KILLER BEE Graphic Novel Is Getting A Live-Action Film Starring DeWanda Wise
“Killer Bee” is a new graphic novel by David Crownson who will serve as exec producer.
In-Development
GUNDAM: Preliminary Poster Signals New Live-Action Co-Production Moving Forward At Legendary
Legendary Pictures and Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc will co-finance the first ever live-action Hollywood adaptation based on the hit robot anime franchise.
MAGIC: THE GATHERING Sets Up Film And TV Universe At Legendary And Hasbro
Hasbro and Legendary will partner up to build film and television projects based on the hit trading card game.
MONITOR: Brittany O’Grady Joins High-Concept Horror Planning March Shoot
Protagonist Pictures launched the new project at AFM late last year and will continue with international sales at EFM in Berlin next week.
Hollywood Storm Circles Adrian Paul, Sheldon Lettich And More As Label Ferments Production Slate Ahead Of EFM
Actor and producer Alexander Nevsky is ramping up a trio of titles on Hollywood Storm roster ahead of EFM in February, two of which are set to go into production in 2025. The slate includes the long-awaited Savage Attack, which has been in development since roughly 2017, with Last Heroes Of Rio Bravo set to complete his Rio Bravo trilogy with co-star/director Joe Cornet back at the helm, as well as upcoming Western actioner, The Wide West. Savage Attack is billed as “The Raid meets Die Hard”, in a story centered on a CIA operative who must save his former mentor from an insane asylum besieged by hired killers. Nevsky will star alongside Nick Baillie (Malicious), Tatiana Neva (Taken from Rio Bravo) and Cornet. Highlander franchise mainstay Adrian Paul is also circling the project in a potential reunion with Nevsky since Art Camacho and Andrey Bogatyrev’s 2019’s historical sports drama, […]
BLOODHOUNDS: K-Pop Star Rain Joins Season Two Of The Hit Netflix Action Series
I’m as surprised as anyone that Netflix series Bloodhounds is getting a second season. I didn’t expect as much considering the story arc of the first season provided enough closure, but to see another round of action and drama well on the way is a nice little pick-me-up to start the new year. Jason Kim of Officer Black Belt fame is returning to the show, back at the helm as writer and director for a cast once again led by Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi, along with the new addition of recording artist Jung Ji-hoon – a.k.a. Rain (Ninja Assassin). Studio N is producing the series along with Seven O Six, and Ghost Studio, based on Jeong Chan’s hit webtoon of the same name. Read last week’s announcement below for more, and feel free to revisit my review of the first season here. The production and cast of Bloodhounds Season […]
KILLER 11: ‘Haste’ Team Developing Hitman-On-Hitman Action Short
Award-winning indie director Aeddan Sussex is moving ahead with shortfilm, Killer 11, I can report as of Monday. Sussex is reteaming with actor and martial artist Jon Alagoa and a number of others as the team readies a crowdfuding campaign upon finalizing a budget and locations. Alagoa, who previously collaborated with Sussex on their 2023 project, Haste as writer and choreographer, will play the lead role of a hitman looking to climb up the ranks by going after his next target, “Killer 10”. Killer 11 also brings aboard Shinji Ishigaki, who previously worked with Sussex on 2018 kung fu comedy, Chopsticks!!, and Thomas Smart, who also collaborated with Alagoa on their earlier Kiwami webseries shorts. I’m told the project is described as dark in tone with a touch of absurdist comedy in a few areas, coupled primarily with swordplay action and some hand-to-hand between the performers. The short will also […]
Toho Announces GOLDEN KAMUY Sequel
Toho has announced a sequel to Shigeaki Kubo’s latest Meiji-era manga adaptation, Golden Kamuy. The film was adapted for the screen by Tustomu Kuroiwa and featured a cast led by Kento Yamazaki and Anna Yamada, and released in Japan cinemas back in January. Based on Satoru Noda’s award-winning Seinen manga out of Weekly Young Jump which ran from 2014 through 2022, Kubo’s Golden Kamuy hails from Credeus, Inc., the production label behind the Yamazaki-led Kingdom trilogy. Golden Kamuy is set during the aftermath of the Russo-Japanese War, and sees Yamazaki in the role of Sugimoto, a celebrated Imperial war hero who, along with an indigenous Ainu hunter named Asirpa, finds himself at the center of a mystery involving a band of prison escapees beholden to tattoos of a ciphered map locating a hidden cache of gold. The inaugural film went on to a wider release via Netflix the following May, […]
KILL Director, Producers Planning Sequel
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Kill is getting a sequel if producer Gurneet Monga has anything to say about it. The news comes by way of Screendaily whose Ellie Calnan reports via Film Bazaar in Goa on Monday. “We are discussing with Dharma, and Nikhil will be the director,” said Monga, whose credits also include The Lunchbox and Peddlers. “We have lots of ideas brewing and it is deep in development.” Bhat directed the original film starring actor Lakshya in the role of an outnumbered commando battling an army of bandits aboard a train to New Delhi while saving the estranged woman he loves, and her family. Dharma Productions produced along with Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment. The movie held its rousing premiere for the festival crowds in Toronto late last year and took the wheel ahead of a U.S. theatrical release back in July from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Lionsgate is also involved […]
