Evolutionary Films and director Ross Boyask will be pitting a former WWE champ against the ‘Fist of the North Star’ for ‘Vengeance’…
One of Impact’s favourite cult action directors is the UK’s own Ross Boyask. A life-long movie fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of martial arts movies and action cinema, Boyask cut his teeth making all manner of action-driven short films including Pure Vengeance (which starred a young Scott Adkins) before making his feature directorial debut with UK grindhouse actioner Left for Dead. He followed it up with another dark gritty thriller 10 Dead Men, before helming the female driven actioner Warrioress, and his latest project for Evolutionary Films is the action thriller Vengeance which starts shooting in London today!
The film stars wrestling superstar Stu Bennett (best known to millions around the world as Wade Barret from the WWE) as the film’s hero John Gold. He must battle British martial arts legend Gary Daniels (City Hunter, The Expendables) who plays the films villain Hatcher. Vengeance is a fast-paced action revenge thriller that kicks off when ex-soldier John Gold learns of the murder of his best friend… and sets off on the road for ( you guessed it…) vengeance, to track down the men responsible… and discovers a sinister conspiracy that could bring the walls crashing down.
Boyask says: “As a long-time action movie fan – and filmmaker – I’m very excited to have Stu Bennett and Gary Daniels on board for Vengeance. Stu is the perfect actor to play our lead role of John Gold – he has the charisma of a classic action hero, as well as the physical abilities to back it up, and I know that his legions of fans around the world will be cheering him on as he takes on the villains in the film. As for our lead villain, Gary Daniels is now a very established action star, both as a hero and more recently a villain in movies like The Expendables and Tekken. I know that action fans will be positively salivating over the idea of a final fight sequence between a hugely successful wrestling icon and one of the most established action stars of the past twenty years.”
The film is being produced by Evolutionary Films, with BAFTA nominated Producer Diane Shorthuse and CEO John Adams (Director of Aux which starred John Rhys-Davies) who says; “Vengeance is a thrilling project for Evolutionary Films to greenlight as our second feature film of 2016. We’re very excited about the huge potential of this title and believe that the hard-hitting cast we’re assembling will appeal to mainstream international buyers as well as satisfying the traditional hardcore action audience.”
Stu Bennett has spent the last nine years performing in front of a multi-million global audience for World Wrestling Entertainment, wrestling under the names Wade ‘Bad News’ Barrett and King Barrett, winning numerous titles including the Intercontinental Championship 5 times. He headlined various WWE pay-per-views and performed on countless Wrestlemania events. During his time with WWE, he made his film debut opposite Colin Farrell in Dead Man Down, and plays opposite Scott Adkins in the upcoming Eliminators, before stepping away from the WWE and wrestling in May of this year to focus on film.
As many of Impact‘s readers know Gary Daniels began his martial arts training in the UK and has travelled the world working with the best of the best in the martial arts and action film industry, he fought Jackie Chan in City Hunter, played Kenshiro in the cult classicFist of the North Star, headlined a number of classic projects for PM Entertainment including Recoil, Rage, Deadly Target & Firepower, fought to protect the name of the crown in Queens Messenger 1 & 2, and plays Brad Fury in both Tekken movies, and of course co-starred with Sylvester Stallone and co in The Expendables.
The production issued the following press release description giving more details of the story…
When ex-Special Forces soldier turned professional mercenary, John Gold, hears that his former best friend Corporal Dan Mason, and Dan’s parents have been murdered, he heads to their home-town to find their killers.
Gold discovers that Dan and his father were investigating a Special Forces troop led by the enigmatic, highly decorated Sergeant Hatcher, that went rogue in Afghanistan. Hatcher and his team smuggled a massive amount of heroin back into the UK, kicked out the local dealers and set up their own business, taking down any opposition with brutal military efficiency… including Dan and his family when he discovered the truth.
Gold tracks Hatcher’s team, one by one… with the reluctant help of local barmaid Sandra (herself an addict and a victim of abuse) and Keith, a dealer that Hatcher’s men deposed. When Hatcher realises they have a new, unwelcome visitor in town he sends his men after Gold, only for them to be outwitted and taken down at every turn.
Eventually Gold invades the drug den that Hatcher’s men have been selling Heroin from and interrogates a trooper who reveals that Hatcher has a small army at their training facility known as the Killing House outside of town. Gold heads for the final showdown at the Killing House but Hatcher and his team are prepared for the attack…