Skip to main content

Kickboxer reboot to feature impressive cast of Hollywood martial artists

The upcoming reboot of the Kickboxer franchise is shaping up to be a pretty impressive gathering of some of Hollywood’s rising stars in action movies.

After the initial announcement of the project back in May 2014, things are moving along quickly. The full cast of the film was announced this week by the CEO of the financing company backing the project, and the list of names includes quite a few talented martial artists who have begun making a name for themselves on the big screen in recent years.

Recommended Videos

Along with the previously announced lead, Alain Moussi (a veteran martial artist who performed stunt work in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Pacific Rim), UFC champion Georges St. Pierre (who appeared in Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and WWE wrestler Dave Bautista (Guardians of the GalaxyRiddick), the film has also added well-known martial arts movie actors Scott Adkins and Tony Jaa.

Related: Kickboxer remake in the works with UFC and WWE stars

Adkins has been a staple in action movies for several years now, with supporting roles in The Bourne UltimatumThe Expendables 2, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He also played the lead role in Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (starring alongside original Kickboxer star Jean-Claude Van Damme), and has played a recurring lead role in several installments of lower-profile, low-budget martial arts franchises, including Undisputed 2 and Undisputed 3, as well as 2009’s Ninja and its sequel, 2013’s Ninja: Shadow of a Tear.

Thai actor Tony Jaa (pictured) made a name for himself as the star of 2003’s acclaimed martial-arts adventure Ong-bak, and later wrote, directed, and starred in two sequels to the film. Jaa has appeared in multiple, well-received martial-arts films over the years, showcasing his expertise in muay thai and other martial arts. In addition to his role in Kickboxer, he also has a role in Fast & Furious 7.

Kickboxer will display a style of acrobatic, rapid-fire martial arts action that Scott Adkins is increasingly becoming synonymous with,” said Brian O’Shea, CEO of The Exchange, in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Along with Tony Jaa, Kickboxer has compiled a talented cast to push the boundaries of the martial arts form.”

Much like the original Kickboxer, the film follows a martial artist (played by Moussi) who travels to Thailand to compete in a dangerous tournament in order to avenge the death of his brother, who was killed by the tournament’s reigning champion, Tong Po (Bautista).

There’s no release date set for the film at this point.

Rick Marshall
Former Contributing Editor, Entertainment
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
Go behind the scenes of Apple’s latest shot-on-iPhone movie
An iPhone rig used to shoot Big Man.

Apple’s latest effort to show off the potential of the iPhone camera comes in the form of Big Man, a 20-minute fictional film directed by Academy Award-winning director Aneil Karia and starring British music legend Stormzy.

Big Man (below) focuses on Tenzman (Stormzy), a jaded musician who finds warmth and a sense of purpose through an unexpected friendship with two boisterous teens.

Read more
In honor of F1, here are the 7 best racing movies, ranked
Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and other drivers line up and stare in F1.

F1 promises to have some of the best racing sequences in movie history. With the movie coming to theaters soon, now seems like the perfect time to look back at the history of racing movies. While racing is not the most popular sport in a movie, there have been a handful of classics made over the years.

We've compiled the seven best and ranked them for your pleasure. Check out our list below:

Read more
We’ll never see a movie like Jaws ever again. Here’s why
Roy Scheider as Brody looking at the camera with a shark behind him in "Jaws."

Jaws premiered in theaters on June 20, 1975, and the film industry was never the same. Essentially a slasher movie set on the high seas, many filmmakers wouldn't dare to shoot such a movie, knowing the challenges that came with it. However, a young, up-and-coming director named Steven Spielberg boldly helmed this adaptation of Peter Benchley's novel, presenting a suspenseful but heartfelt motion picture unlike anything seen before.

Although Jaws faced numerous challenges from script to screen, Spielberg and his team overcame the odds and delivered the world's first summer blockbuster. After fifty years, three sequels, and several imitators, no one has come close to replicating the extraordinary magic and success of Spielberg's oceanic horror adventure. Although stories like Alien and Stranger Things have thrived from drawing influence from Jaws, audiences may never experience another blockbuster quite like Spielberg's breakout hit.

Read more