THE LOCK IN: Help Crowdfund Nathan Geering’s Latest Ambitious New Indie Actioner
The past year or so have seen my news feeds crackling a little with word of emerging talent, actor, martial artist, and newly-inducted Black Belt Hall Of Famer Nathan Geering. He’s got a feature film in development called The Lock In, and his Indiegogo pitch certainly reads like something right up my alley. A man trapped in a pub finds himself caught in the crossfire between a mysterious bartender and a gang hell bent on killing him at any cost. To make matters worse our hero has arranged to go on a romantic date at the pub. When his date arrives things immediately take a turn for the worse as the pub closes it’s doors and holds a deadly event known as The Lock In. What started out as a romantic evening turns into a fight for survival. Geering has won a ton of awards for his shortfilm work, most […]
A BITTERSWEET LIFE Script Underway For Netflix Remake Of Korean Neo-Noir Hit Thriller
Remember news of a potential remake development for 2005’s A Bittersweet Life? Well, that is a thing yet again. The word now from Deadline’s Matt Grobar has it that Kevin McMullin is penning the script for a production to be overseen by Netflix, and by Chernin Entertainment’s Alex Jackson. Kim Jee-woon’s Korean gangster flick starred Lee Byung-hun in the role of Sun-woo, a weary underworld enforcer who turns on his boss after refusing to kill his mistress for cheating, upon falling in love with her himself. The neo-noir hit played for Cannes that year and became a beacon of Asian cult cinema fandom for years to come with leading man Lee riding the wave to stardom in future hits like Kim’s 2008’s The Good, The Bad, The Weird, and 2010’s I Saw The Devil, and later appearing in Kim’s 2016 thriller, The Age Of Shadows. Kim’s body of work is […]
JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND STYLES: Eddie Griffin To Star In Epic Kung Fu Fantasy From Hong Kong Stunt Veteran Robert Samuels – EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker, actor and martial artist Robert Samuels is set to direct Journey Of A Thousand Styles, with actor and comedian Eddie Griffin (Double Take, A Star Is Born) starring. Samuels, who shared the helm with James Lew on 2021 action comedy, Made In Chinatown, will make his solo directing debut from a script by Robert Jefferson. The fantasy urban kung fu adventure sees Griffin in the role of Eddie Stiles, a disheartened kung fu teacher who finds himself and his son trapped within an endless universe of kung-fu movies, ensnared by a mysterious VHS tape. To break free, they must embark on a journey of self-discovery, embracing new perspectives on life and mastering the art of kung fu in ways never imagined. Additionally, Samuels will produce through his R4 Films LLC banner, rejoining Made In Chinatown cohort Mark V. Wiley who will produce via Tambuli Media. Also producing is […]
THE FIST OF ONG BAK: New TV Series In The Works Expanding On Hit Thai Martial Arts Franchise
This week saw an announcement flying under the radar a bit away from the trades that a new premium television drama is in development following up from the hit action franchise, Ong Bak. The show in question, The Fist Of Ong Bak, is the name of the new eight-part hourlong episodic, and hails from O4 Media in association with 5X Media and Sahamongkolfilm International. Plot and casting details about the new series are pending, while fans pining for more Thai action now have something to ponder since the original broke ground in 2003. As genre fans in the West were already afoot with the reception of Hong Kong crossover sensations like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen, it wasn’t long before the niche took notice with Prachya Pinkaew’s inaugural Ong Bak, which essentially catapulted local stuntman and burgeoning action talent Tony Jaa to global stardom. In the […]
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Memoir Acquired By FutureIII For Biopic Development
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu continues to be the center of prospective biopic development now with news from Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro. The word now is Rickson Gracie’s 2021 memoir, “Breathe: A Life in Flow,” was acquired by FutureIII Entertainment and is now in development with a search underway for directors and writers. Rickson Gracie, now 64, ended his fight career undefeated. Breathe: A Life in Flow follows his rise from the victories in the streets during the 1970s to joining the pantheon that includes Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris. Rickson Gracie’s memoir weaves together the story of his career with the larger history of the Gracie family dynasty and the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to his final fight in the Tokyo Dome in 2000. The Legends of MMA Hall of Famer’s fight career took off in the 1980s and maintains an 11-win streak with no losses. He has numerous […]
RUSH HOUR 4: The New Action Sequel Circulates Potential Partners With One Seemingly Apparent Condition
