Director Timo Tjahjanto is officially coming aboard as production consultant on Ranjeet S. Marwa’s latest thriller, Blood Rush. The move reunites between Tjahjanto, and his Headshot and The Night Comes For Us actors Zack Lee and Sunny Pang, who have since joined the cast since the film’s announcement at the top of the year.
Pic hails from Rocket Sky High Motion Pictures Ltd. Marwa will direct from his own script which centers on Lee in the role of Max Wayan, a grieving widower whose secretive new life in the occult turns out to be more than he bargained for.
Also joining the cast are actors Yayan Ruhian (The Raid franchise, Hit & Run), and Nathan Jones (Jet Li’s Fearless, Mad Max: Fury Road), and stunt performer/action actor Nick Khan (Aladdin, Invincible) who also serves as fight choreographer. In addition, actor Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II) is currently in talks to join the film.
Tjahjanto’s addition certainly antes things up a bit for Marwa, who is in for the long haul as he’s only recently arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia for pre-production. Principal photography was previously set for June, and then July, and has since been rescheduled for a late summer start around August or September.
“As a director from the UK who literally just traveled halfway around the world to see these guys and work with them, the addition of Timo coming on board to guide me is incredible!” says Marwa. “Timo’s films were the reason I came here, and he’s shown me nothing but love.”
Marwa’s own inspirations behind Blood Rush is due in large part to the massive success of Tjahjanto’s films, namely Headshot and The Night Comes For Us – both two of the most vociferously fight-heavy action thrillers to come out of Southeast Asia in the last ten years, with both also starring Singaporean actor Pang in principal villain roles.
Tjajanto directed Headshot with film partner Kimo Stamboel, with whom he previously helmed 2015 horror thriller, Killers, which was released in North America by Well Go USA, and stars Kazuki Kitamura, and Foxtrot Six and The Raid 2 actor Oka Antara. The Night Comes For Us, which headlines Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais, released globally on Netflix in 2018, hailed Tjahjanto’s solo feature directing debut, and stands as one of the most festively gory and entertaining action movies to come from the region.
“Timo and I met recently.” he said. “To have the creator of those films tell me that he admires my passion and spirit is fucking crazy cool, and for him to now be involved is almost like a dream that I never want to end!”.
Tjahjanto’s credits also include sci-fi anthology, Portals, and his recent supernatural horror tête-à-tête, May The Devil Take You, and last month’s May The Devil Take You: Chapter Two. He is also developing A Man Called Sightless, an adaptation of Ganes Thair Santoso hit 1967 comic, “The Blind of the Ghost Cave: Angel’s Eyes”.
Lee’s credits also include The Raid 2, Mike Wiluan’s Buffalo Boys alongside Pang, and HBO Asia series, Grisse, which is now on deck for a third season. Pang himself has appeared in Ler Jiyuan’s Invisible Stories from HBO Asia, as well as James Lee’s independent action drama, Kill-Fist, and Zahir Omar’s Fly By Night.
Ruhian’s current progression since headlining the cadre of action talent under the stewardship of Gareth Evans, has since led to a Hollywood stint in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. He’ll next appear in Syamsol Yusof’s period biopic, Mat Kilau, featuring Adi Putra.