Reliable stars of contemporary action cinema, Jason Statham and Gerard Butler have led the charge in big-screen thrillers, action franchises and high-stakes blockbusters. The two actors have built long-running careers based on their distinctive screen presence, physical performances and appeal to audiences looking for traditional theatrical action movies. Additionally, their careers have evolved alongside Hollywood’s increasing embrace of streaming platforms and franchise-driven filmmaking, making their continued presence in major theatrical releases particularly notable. 

The action stars’ latest box-office numbers may not tell the full story, as their movies continue to find audiences and revenue beyond the theatrical window. 

According to the producer Basil Iwanyk, there are certain reasons why Jason Statham and Gerard Butler continue to be important for production companies despite the underwhelming performance of some of their latest movies in theaters. On an episode of The Ringer and Puck's The Town podcast, Iwanyk stressed that the domestic box-office numbers do not reflect the films’ overall profitability, as they earn through streaming, PVOD, and other markets.

“You truly must ignore the domestic box office. There are so many times when I’m like, ‘Oh my God, we’re going to lose so much on this movie’. But it’s so profitable in the afterlife,” Iwanyk said, highlighting how post-theatrical revenue can make films profitable despite weak domestic box-office results.

During the same episode of The Ringer and Puck's The Town podcast, the producer also said that films featuring the Kandahar actor, Gerard Butler and the Transporter actor Jason Statham are always successful, even if their theatrical run looks unsuccessful on the surface. There is a certain business model that is used in such films, which are made in a way that allows the stars to earn high salaries because of their proven worth outside theaters.

Iwanyk claimed that it is wrong to estimate the financial performance of such movies just from their theatrical release, as other factors should also be taken into account. He gave the example of Greenland. He argued that this film was very successful in the home entertainment market despite all the plans to show it in theaters being ruined because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The producer claims that it earned a lot of money through video and other ancillary markets, proving that a movie that apparently loses money in theaters could turn out to be successful anyway.

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Greenland offered a clear example of how a movie can find financial success beyond its theatrical run, particularly through home entertainment and other revenue streams. 

Shelter and Greenland 2: Migration had wildly different box office numbers despite both being fronted by known action stars, as per Box Office Mojo. Jason Statham’s Shelter took in $54.6 million worldwide, with $12.8 million in the domestic market and $41.8 million overseas. Whereas, Greenland 2: Migration, starring Gerard Butler, earned $45.2 million worldwide, including $17.8 million in North America and $27.4 million internationally. Both films were helmed by Ric Roman Waugh. 

The business model behind the Statham and Butler's movies shows why the box-office numbers do not always tell the whole story. While Shelter & Greenland 2 were modest global grossers, their value can be extended through PVOD, streaming and other post-theatrical income streams. Basil Iwanyk’s comments suggest that both actors are still desirable to studios because their films have a track record of being able to make money in the long run even if they do not do that great at the box office at first. 

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Do you think streaming and PVOD have changed how Hollywood measures a movie’s success? Let us know in the comments.