Shelter director Ric Roman Waugh was determined to show 'different side' to Jason Statham

Ric Roman Waugh wanted to show a "different side" to Jason Statham in Shelter.

The 57-year-old director has helmed the new movie and explained that he wanted the picture - in which Statham plays reclusive former government assassin Michael Mason - to differ somewhat from the star's typical action fare.

Speaking to Collider, Waugh said: "When we did Snitch with Dwayne Johnson, that was a learning lesson for me because I'm really proud of that movie, and I think a lot of people really dug it. But again, it maybe took him a little bit further out of his wheelhouse than people wanted at that time.

"So, there's this needle that you're trying to thread, where you're trying to make sure you're protecting the commerciality of a big movie star, especially like Jason Statham, and what fans are going to expect from him. A lot of the time, what people don't realise is that that's the material that he's normally going to get. You get what you're known for."

The former stuntman added: "When I was coming out of stunts, I got everything that was bigger, faster, and more expensive. That's just the nature of the beast of where people want to put you. So, I think he knows his brand. What was great about this project was that your cake in it, too, and he gets his cake in it, too.

"As an actor, he gets to keep his fan base entertained, which I hope you were, and then at the same time, he gets to show a different side of himself and do something different."

Statham often does his own stunts and the director thinks that the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels star deserve more credit for his "authenticity" as a performer.

Waugh said: "I feel like we're finally getting back to doing things authentic, grounded, and real, but we're also getting out of the ten-foot-tall, bulletproof, impervious-to-pain heroes, and getting back to everyday people, heroes that are flawed, that have vulnerabilities. I also love that for Jason in this movie with Michael Mason."

The filmmaker explained that he allowed Statham and the rest of the cast, which includes Bill Nighy and Naomi Ackie, to make creative contributions to the picture in a way that replicates the late director Tony Scott.

Waugh said: "My mentor was Tony Scott, and what I loved about Tony is that he allowed you to have a seat at the table and be a part of what you were making, and I hope I contribute that same thing, where the more confidence you get as a filmmaker, you're prepped, you know all your weapons you're bringing to the set, including the talent in front of the camera, and you have it in a way where you're not telling them exactly how to do it. You're just letting them fly. Some people would call that improv; I call it, 'Let them have room to be the rock stars that they are.'"