The upcoming remake of the 1989 action classic Kickboxer is well on its way to the screen now, with the first teaser for Kickboxer: Vengeance debuting online this week. And although there’s not a lot of footage crammed into the 22-second teaser, it certainly manages to pack a lot of formidable faces into its short running time.
Scheduled for release sometime in 2016, Kickboxer: Vengeance is directed by Blue Crush and Cat Run filmmaker John Stockwell (who also received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for writing the 2000 television miniseries Cheaters). The film stars stunt performer Alain Moussi (X-Men: Days of Future Past) in one of his first featured roles, playing the younger brother of a kickboxing champion who was murdered in the ring during a no-holds-barred competition in Hong Kong. Determined to avenge his brother’s murder, he seeks out his brother’s trainer (played by original Kickboxer star Jean-Claude Van Damme) and prepares for the brutal competition that will pit him against the deadly fighter Tong Po (Dave Bautista), who took his brother’s life.
Along with Moussi, Van Damme, and Bautista, the film’s cast features a long list of professional fighters, including former mixed martial-arts champion Gina Carano (Haywire) and MMA fighter George St. Pierre (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), who both make brief appearances in the teaser. The cast also includes actress Sara Malakul Lane (Sharktopus).
There’s currently no official premiere date for Kickboxer: Vengeance, which is based on a script by Dimitri Logothetis (The Lost Angel) and Jim McGrath. The film finished shooting earlier this year and is expected to be released at some point in 2016. It’s uncertain whether the film will have a theatrical release, be available via on-demand, or have some other form of distribution. However, a sequel to the film — titled Kickboxer Retaliation — is already in the works.
