Cambodian action thriller Jailbreak is back in the sales circuit.
Hong Kong-based Autumn Sun announced the film among its current slate at this year’s FilMart, marking its first movement since beginning its rollout in 2017. The film’s buzzy circulation continued onward through the festival scene, including at the 21st edition of Fantasia where it scored Best Action Film and a nomination for Most Innovative Feature Film.
Jailbreak was a milestone moment in the action and martial arts genre for Cambodian filmgoers, hailing from director Jimmy Henderson and producer Loy Te of Kongchak Pictures. Starring local action talent and Bokator specialist Dara Our (Hanuman), and UK-based actor and martial artist Jean Paul-Ly (Nightshooters), Jailbreak centers on a botched prison escort that unravels into chaos, forcing the team to fight for their lives while protecting a key witness from the menacing inmates, as well as the deadly gang of assasins targeting him.
The film also starred Dara Phang, Savin Phillip, Tharoth Sam, Tara Vy, Law Plancel, and Celine Tran. Henderson also penned the script with Michael Hodgson.
Netflix picked up the film in 2018, marking the first Cambodian film of its kind to hit the streamer. The film’s run lasted through its expiration in May of last year.
Sequel plans were announced in 2020 for then-titled Jailbreak: Round 2, at the time. Much of the cast set to return along with a few new additions, including Indonesian action exponents Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman. Since then, however, I am told that development on the sequel is looking unlikely now, while optimism still remains on reuniting the Jailbreak crew once more for a new project in the hopeful near future.
Henderson reteamed with Our for action comedy, KTV: Killing Time Violently as recently as last summer. The pair also collaborated along with Te and Chinese actor Gu Shangwei for 2018 actioner The Prey, and 2020’s The Guardian which also starred Andy On, Eric Tsang, and Charlie Ruedpoknanon.
Watch the trailer for Henderson’s winning hit action flick below!