On July 30, theFacebook account Mike Us postedthatJason StathamandKevin Baconwould be starring in a sequel to Bacon’s 2004 film,The Woodsman. The post, which included a plot description and a poster, got more than 6,000 reactions from users, 500 comments, and 500 shares. Unfortunately, viewers were being duped.
The post was fake, as Jason Statham is not starring in a sequel toThe Woodsman. Although the poster seemed real at first glance, it was AI-generated, with multiple commenters even pointing out that Kevin Bacon didn’t look like himself on the poster. This isn’t the first time users have fallen for a fake movie either, but with the right tools, they can stay ahead of the content-farming social media accounts.
What Is Jason Statham’s ‘The Woodsman’?
The Woodsmanwas released more than two decades ago, around the same time as Jason Statham was earning success withfilms likeThe Italian JobandTransporter. Even though the fake movie associates him withThe Woodsman,Statham was not in the 2004 film. The movie stars Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, David Alan Grier, Michael Shannon, and more.The Woodsmanis dark, as the main character, Walter, is a child molester who was just released from prison after 12 years. Walter tries to readjust to life on the outside and struggles, but he also starts to reckon with his old actions.
The post describing Jason Statham’sThe Woodsmantakes many of the original film’s key details, like the 12 years in prison and the search for redemption, but assigns them to Statham’s character instead. The description is also taken froma video posted to YouTubetwo months ago on the channel “Film Flashback Plus.” The video seems to have the same intentions as the Facebook post, although it barely passed 1,000 views.The description forThe Woodsmansequel also refers to the film as “action-packed” and a “crime drama,” which is completely different from the original. The Facebook post includes a link that’s supposed to take viewers to the movie, but nothing in the link indicates that the website has any movies.
It doesn’t really make sense why Statham was chosen for this rumor. He never starred in the original, and it’s a lot darker and more dramatic than most of his movies. There could be a connection with Jason Statham’s seriesThe Expendables, which has a character named Woodsman, but the character never actually appears onscreen. Perhaps he was selected because posts that mention the actor do better for the account on Facebook.
How To Detect Fake Movies
The account that posted the attention-drawing Facebook post with the fakeThe Woodsmantrailer is known as Mike Us. The account is dedicated to posting fake movie posters. Some of the fake movies seem pretty normal, like a fourthSherlock Holmeswith Robert Downey Jr. (even though the third film is still stuck in production). Others are more bizarre, like a film adaptation of theBlackaddercomedy series with Jason Statham, Rowan Atkinson, and Sydney Sweeney. The account, which sports a Mike Tyson profile picture even though Tyson has his own account, is still verified on Facebook, despite posting so many misleading posts.
Mike Us isn’t the only account like this. Many channels on YouTube are dedicated to uploading unofficial movie trailers before the real ones come out. Actors' scenes from old films and shows will be edited together in these kinds of trailers to look like a real one. Searching for trailers for upcomingfilms likeSpider-Man: Brand New DayorCoyote vs. Acmewill take users to these kinds of trailers. However,these videos usually include “fan trailer” in the description or video title to show that they’re not official. YouTube isn’t safe from the AI-generated plague either, as some channels have started uploading AI-generated “concept trailers,” which range from Adam Sandler in a live-actionSimpsonsto Will Smith in a live-actionPopeye.
With AI-generated images and videos getting better, it can be hard to tell what movie posters and trailers are real. There are multiple ways to fact-check social media posts that claim a new film is coming out. IMDb allows users to find actors' upcoming films on the actors' pages. It’s usually a good idea to check who made a post as well.Trailers and posters are most trustworthy when they come from an official distributor’s account or a media site dedicated to posting about movies. It’s also important to remember that even if an account is verified on social media, the user can still post misleading or fake content.
Jason Statham Still Has Some Exciting Upcoming Movies
A newThe Woodsmanmovie isn’t in Jason Statham’s near future, but the actor still has some exciting projects on the horizon. His upcoming filmMutiny, which finds Statham’s character on the run after he takes the fall for his billionaire boss’s murder, is expected to be released in January 2026. He also has an untitled film in post-productionwith Ric Roman Waugh, director ofAngel Has FallenandGreenland. In the film, Statham plays a loner with a dark past, who gets thrust into danger after saving a girl. The movie doesn’t have a release date yet.
Jason Statham also has two exciting sequels on his schedule, although both films still need to complete filming. Jason Statham is set to return as hisFast and Furiouscharacter, Deckard Shaw, in the next, and possibly last, installment in the franchise.Fast X: Part 2has faced many delays and is still far from a release date, but Vin Diesel and Universal Pictures hope to finish the filmby April 2027. Statham is also working on a sequel to his hit filmThe Beekeeper, but it’s still in the early stages of production.
Where To Watch ‘The Woodsman’
Viewers won’t be seeing Jason Statham in a sequel toThe Woodsmananytime soon. Maybe the post will inspire him to get production rolling on a sequel, but that seems unlikely. Even though Jason Statham’sThe Woodsmanisn’t real, there are still plenty of reasons to watch the original movie. The film features one of Kevin Bacon’s best performances, and the movie holds a certified freshRotten Tomatoes score, with 88% of critics enjoying the movie.It helps that the movie’s easily accessible, as it’s currently available to watch with a subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
The Woodsman
