility is certainly there. Now that is something that would make this idea really interesting.
Man, prequels are the new annoying bastard child of Hollywood. Why do you want to set a film series in the 90s? Why not just continue the series without Jason Statham if need be? I think Statham is great in the series, but let’s be honest, Frank Martin is not that compelling of a character. You could easily move on without him.
No more Transporter films, the first two were pretty good but number three was just stupid.
To quote Patton Oswalt “I don’t give a shit where the things I love come from.” Origin story of Frank Martin is completely unnecessary.
No Jason, no movie… NEED MORE JASON STATHAM!
Alternatively, Chris Hardwick can play Frank Martin.