A sequel, but not a sequel
Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham reunite for Viva La Madness. The new film is based on a J.J. Connolly novel that is a sequel to his Layer Cake book. However, the confusing part is that the movie, which was written by both Connolly and Ritchie, is not serving as a sequel to Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake movie from 2004, which Connolly also wrote. This upcoming Viva La Madness feature is intended to be a standalone film.
New Cast
Deadline is now reporting that an ensemble of actors has been announced to round out the cast on Viva La Madness. Vinnie Jones is slated to reunite with Statham and Ritchie on this project after working with them on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Mean Machine. The cast will also include Jason Isaacs (White Lotus, Harry Potter), Babs Olusanmokun (Dune, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), Camila Mendes (Riverdale, Palm Springs), Ben Foster (Motor City, Hell or High Water), Jonny Lee Miller (The Crown, Elementary), and Raúl Alejandro (La Reina del Flow).
Ritchie also reunites with Olusanmokun and Miller on this film.
Viva La Madness plot
Here’s a synopsis for J.J. Connolly’s Viva La Madness, courtesy of Amazon:
“Connolly is back with a sequel that sees him on the same stunning form, with his trademark razor-sharp dialogue and quick-fire violence, but also finding dark humor and pathos in the lives of violent men. From the London underworld, Viva la Madness moves to international crime with trans-Atlantic drug deals, money laundering, and high-tech electronic fraud, portrayed with the same uncanny believability. The anonymous hero of Layer Cake is pulled back into the drug game before he can escape to a sunny retirement. In a dazzling combination of London low-life, Caribbean high-life, and Venezuelan drug cartels toting machine-guns in Mayfair, our hero’s voice and mission are authentic, thrilling, and whiplash-inducing in equal shares.”
Jason Statham and Thomas Benski (Gangs of London) lit the fuse for Viva La Madness, with the duo set to produce through Punch Palace Productions and Lumina Studios alongside Toff Guy Films. Black Bear will also produce and oversee international sales. Production is currently underway in London.
