Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie Are Back — And Viva La Madness Looks Intense

A partnership that began over 25 years ago is back in action — and the first footage from the set is already turning heads.

Jason Statham has been spotted filming in Malta alongside director Guy Ritchie on their new mystery crime thriller Viva la Madness, marking what would be their sixth collaboration together. Set photos and video from the production have begun circulating online, showing Statham suited up and very much in his element.

@lovinmaltaofficial

Looks like Malta is back on the Hollywood map 👀🇲🇹 Jason Statham, known for blockbuster hits like Fast & Furious and The Transporter, has been spotted filming on the island, with cameras rolling against a stunning Maltese seaside backdrop 🌊 No official details about the production just yet, but it’s safe to say things are getting action-packed. 🎬 yulia_medvid36 on TikTok

♬ original sound – Lovin Malta – Lovin Malta

For fans of classic British crime cinema, this reunion carries real weight. These two men essentially built their careers together, and every time they team up, the result tends to be worth watching.

How Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie Built One of Cinema’s Most Reliable Partnerships

The Statham-Ritchie story starts at the very beginning — for Statham, at least. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, released in 1998, was not just a breakout film for Ritchie. It was Jason Statham’s debut role entirely. That’s a rare kind of origin story in Hollywood: two careers launching from the same spark.

In the years since, their partnership has stretched across five films and more than two and a half decades. That kind of sustained creative relationship between a director and an actor is genuinely uncommon in modern cinema, where schedules, studios, and shifting tastes tend to pull collaborators apart.

Now, with Viva la Madness, they are set to extend that record to six films together — and early set footage suggests the chemistry is as sharp as ever.

What We Know About Viva la Madness So Far

Details about the film remain tightly guarded, which is fairly standard for a Guy Ritchie production in its early stages. What is confirmed is that filming is currently underway in Malta, a location that offers the kind of sun-soaked, architecturally dramatic backdrops that suit a crime thriller well.

The first set video shows Statham dressed in a sharp suit — a look that will feel familiar to anyone who has followed his career, but which always signals a certain kind of stylish, grounded menace that Ritchie knows how to use better than almost anyone.

The title, Viva la Madness, suggests a story with energy and possibly some chaos at its center — fitting for a director whose entire aesthetic is built around kinetic, witty, morally complicated crime narratives.

The Statham-Ritchie Filmography: A Track Record Worth Noting

To understand why this reunion generates genuine excitement, it helps to look at what these two have already produced together.

Five films across nearly three decades, with a sixth now in production. That is a creative partnership with genuine longevity — and a consistent enough track record that audiences have learned to pay attention when these two names appear together.

Why Malta, and Why It Matters for the Film

Malta has become an increasingly popular filming destination for major productions, and it is easy to see why. The island offers a unique combination of Mediterranean light, ancient architecture, and coastal scenery that is difficult to replicate elsewhere in Europe.

For a crime thriller with the word “madness” in its title, Malta’s mix of narrow historic streets, grand baroque buildings, and sun-drenched waterfronts provides a visual palette that could give the film a distinctly different feel from Ritchie’s London-set work. It signals that Viva la Madness may be aiming for something with a broader, more international scope.

Ritchie has shown in recent years — particularly with films like The Covenant — that he is comfortable working outside his traditional British crime comfort zone. Malta as a setting suggests that ambition continues here.

What This Means for Fans of the Statham-Ritchie Era

There is a specific audience — a very loyal one — that grew up on Lock, Stock and Snatch and has been waiting for that particular brand of sharp, funny, violent, stylish British crime cinema to make a proper return. Operation Fortune scratched that itch to a degree, but Viva la Madness already feels like it could go further.

The suit. The Malta sun. The mystery title. The director who invented the visual language that defined an entire genre. These are not small signals.

No release date has been confirmed yet, and the full cast and plot remain under wraps. But the set footage alone is enough to confirm that something genuinely interesting is being made — and that one of cinema’s most durable creative partnerships is very much still alive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Viva la Madness?
Viva la Madness is a new mystery crime thriller currently in production, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Jason Statham.

Where is Viva la Madness being filmed?
The film is currently shooting on location in Malta.

How many films have Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie made together?
They have made five films together so far, beginning with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 1998. Viva la Madness will be their sixth collaboration.

Was Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels really Jason Statham’s first film?
Yes. According to

When will Viva la Madness be released?
A release date has not yet been confirmed. The film is currently in production.

What does the set footage show?
Early set video from Malta shows Jason Statham dressed in a suit, consistent with his on-screen persona in previous Ritchie-directed films.