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Simon McQuoid Will Direct MORTAL KOMBAT 2 For Warner Bros.

Simon McQuoid will return to direct the sequel to last year’s Mortal Kombat, according to Deadline on Wednesday. Jeremy Slater is penning the script as of January. McQuoid directed the first installment based on a script by Greg Russo, adaptating a new story based on the hit game created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. It returned many classic game characters to the screen, largely with the exception of Lewis Tan who headed the cast as an original character for the film. Warner Bros. Pictures released the film on HBO Max and in theaters where it became a box office hit alongside other theatrical titles including Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train, and F9. Critical reviews, however, were hit or miss depending on whose pieces you take more to. Casting details haven’t been made official, save for actor Joe Taslim who informed fans last April that he’s contracted for at […]

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Get Ready for the Next Battle – TEKKEN BLOODLINE is Almost Here!

Netflix has been on a tear with it’s original animated offerings, and this one seems to be no exception. Premiering exclusively on Netflix, Tekken Bloodline, an anime based on the popular 3D fighting game by Bandai Namco has long been teased, and finally has a release date and new trailer. The trailer is full of small details that will be a treat for fans of the series, and longtime series lead Katsuhiro Harada has said that “die hard fans of the original and new viewers as well will discover many new things that will make them say, ‘so that’s what happened!’ ”   “Power is everything.” Jin Kazama learned the family self-defense arts, Kazama-Style Traditional Martial Arts, from his mother at an early age. Even so, he was powerless when a monstrous evil suddenly appeared, destroying everything dear to him, changing his life forever. Angry at himself for being unable […]

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NYAFF 2022 Review: It’s All Fun And Games Until A LESSON IN MURDER Gets Dangerously Personal

Anyone new to the work of director Kazuya Shiraishi might already be keen on his unabashed directing style. For those who haven’t seen some of his previous work like the more robust The Blood Of Wolves and it’s sequel, The Last Of The Wolves, are welcome to check the aforementioned titles out at a latter point sometime, with his latest, Lesson In Murder, able to serve as a bit of a soft opener into the chilling and gruesome. A slow-burn crime procedural in its entirety, we watch as Masaya Kakei (Kenshi Okada), a terse, meek young adult fresh into college just as he and his family are in mourning from the loss of his grandmother, is thrust into an intrinsic journey when he receives a letter from Yamato Haimura (Sadao Abe), his former childhood baker who is now incarcerated and on trial for torturing and murdering nearly two-dozen teenagers. Driven […]

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JAKA: Production Wraps On Indonesian Action Thriller From Dan Rizzuto

A first look image via detikHot is now making the rounds for Indonesian local TV action pic, Jaka. The film is the second directorial effort from stunt professional Dan Rizzuto following his debut feature, Torn: Dark Bullets. Actor Ramadhan Ruswandi, pictured, stars in the film from a script by Rizzuto alongside Josh Mazerolle. The martial arts action thriller centers on a man whose son gets kidnapped while on a family vacation, and is coerced into protecting him by doing the dirty work of corrupt officials for a major criminal organization. Rizzuto is also producing Jaka for Road Dog Entertainment along with Elfina Luk and Ryan Santoso, with trajectory currently set for the global film markets. Rizzuto is based in Canada and operates film and television stunt and fight training facility M1 Fight Design. He is multi-faceted in stunts, action performance and choreography with credits partly including Netflix series Wu Assassins […]

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THE FIGHT MACHINE: Don’t Miss The Trailer For The Latest Bareknuckle Brawler From Andrew T. Hunt

Raven Banner is on deck at Fantasia to screen its package at this year’s 26th in-person edition, including and not limited to company co-founder and Spare Parts helmer Andrew T. Hunt’s new action drama, The Fight Machine. Based on the novel “The Fighter” by acclaimed author Craig Davidson (Jacques Audiard’s Rust & Bone), Hunt co-penned the pic with Davidson for a cast led by rising stars Greg Hovanessian and Dempsey Bryk. In The Fight Machine, Paul Harris leads a sheltered existence. The son of a winery owner, his suits and cars are paid for, his career in the family business assured. He is insulated from the rough realities of life—until a vicious barroom beating sets him down a new path. Rob Tully also feels that his life is on a set course. A born boxer with natural talent, Rob trains with his father, Reuben, and his uncle Tommy, both of […]

