Super spy Orson Fortune will be infiltrating theaters very soon. Guy Ritchie's new action-comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, starring Jason Statham as the titular spy, is finally set to release in the U.S. on March 3 courtesy of Lionsgate. The film has been subject to numerous delays, originally set to release all the way back in January 2022. Now, it seems the film is finally on course to make it to the big screen.
The film pits Statham against the legendary Hugh Grant in a crucial mission to prevent the sale of a massively destructive new weapons technology. Grant plays billionaire arms broker Grant Simmonds, the tycoon wielding these weapons that Orson Fortune sets out to thwart together with his reluctant new partners played by Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, and Bugzy Malone. Their plot to bring down Simmonds runs through Hollywood movie star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett) who they bring on board to ensure their undercover mission works to perfection. Given the power of the stolen weaponry, the fate of the entire world could depend on the success of their operation.
Originally slated for January 21, 2022, Operation Fortune has faced a number of unexpected hurdles in finally getting the film to theaters in the U.S. Most notably, reports came out that the film was undergoing edits after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. It's believed the production company STX Entertainment removed it from the release schedule to give the team time to tweak how the film portrayed the Ukrainian gangsters featured in the film.
The film still looks like a Ritchie classic with a powerhouse in Statham to lead. Between The Fast and The Furious, The Expendables, and Lionsgate films like Crank and The Bank Job, he's been one of the most beloved and profitable action stars in Hollywood. Throughout his career, his films have garnered nearly $2 billion at the global box office. He and Ritchie have been a frequent pair too, previously teaming for Snatch, Wrath of Man, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels among other projects.
Guy Ritchie's Stayed Busy Waiting for Operation Fortune to Release
Ritchie re-teams with his The Gentlemen and Wrath of Man writers Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies in what represents their third collaboration with Miramax. The director also joined Atkinson and Bill Block as a producer. In the downtime he's had while Operation Fortune shuffled release dates, Ritchie has hardly stood still. He has The Covenant on the way starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim which premieres on April 21 along with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare which just received a 2024 release window. He also has the live-action adaptation of Hercules on the docket for Disney which he previously said could be done within the next year.
Ritchie's Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre will finally see the big screen on March 3. Check out the trailer below.