The future of a fourth installment of the Rush Hour franchise remains somewhat uncertain, at least for now, according to a new article by The Hollywood Reporter’s Mia Galuppo and Borys Kit. Lionsgate held a routine greenlight meeting with its execs, wherein a pitch was made for Rush Hour 4 that would potentially add franchise helmer Brett Ratner to the movie. Furthermore, Eagle Pictures’ Tarak Ben Ammar, whose credits partly include Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, American Skin, and The Equalizer 3, has been busy liaising with potential partners on the film. As the report notes, one key issue with Rush Hour 4 and its lacking appeal to potential partners and studios like Sony and Paramount, is Ratner’s reported attachment, which would mark his return to the director’s chair since facing a Time’s Up backlash of his own in 2017. Ratner faced a slew of allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment […]
RUINER Lands Director For Universal Adaptation Of Hit Game
The next few years will be interesting to observe as video game fans now take to filmmaker Wes Ball to satiate their need to opine. The Maze Runner trilogy helmer and the man who would have shepherded the long-awaited Mouse Guard is now on board to direct Ruiner, based on the latest cyberpunk action adventure game from Reikon Games. The news comes long after the director’s name was attached for a live-action iteration of Nintendo’s “The Legend Of Zelda” last November. Variety’s Angelique Jackson reports that Ball will direct from a script by Michael Arlen Ross (upcoming Locked) for Universal. 87North’s Kelly McCormick and David Leitch are producing as will, Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson and Mike Goldberg, and Oddball’s Ball and partner Joe Hartwick Jr.. Timothy I. Stevenson and Dan Jevons are exec producing along with Reikon’s Marek Roefler, Magdalena Tomkowicz, and Jakub Stylinski. With over 4 million players […]
LAYERS OF LIES: Breakout Martial Arts Star Ramin Sohrab In Early Development Of U.S. Remake
Finnish-Iranian actor and martial artist Ramin Sohrab is just one of the latest names circulating martial arts film fandom of late. The release of his feature debut, Layers Of Lies, has been the major contributor to that momentum, having starred and directed in the pic, and is now subject to a U.S. remake. Sohrab wore multiple hats on Layers Of Lies. He directs the pic and stars as Sam, a firefighter whose latest brush with near-death after rescuing survivors from a burning building unleashes a campaign of violent retribution from an unforgiving crime boss who kidnaps his wife, played by Finnish actress and martial artist Jessica Wolff. In addition, Sohrab wrote and storied the script along with a team of writers prior to bringing aboard Chris Larsen (The Long Walk, Dearest Sister) to complete the screenplay. Layers Of Lies took close to ten years for Sohrab to develop before rolling cameras […]
KILL Remake In The Works From Lionsgate And ‘John Wick’ Producers
Just days away from the release of Hindi action thriller, Kill, Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro is reporting that a remake is in the works. More specifically, 87Eleven Entertainment and Lionsgate are the companies being detailed as the folks steering its development. 87Eleven is responsible for doling out banner hits in action cinema, making names for the likes of stunt laureates Chad Stahelsli (John Wick franchise), David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, The Fall Guy), and even Jonathan Eusebio (upcoming With Love). With a reimagining of Kill on its radar, the news imaginably adds to the excitement already drawn by the original since its festival run in the past year. Kill stars Lakshya and actress Maniktala as Amrit and Tulika, star-crossed lovers caught in the upheavap of Tulika’s family’s disproval at the start of a train trip to New Delhi for Tulika’s arranged marriage. When armed dacoits take over the train, a violent battle […]
NOBODY 2 Finds A Director in THE NIGHT COMES FOR US filmmaker, Timo Tjahjanto
It seems you can’t dip your toe into the action film genre these days without hearing the name Timo Tjahjanto. And rightly so. He first caught the eye of horror fans with his V/H/S 2 segment, Safe Haven, where he teamed up with Gareth Evans (The Raid) to tell a terrifying tale of an evil Indonesian cult. He then rocketed onto the action scene with the Iko Uwais film, Headshot, cementing his name in the hearts of many with the Netflix production, The Night Comes For Us, also starring both Iko Uwais and bringing The Raid star, Joe Taslim, on board. After The Night Comes For Us, Hollywood jumped on Tjahjanto, with his name being tied to the upcoming Train to Busan remake, The Last Train to New York, and a possible Under Siege remake. While IMDb lists the former as being in post-production, the latter seems to have disappeared […]
SHADOW GHOST Taps Andy Cheng To Helm Live-Action Adaptation Of Crowdfunded Indie Hit Comic
Crowdfunding is still a viable source for creators to help get their ideas off the ground. Sifu Kurtis Fujita took note last January when he launched his own campaign for indie comic book Shadow Ghost, successfully achieving 263% of its funding goals. With the first print in toe, it was las November when Fujita signaled fans of a feature/TV adaptation in the works, partnering with Atchity Productions, the studio behind The Meg films. Fast forward six months into the new year and the now-reported movie in question has found a director in renowned stunt-multihyphenate and filmmaker, Andy Cheng. “We are thrilled to have Andy Cheng on board to direct the Shadow Ghost film,” said Atchity Productions CEO, Dr. Ken Atchity. “His unparalleled experience and passion for martial arts cinema make him the ideal choice to capture the essence of the Shadow Ghost saga. We are confident that this collaboration will […]