The next chapter of Pedring Lopez’s hit assassin revenge thriller, Maria, is afoot as of this week from the virtual EFM sales floor with Gi, from BlackOps Studios Asia and Psyops8 Productions. The action thriller sequel that also finally makes official the additions of Cecep Arif Rahman and Yayan Ruhian (The Raid, John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum, upcoming Satria Dewa Gatotkaca).
It was back in July 2019 when plans to bring Rahman and Ruihian aboard for a sequel to the inaugural Cristine Reyes starrer went public. With the actors busy on their own calendsrs and development moving forward fnext to other plans for projects for Lopez, including rescue action thriller CounterPlay, scheduling eventually became just one factor in the film’s slow process, with another being the onset of the pandemic last year.
Things began looking up just last month, however, when Lopez took to social media audience, and we could then report that he and the two action star talents were back in the mix for something over at BlackOps Studios Asia and Psyops8 Productions. Film Combat Syndicate can now confirm the aforementioned official spin-off as of Thursday, with Blue Fox Entertainment acquiring worldwide rights at the virtual EFM and introducing the pic to buyers.
Gi centers on a female assassin, forced to fight back through hell and everyone in her way to rescue her mother from the clutches of a rival gang. Outnumbered and outgunned, Gi must make her way through unknown territory in Jakarta, while fighting against the city’s most dangerous gang, the Palembang. Along the way, she joins forces with Jakarta’s deadliest assassin as they fight and survive to save her mother, and defeat those who want to take her place as the region’s most dangerous syndicate boss.
Casting for the title role of Gi remains pending. Additionally, I am told that as of Thursday, actress Kelly Tandiono (Gundala, Gangster, HBO Asia’s Grisse) is currently circling a role and has not yet signed on, despite what a previous press release that was sent to us stated.
Cameras will roll this Spring in Indonesia with Lopez directing from a script he wrote with his team. He will also produce along with Rex Lopez (Maria), Scott Rosenfelt (Critical Thinking, Home Alone, Mystic Pizza, Teen Wolf) and Maia Yambao-Lopez (Maria).
Blue Fox’s current U.S. theatrical releases partly include Julie Delpy’s My Zoe, Bill Nighy starrer Sometimes Always Never, Abe starring Noah Schnapp and Liam Hemsworth thriller, Killerman. Some of their recent international sales titles include the acclaimed drama The True Adventures Of Wolfboy starring Jaeden Martell, the hit romance The Lost Husband starring Josh Duhamel and Leslie Bibb, and Standing Up, Falling Down starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz.
UPDATES: (Previous versions of this article reported has been corrected to note that casting for the lead actress for the film remains pending, and that Kelly Tandiono is currently not yet signed on for a role.)
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Native New Yorker. Lover of all things pizza, chocolate, pets, and good friends. Karaoke hero. Left of center. Survivor. Fond supporter of cult, obscure and independent cinema - especially fond of Asian movies and global action cinema. Author of the bi-weekly Hit List. Founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate. Still, very much, only human.
