A Jason Statham movie landing on Disney Plus seems like a surprising turn of events, as few of the action star’s films are what you’d call family-friendly, but one of the British actor’s rare forays into voice acting is dropping on the Mouse House’s streaming platform this very week. Yes, 2011’s animated Gnomeo & Juliet, a retelling of a certain Shakespeare play, arrives on D+ in the US this Friday, March 26th.
Gnomeo & Juliet is one of those movies which tells you everything you need to know about it from just its title. It’s Romeo and Juliet but with garden gnomes – you get it. James McAvoy and Emily Blunt feature as two star-crossed gnomes from warring neighboring gardens who fall for each other. The supporting cast contains some of the biggest British talent around, including Michael Caine, Maggie Smith and Patrick Stewart. Statham, meanwhile, plays Tybalt, Juliet’s antagonistic cousin.
Seven years after the first flick came out, an unlikely sequel was produced. Titled Sherlock Gnomes, it added Johnny Depp to the roster as a ceramic version of the famed detective. Most of the voice cast from the previous flick also returned, except for Statham, which makes Gnomeo & Juliet the Hobbs & Shaw star’s only animated movie to date. Don’t expect Sherlock Gnomes to turn up on D+ as well, though, as it was made by Paramount after Disney passed on it.
With no apparent plans to return to the family movie world, Jason Statham is currently doing what he does best. He’s busy shooting a new action thriller – working title: Five Eyes – with director Guy Ritchie in Turkey. The duo also have another pic, The Wrath of Man, about to hit screens this April. Meanwhile, you can head over here for your guide to everything that’s coming to Disney Plus alongside Gnomeo & Juliet this Friday.
