Black Bear and BlockFilm, the new production label led by former Miramax head Bill Block, are set to intensify this year’s AFM (American Film Market) market with action project Levon’s Trade. The film will star Jason Statham in the lead role, under the direction of David Ayer (Suicide Squad, Fury), and with a screenplay adapted by none other than Sylvester Stallone.

Stallone’s involvement in Levon’s Trade marks his return to screenwriting since 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood and 2018’s Creed II. Having famously earned an Oscar nomination for his Rocky screenplay in 1977, the screen legend has adapted Levon’s Trade from Chuck Dixon’s novel of the same name. The book is the first installment in the Levon Cade book series that comprises of eleven titles. The project was previously being developed into a TV series by Stallone’s Balboa Productions.

Set to commence shooting in London in March 2024, the movie will follow the story of Levon Cade (Statham) as he leaves his shadowy past behind to lead a simple life. However, when his boss’s daughter disappears, Cade is drawn back into the perilous world of covert operations, setting off a chain of events that threaten his newfound tranquility and familial bond.

“I am thrilled to be reuniting with some of my most talented and longstanding partners on Levon’s Trade,” Block said in a statement. “I first worked with David Ayer on Fury and it was immediately clear that he is a director at the very top of his game. Jason and I have worked together on a number of films, and most recently the three of us collaborated on The Beekeeper. Levon’s Trade is going to be another spectacular action movie and I’m confident we’ve assembled the dream team to bring the first novel in this celebrated series to the big screen.”