Bourne Identity Meets The Beekeeper In Jason Statham's Upcoming Action Movie

Published Sep 12, 2026, 11:30 AM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Jason Statham is gearing up to make his version of The Bourne Identity with one of his upcoming action movies that also draws comparisons to The Beekeeper. The British star has done a fabulous job of finding new action-heavy roles to tackle, whether they are original ideas or book adaptations. One area that Statham's 2020s action movies have stayed away from is remakes. Instead of directly redoing a property one of his fellow modern action stars has done, he's taken inspiration from them to do something fresh. He took cues from the John Wick films when it came to making The Beekeeper, just as Mutiny included elements of Die Hard. With so many excellent action movies and franchises to learn from, there are endless possibilities for what the actor could do in the future. But one of Statham's upcoming movies sounds like his version of The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon's 2002 franchise-starting action thriller directed by Doug Liman. That project is John Doe, a new movie that Statham boarded earlier this year. It's set to be his third film with director David Ayer, following The Beekeeper and A Working Man. And while Statham will play another trained killer on a mission, this time, a portion of the movie's story will revolve around him not having any idea who he is, which is where the Bourne Identity comparisons come into play. Jason Statham's John Doe Replicates Bourne Identity's Memory Loss Plot Universal Pictures Plot details on John Doe are still scarce, but the general premise revolves around a man who has lost his memory. Initial reports about the movie state that Statham's character doesn't remember anything about his past, not even his name. His memory loss occurs while he is in the middle of an ongoing mission, leaving those who sent him to come after him and look to complete his task. All this is very similar to The Bourne Identity. The movie begins with Damon's character having amnesia, leaving him with no idea who he is or what he was doing before. He comes to understand he is incredibly skilled in surveillance and combat, and that his memory loss came during a failed mission. His re-emergence leads Treadstone, the organization that trained him, to try and kill him to cover their tracks. Damon's movie is not the first to have this premise. It is based on Robert Ludlum's novel, which was adapted to the small screen in 1988. However, that does not remove the obvious comparisons John Doe has to it. The movie is set to put its own spin on The Bourne Identity's concept, putting a stronger emphasis on a romantic relationship and Statham's character's dilemma about what his best path forward is. Can John Doe Become Jason Statham's Bourne Franchise? MoviestillsDB Given the Bourne comparisons, it's easy to imagine a world where John Doe is the first entry in a whole new Statham action franchise. There isn't a book series to pull ideas from for future installments, but the Bourne movies provided a template for what sequels could and should not do. Whether we get any will depend on how successful John Doe is when it arrives in 2027 or 2028, presumably; production is meant to start this year. The chances of John Doe being a box office hit are strong, too. Statham has the ability to turn any action movie into a successful theatrical play. He and Ayer have already done this before to make The Beekeeper a viable franchise. If John Doe really leans into its Bourne Identity similarities and hypes up Jason Statham's reunion with Ayer, there's a strong possibility the actor finds a whole new action franchise to expand.