Until otherwise noted, August 19 is the expected release date of director John Stockwell’s Kickboxer: Vengeance from RLJ Entertainment. In the meantime, you can still count on there being a sequel, Kickboxer: Retaliation, following its announcement earlier this year with actor and martial artist Alain Moussi returning to star following his recent online run in the currently U.S.-exclusive digital series, Street Fighter: Resurrection.
With that in mind and believe it or not, production is already under way in Los Angeles with an expected return to Asia in June, and the word now is that the UFC’s 8th ranked Strawweight division fighter Paige VanZant will be starring in the film as Gamon, a 26-year old with high level fighter and markswoman with some strong criminal connections. Deadline reports her casting was made at the behest of the film’s producers following her most recent appearance on ABC series Dancing With The Stars.
“Paige is the up and coming darling of the UFC and her star quality shines through on camera,” producer Rob Hickman of Our House Films said in a statement today. “She’s a tremendous asset to the film both as an onscreen talent and as a trainer fighter.”
I seldom watch Dancing With The Stars but I’m interested in what VanZant could over to a sequel in its current iteration more than 20 years after the original spawned sequels of its own with actors like Sasha Mitchell and Mark Dacascos.
Also starring is Game Of Thrones co-star Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson who plays new opponent to Moussi’s portrayal of Kurt Sloane, once popularized in David Worth’s original 1989 movie, Kickboxer by action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme, in turn, will also appear in Kickboxer: Vengeance along with Moussi, actresses Gina Carano and Sara Malakul Lane, and actors Georges St. Pierre, Dave Bautista and late action star, actor Darren Shahlavi.
Acme Rocket Fuel is overseeing the production of Kickboxer: Retaliation, now written and directed by Kickboxer: Vengeance producer Dimitri Logothetis with Larry Nealy and Steven Michael Swadling of Our House Films executive producing. A release remains pending.
