EXCLUSIVE: Hitman Action Horror, THE INTERMEDIATE, Casts Kevin Lukata, Begins Filming Later This Year

Filmmaker Xavier Q. Kantz is someone who I’m more than humbled to have in my own film viewing repetoire. My earliest experience was his 2002 direct-to-video sophmore actioner, Love And A Bullet featuring Naughty By Nature’s own, actor Anthony “Treach” Criss. To say the least, it wasn’t a perfect film but it’s a great headliner to get some worthy insight into a director’s vision for action, and while a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fan, the addition of Walter Emmanuel Jones in an R-rated actioner for a change, certainly drew my interest.

This is the same director who contributed a rather interesting read here at Film Combat Syndicate back in 2014 amid all the lingering chitter-chatter over the prospects of an Enter The Dragon remake. Much to my own chagrin it’s the only piece he’s written here as he’s been kept busy with his own craft, which is largely a blessing following his 2010 proof-of-concept, Project Purgatory Beijing which features a stellar and able-bodied cast of actors who can perform action.

It’s projects like that which keep me curious, and on that end, Kantz remains on radar with a few projects as of late, one of which is currently lacing up with some great preliminary artwork ahead of time. For this, I speak of the new action horror thriller from Modus Operandi Pictures, The Intermediate, featuring actor and rising talent Kevin Lukata, last seen delivering a quick-fisted badass enforcer role in R.L. Scott’s most recent international crime pic, Call Me King opposite actor Amin Joseph earlier this year.

In The Intermediate, which Kantz himself describes as “All of my favorite genres mashed up into one.“, Lukata will play Noah Boudreaux, a corporate bagman who has moved millions of dollars for several notorious crime families, and other shadow entities that want to remain anonymous. An expert marksman, martial artist and mathematical genius, Noah has retired from the “business” a wealthy man. Now with young wife Paz Boudreaux, and son, Noah is living the good life in the suburbs. Life is grand until Noah’s violent and troubled past comes knocking on his door with a shotgun blast. With a bounty on his head, for reasons unknown, Noah is pursued by an unstoppable killing machine, known as The Samoan, and his many accomplices. Forced to protect his family, Noah uses all of his past skills to protect his present, and future.

Joining Lukata is a cast including some of Film Combat Syndicate’s prolific favorites, with Sam Puefua, Jasmine Hester, Jordan Lawson and Pretty Bhamidi, with Darren Holmquist and Ishida Sachiko also starring. The film is scripted by Kantz and co-scribe Marco Lopez, produced by Rick Irvin, and executive produced by Darus Richmond and Parris Washington with Henry Fayson Jr. and Raenae Kuaea serving as associate producers. The Intermediate is expected to commence this summer.