Mike Leeder brings another action digest round-up of the news-stories from the world of eastern action that you may have overlooked in the last few weeks…
High Noon: Redux
With Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven finally hitting the screen, comes the official announcement that Relativity Studios has acquired the remake rights for 1952’s classic western High Noon. While Fuqua’s remake (or is that the remake of a remake seeing as the original was based on the Seven Samurai?) kept the Western time period and setting, the new take on High Noon will be set in the present day and be set on the cartel controlled border between the US & Mexico. (Shades of Walter Hill’s Extreme Prejudice meets Chuck Norris’ Lone Wolf McQuade!)
“High Noon is one of the most iconic films of all time, I’m honored to be a part of modernizing this timeless story and bringing it to a new generation.” said Relativity‘s president Dana Brunetti in a statement.The original High Noon, of course, is a classic. It starred Gary Cooper as Sheriff Kane, a sheriff on the verge of retirement who is forced to stand up and fight for those who he loves, when the news of the imminent return of a vengeance-seeking criminal. The original film directed by the late, great Fred Zimmerman and took home four Oscars including one for Gary Cooper as Best actor – while Grace Kelly starred as Kane’s wife. The near real-time storyline predates the modern trend for such shown in productions like 24.
Into the Badlands: Season One hits Blu-Ray and DVD
“The wars were so long ago nobody even remembers. Darkness and fear ruled until the time of the barons, seven men and women who forged order out of chaos. People flocked to them for protection. That protection became servitude. They banished guns and trained armies of lethal fighters they called Clippers. This world is built on blood. Nobody is innocent here. Welcome to the Badlands…”
The first season of Into the Badlands, starring Daniel Wu (Hit Team, New Police Story) and Aramis Knight (Enders Game) makes its debut on silver disc from Anchor Bay.
Season One explores the journey and relationship as teacher and student forged between Sunny(Wu) a deadly Clipper with secrets of his own, and MK (Knight) a teenaged boy who posses unique abilities. Both men must move forward and explore the world beyond the badlands….. The series also stars Emily Beecham , Sarah Bolger, Oliver Stark and Stephan Lang. Wu’s longtime friend Stephen Fung serves as one of the producers and oversaw the action unit (which features fight choreography by long-time Yuen Woo-ping mainstay Didi Ku).
The Disc release includes all 6 episodes of season one, and the following special features
- Inside Into the Badlands
Anatomy of a Fight
- Building the World of Into the Badlands
The Characters of Into the Badlands: The Barons
The Characters of Into the Badlands: The Clippers
- The Master: Into the Badlands Fight Camp Episode 1
- Creating Real Kung Fu: Into the Badlands Fight Camp Episode 2
Bringing It All Together: Into the Badlands Fight Camp Episode 3
Into the Badlands Digital Comic
- Audio:English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Season Two of Into the Badlands is currently shooting in Northern Ireland, with former Jackie Chan Stunt-Teamer Andy Cheng (The Rundown, US Seals 2) handling the action for this second season, and Spaced and Shaun of the Dead’s Nick Frost joining the show. Fung is currently shooting The Adventurers, his take on John Woo’s Once A Thief, starring Andy Lau, Shu Qi (who Fung recently married!) Zhang Jingchu and Jean Reno.
Mighty ‘God of War’: WellGoUSA picks up North American & UK rights
We’ve always liked Vincent Zhao (Zhao Wen-zhao/Chiu Man-cheuk), ever since he burst onto the screen as Jet Li’s nemesis in Fong Sai Yuk, and inherited the Wong Fei-hong role for the latter chapters in the Once Upon a Time in China films (and subsequent tv series). He gave an incredible performance in Tsui Hark’s brutal re-imagining of the One Armed Swordsman mythos in The Blade, and – while he’s always delivered solid turns – he still seems so often like an actor in search of that breakout role.
For his latest project, Zhao headlines God of War, an epic directed by director Gordon Chan (Fist of Legend, The Final Option), in which he plays Chinese General Qi Jiguang, who fought the Japanese pirates that ravaged parts of China’s coastline during the 16rh century. The film also stars Sammo Hung who handled the films action choreography, Wushu pixie Jiang Luxia and Japanese martial arts legend Yasauki Kurata.
The movie is currently in post-production and set for a March 2017 release, but WellGoUSA has already acquired the rights for multiple English speaking territories including North America, the Uk, Australia and New Zealand.
Warrior’s Gate: Luc Besson goes to China
Director Matthias Hoene’s first caught our attention with his earlier movie the wonderfully titled and utterly insane Cockneys Vs Zombies, but his latest project – backed by Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp – could really make an impact. The French-Chinese fantasy co-production boasts some very impressive talent both in front and behind the camera.
The film stars Mark Chao (Young Detective Dee), Dakota Daulby (Izombie), the lovely NiNi from Flowers of War, Uriah Shelton from Girl Meets World, Dave Bautista (Spectre), Sienna Guillort (Resident Evil: Apocalypse), Francis Ng from Once Upon a Time in Triad Society, and Dutch superkicker Ron Smoorenburg as the mysterious Black Knight – with long-time Yuen Woo-ping mainstay Tony Liu (True Legend, Fearless) handling the films action choreography.
Here’s the trailer…
The Legend of Bruce Lee: WellGoUSA to unleash the Dragon
While we wait for the release of Philip Ng’s take on Bruce Lee in George Nolfi’s Birth of the Dragon (already causing some controversy from early reviews) WellGoUSA will be releasing CCTV’s take on the life of Bruce Lee, with their release of a multi-volume set of The Legend of Bruce Lee.
Previously only released in an insanely condensed version, WellGoUSA will be releasing the first ten episodes on a three disc set with the rest to follow. The series follows Bruce Lee (Danny Chan) through his life in martial arts and move making, and the various people he encounters including Linda Lee, Ip Man, Chuck Norris, Mohamed Ali, the One Armed Boxer and more!
The series was shot in both China and America, and features a supporting cast that includes Michelle Lang, Gary Daniels, Ray Park, Michael Jai White, and Mark Dacascos. Produced with the blessing ad support of the Bruce Lee Estate, it’s amazing how inaccurate the show is, coming across like a combination of the maddest moments from many a Bruce Li and Bruce Le Clones of Bruce Lee movie, with an evil Chuck Norris played by Ray Park, Gary Daniels as a One Armed Boxer, Michael Jai White as Muhammed Ali, Mark Dacascos as a Thai Boxer, and Linda Lee portrayed as a hot sexy blonde girl who follows her husband into battle at various times!
