Radar Pictures is rebooting Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Kickboxer, originally directed by Mark DiSalle and David Worth. The film saw Van Damme playing Kurt Sloane struggling to avenge his brother Eric’s defeat at the hands and feet of the villainous Tong Po. The reboot is being written by Jim McGrath and Dimitri Logothetis with Hong Kong actor-turned-director Stephen Fung at the helm for the film which is scheduled to shoot in Thailand this summer.
Fung showed his action credentials in Gen-X and Gen-Y Cops before stepping behind the camera for Enter the Phoenix, House of Fury and the recent Tai Chi Zero/Tai Chi Hero films, which were also produced by Fung along with his longtime friend and business partner Daniel Wu. The main cast for the film has been announced and will be headed by stuntman turned actor Alain Moussi (Immortals, Pacific Rim, the unfinished Wings of the Dragon) playing Kurt Sloane while UFC champion George St Pierre most recently seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier will play David Sloane. WWE’s Dave Bautista from the forthcoming Guardians of the Galaxy and Man with the Iron Fists, will be playing the new version of Tong Po.
In a recent interview Fung spoke about the film and what inspired him to remake the movie.
"It’s a film that I really enjoyed watching when I was young. Growing up in Hong Kong, you get exposed to a lot of martial arts films and we make a lot of good ones, so we have a pretty high standard. The movies that were coming in from Hollywood at that time were not very good, except Kickboxer, which was one of the good ones. Van Damme is a trained martial artist, so his moves look authentic in the film. We are not just going to do a direct remake. There has to be something of importance that warrants a remake. I hope it’s going to be a challenging experience..."
When asked about Jean-Claude Van Damme’s possible involvement in the movie - as a cameo or perhaps in a supporting role - Fung says ‘Maybe…nothing is confirmed quite yet.”
We’d love to see JCVD in the movie, possibly passing the torch to Moussi and providing a bridge between the original movie and the new version... and there are remakes in the work for Kickboxer, Bloodsport and Time Cop, as well as talk of a possible Hard Target sequel. As well as all those nostalgia trips, we’re still looking forward to seeing JC in leading roles such as the currently shooting Pound of Flesh.
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