Arclight Films

STRIKE BACK: China Film Co. And Taihang Ready New Patriotic Actioner For Fall Production

Fresh out of Cannes and continuing the string of Chinese patriotic thrills of late, a September start is in store for Strike Back, from China Film Group and Taihang Pictures. Arclight Films, home to such hits as Triple Threat, Wu Jing’s Wolf Warrior 2 and Donnie Yen’s S.P.L. and Special ID, is selling internationally and co-financing the new thriller to be shot in the deserts of Xinjiang, northwest China, and Hainan island in the south. The fact-based story focuses on two Chinese soldiers who decide to avenge the killing of their colleague by a terrorist. One, a young reservist, feels the need to prove that he has what it takes to join the special operations forces known as Skyhawks. The state-owned Group’s China Film Co. is financing the project which is still on par for a director and an ensemble cast. China Film’s Xu Jian Hai is producing with Johnny […]

Sci-Fi Thriller POSSESSOR Casts Andrea Riseborough And Christopher Abott

Lee B. Golden III

Among other titles, actress Andrea Riseborough will hit theaters later this year for Panos Cosmatos’ hugely celebrated Nicolas Cage thriller, Mandy following its Cannes Film Festival Directors Fortnight selection. In the meantime, she’ll be setting forth with upcoming Catch-22 actor Christopher Abbott in Arclight Films’ latest prospect, acclaimed Antiviral helmer Brandon Cronenberg’s new sci-fi, Possessor, which he also wrote. The film will center on Riseborough in the role of Tasya Vos, an agent for a secretive organization who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s bodies, driving them to commit assassinations for the benefit of high-paying clients. As the plot reads on, something goes wrong on a routine job, and she soon finds herself trapped in the mind of an unwitting suspect (Abbott) whose appetite for violence turns out to rival her own. …Hm. Just trying to picture how that is going to play out on screen is an adventure […]

FURIE: Get A Ferocious Look At Veronica Ngo In The New Vietnamese Action Thriller From Arclight

Lee B. Golden III

Veronica Ngo has proven herself continuously with splashing display of dramatic and screenfighting prowess and gravitas in films like The Rebel and Clash, and has remained so in such films as Dustin Nguyen’s Once Upon A Time In Vietnam, her US debut in Netflix’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny and next to Noomi Rapace in David Ayer’s Netflix hit, Bright. Now the Star Wars: The Last Jedi co-star back in full-fledged film-fighting fashion with Furie, hailing from Arclight Films and with a first look photo with sales forthcoming at the Marché du Film. In the vein of the international box office hit action film The Raid, Furie follows Hai Phuong (Ngo) a gangster who retired from the life of crime after the birth of her daughter. Despite lying low in the countryside, she can’t seem to escape her violent past when her daughter is kidnapped right before her eyes. […]

AFM 2017: Heist Action Thriller, POACHER, Nabs Bracey, Nolte To Star

Lee B. Golden III

Arclight is at work at the American Film Market this week with presentations and announcements, including international sales outside the U.S. on the forthcoming production of action thriller, Poacher. Kriv Stenders will direct from a script by Thomas Martin (All That Way for Love), with Luke Bracey (Hacksaw Ridge, Point Break) and Nick Nolte (Prince of Tides, Warrior, Graves) starring. Inspired by true events, Poacher is the cautionary tale of a young man (Bracey), motivated by vengeance, who goes to war with a fishing baron (Nolte) who rules the town, sending him on a journey which transforms him from a small-time abalone poacher into a criminal gang boss. The thrilling heist adventure will be shot against the stunning Tasmanian coastal landscape. Ashley McLeod (The Offer, upcoming Storm Warning) is producing with Teresa Ticehurst (Mad Max Fury Road, Thor 3, Hunger Games, Storm Warning) and James M. Vernon (Hacksaw Ridge, In […]

AFM 2017: Arclight Picks Up German/China-Produced Espionage Thriller, OUT OF CONTROL

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been nearly a year and a half since we’ve seen or heard any info on the most recent completion of upcoming actioner, Out Of Control. As it stands, news from Screendaily now reports the Chinese co-production filmed in Germany with Axel Sand (Alarm for Cobra 11) and Richard Lin sharing dual directing duties will now have an audience with buyers this month at the American Film Market with global sales agent Arclight repping. Toplining is Korean popstar, actor T O.P. (a.k.a. Choi Seung-Hun) who is no stranger to the action genre having starred as early in drector Park Hong-soo’s 2013 espionage thriller, Committment, as well as in John H. Lee’s 2010 war drama, 71: Into The Fire. The actor is joined by actress Cecilia Cheung (Shaolin Soccer) and actors Michael Trevino (Vampire Diaries), and U.K. actor and martial artist David Cheung (Now You See Me 2). OUT OF CONTROL follows […]

Arclight Takes Ensemble Martial Arts Thriller, TRIPLE THREAT To Cannes

Lee B. Golden III

Director Jesse V. Johnson’s latest effort, Triple Threat, has entered the last stages of filming in time for its Cannes World Market Premiere this week from Arclight Films. The film certainly took sometime to evolve since late 2016 and evidently came together in the past several months in the course of building its remarkable cast and potential. TRIPLE THREAT is an adrenaline-fueled action film that brings together the three biggest new action Asian stars in one thrilling movie. The film is based on a hit contract taken out on a billionaire’s daughter intent on bringing down a major crime syndicate. A down and out team of mercenaries must take on a group of professional assassins and stop them before they kill their target. Hailing an ensemble English-language action thriller from a script by Joey O’Bryan and Paul Staheli is an Asian trio of leading stars Tony Jaa (Ong Bak Trilogy, […]

Details Assemble On Chen/Jaa/Uwais Headliner, TRIPLE THREAT

Lee B. Golden III

It was on Monday that Film Combat Syndicate hosted an exclusive update on the previously-announced union of action stars Tiger Chen, Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais for a project called Makeshift Squad. As things stand now, that project has shift into something almost entirely different whilst retaining its cast for updates on the Asian-Expendables style thriller, Triple Threat as of a few months ago. Our first noted with news on Monday of the additions of actors Scott Adkins and Michael Jai White, and UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping up for villain roles. Jesse Johnson, longtime stuntman-turned director of such films as The Package and The Beautiful Ones will be at the helm with a script by Joey O’Bryan which THR‘s report on Tuesday now further clarifies will center on a billionaire’s daughter who finds herself targeted by a mercenary cartel. Her only means of protection are two down-on-their-luck fighters and a […]

[UPDATED] AFM 2016: Arclight ‘Shifts To Chad Stahelski And Wang Xiaolie For Chen/Jaa/Uwais Headliner, TRIPLE THREAT

Lee B. Golden III

It looks like things have taken a bit of a turn for the initially announced Makeshift Squad. The film, previously announced to be helmed by Gary Mak with an “Asian Expendables” styled tone, has reportedly been restaffed with a new director, as well as retitled under the name, Triple Threat. Arclight Films is taking the film to the American Film Market for buyers with the cast currently packaged as mentioned before with action stars Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Tiger Chen. John Wick franchise co-helmer and sequel director Chad Stahelski and director Wang Xiaolie will partner on the film, directing from a script by Dwayne Smith which tells of a Chinese martial artist on a mission to rescue his ex-wife and son being held captive by the local drug cartels. Actress Angelababy who was also included in our initial exclusive report from September was not mentioned in the update while it […]