I like Jason Statham and his beefy British machismo, but considering the way he whips out movies, I definitely get the sense the guy still gets a kick out of seeing his name in opening credits (and on paychecks — he is, after all, in an upcoming Uwe Boll movie).

Here’s the poster for his next flick, the Lionsgate action-thriller Crank, which opens on September 1st and sounds a bit like D.O.A. meets Collateral. The official synopsis:

Chev Chelios is about to begin his morning with an unexpected wake-up call. Groggy, practically unable to move and with a heart that’s barely beating, Chev answers his cell phone and hears the voice of thug Ricky Verona, who reveals Chev has been poisoned in his sleep and has only an hour to live. 

As it turns out, Chev is a hit man who freelances for a major West Coast crime syndicate.  And a run of the mill job the night before that was supposed to be like any other hit went unexpectedly awry: Chev let his target go in an effort to quit the professional killing business and start a new life with his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart).


Now, Chev must keep moving – literally – to stay alive.  The only way to prolong the poison from stopping his heart is to keep his adrenaline flowing.  As the clock ticks, Chelios cuts a swath through the streets of Los Angeles, wreaking havoc on those who dare stand in his way.  He must rescue Eve from danger, stay two steps ahead of his nemeses as they try to eliminate him, and search for an antidote to save his own life.

Here are a couple of snaps from the flick. And no, I don’t know what he’s doing on the motorcycle in a pretty gown, but it’ll probably end with him killing the hell out of someone.