The Transporter (2002)
- Before Jason Statham was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- Corey Yuen, Louis Leterrier originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- During the filming of The Transporter, Jason Statham improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
The Transporter is a 2002 French action film directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen. Jason Statham stars as Frank Martin, a former Special Forces operative living on the French Riviera who works as a professional driver-for-hire, transporting packages for criminal clients with absolute precision and three strict rules: never change the deal, no names, and never open the package. When Frank breaks Rule 3 and discovers his latest delivery is a kidnapped Chinese woman, he is drawn into a war against a human trafficking operation.
The Transporter established Jason Statham as a genuine action star through his combination of genuine martial arts skill, laconic tough-guy charisma, and willingness to perform his own stunts. The fight choreography, supervised by legendary Hong Kong action director Corey Yuen, was the film's primary selling point — the oil-slicked garage fight and the bus fight sequence demonstrated a creative approach to hand-to-hand combat. The Transporter earned $43 million worldwide on a $21 million budget and launched a three-film franchise.
