Protracted development otherwise remains underway for the Ranjeet S. Marwa action thriller, Blood Rush, and several additional actors are now eyeing the project for varying starring and support roles.
Among the lot is Balinese actor Oka Antara, who has been in preliminary dicussions with Marwa for a few days now. In addition, actor and stunt performer Andrew Suleiman will enlist in a small role next to working behind the scenes on fight choreography with Nick Khan.
Character details are under wraps but I’m told both roles will assuredly contribute to the action scenes per the film’s narrative. Marwa launched the film at the top of the year for his Rocket Sky High film label.
Actor Zack Lee (The Night Comes For Us, Headshot) is set to star as Max Wayan, a widower forced to battle his inner demons and fight his way out of a vicious cult in the time since his family’s tragic death. Next to Lee, Antara’s potential addition could mark the fourth among colleagues who headlined the cast in Gareth Evans’ 2014 gangbuster crime sequel, The Raid 2, with John Wick 3 actors Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman.
Nathan Jones (Mad Max: Fury Road, Tom Yum Goong) and Singapore’s Sunny Pang (The Night Comes For Us, Headshot) and Grace Teo (Toggle series The Driver) are also confirmed. Moreover, two previously-reported key actors among those currently ironing out the details for their roles Nicholas Vince (Hellbound: Hellraiser II) and Tony Todd (Candyman franchise).
Antara shares a good deal of local film and television stardom in Indonesia with more than fifteen years in entertainment. He made headway in 2013 appearing in the “Safe Haven” segment of horror anthology, V/H/S 2, gained ground in Mo’ Brothers horror pic, Killers, and in Gareth Evans’ gangbuster crime sequel, The Raid 2, and currently stars in the Mario Kassar-produced sci-fi thriller, Foxtrot Six.
Suleiman, based in Indonesia originally out of Taiwan, contributed to the rise of a new era in martial arts action cinema with pre-YouTube online stunt troupe, Zero Gravity, appearing in Cha Cha Chinaman (2004), and the team’s decennary action comedy feature, Yeah Sure Okay (2008). His credits also include “Safe Haven” with Antara, as well as Asun Mawardi’s Mortal Enemies (2010), Awi Suryadi’s IDTV Action Fest 2017 fave, You Can’t Hear Me, You Can’t See Me (2013), and Joko Anwar’s latest supehero thriller, Gundala (2019).
The team on Blood Rush is running even thicker with the attachment of celebrated filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto (Killers, Headshot, The Night Comes For Us) as production consultant, following a meet and greet with Marwa in early March.
Principal photography is already scaled back from summer due to Covid-19 concerns, while Marwa remains active in development, and connecting with sales agents to gain traction. Cameras are preparing with hopes to roll in Jakarta by August or September.