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GLORIOUS: Shudder Launches First Teaser Ahead Of Fantasia Premiere

Following its recent acquisition by AMC Networks’ premiere horror streamer, Shudder, the first official teaser is now online for new horror thriller, Glorious, starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) and Oscar-Winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash). Directed by Rebekah McKendry (All The Creatures Were Stirring, Bring It On: Cheer or Die), the film is set to screen at SGWU Theatre Hall at 9:30pm prior to releasing on Shudder beginning August 18. Spiraling out after a bad breakup, Wes (Ryan Kwanten) ends up at a remote rest stop miles away from civilization. His situation worsens after he finds himself locked inside the bathroom with a mysterious figure (J.K. Simmons) speaking to him from an adjacent stall. As Wes tries to escape, he finds himself an unwilling player in a situation bigger and more terrible than he could possibly imagine… Ahead of its hotly anticipated world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, […]

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Netflix Acquires Syndey-Based Animation Firm Animal Logic

Netflix is proudly announcing its acquisition of Australian animation studio, Animal Logic. The acquisition is expected to support Netflix’s ambitious animated film slate, building on films like Academy Award-nominated Over the Moon, Academy Award-nominated Klaus and the recently released The Sea Beast. The Sydney-based firm, co-founded by CEO Zareh Nalbandian, has been home to award-winning design, visual effects and animation for over thirty years, with a second studio in Vancouver, Canada as of 2015. Their credits partly include Hollywood hits like Happy Feet, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, The LEGO Movies and Peter Rabbit 1 & 2, as well as a number of VFX credits like The Matrix, Moulin Rouge!, 300, and The Great Gatsby. The announcement also builds on an already strong partnership between the two companies, with a full slate of films across both of Animal Logic’s locations with titles like The Magician’s Elephant, directed […]

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MURDER AT YELLOWSTONE CITY Set To Duel At Home Next Month On DVD And Blu-Ray

Director Richard Gray’s (Robert The Bruce) new Western thriller is now hitting the DVD and Blu-Ray trail with Murder At Yellowstone City. The film, which stars Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane, Isaiah Mustafa, Anna Camp, Aimee Garcia, Emma Kenney and Zach McGowan from a script by Eric Belgau, will have its disc releases on August 23 from RLJE Films. In MURDER AT YELLOWSTONE CITY, the once peaceful and booming Yellowstone City has fallen on hard times, but when a local prospector strikes gold, things seem to be turning around. Any hope is soon shattered when the prospector is found dead and the Sheriff quickly arrests a mysterious newcomer. But nothing is so simple in this sleepy western town, and more than a few of the locals have secrets to keep and reasons to kill. As the brutal murders continue, pitting neighbor against neighbor, Yellowstone City goes down a bloody path to […]

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Now On Prime Video: Dean Fujioka Is PURE JAPANESE, With Blood-Soaked Retribution

Folks sifting through their home streaming mediums for something to watch can now feast their curious eyes on Pure Japanese, from director Daishi Matsunaga over on Prime Video. The film marks the latest screen appearance from actor Dean Fujioka whose recent starring roles partly include Koji Fukada’s The Man From The Sea and Shinichi Nishitani’s Marriage, as well as Fumihiko Sori’s two recent live-action chapters of Fullmetal Alchemist to name a few. Fujioka takes on both starring and producing duties from a script by Tatsuo Kobayashi. The actor stars as Tateishi, who performs for a stunt show at an Edo-themed family park as an action actor. Not much is known by his colleagues about his traumatic past, save for a terrible accident he is said to have observed while performing stunts on a project in the United States. It’s a past that’s largely gone unaccounted for without incident as long […]

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NYAFF 2022 Review: PREMAN: SILENT FURY, Audibly Thrilling Crime Drama That Sometimes Gets Trippy

Originally published July 19: Falling somewhere between cerebral crime drama and reductionist martial arts thriller is writer/director Randolph Zaini’s feature debut, Preman: Silent Fury. The film tells of Sandi (Khiva Iskak), a gangster whose organization, led by Guru (Kiki Narendra), is currently on a violent campaign to force villagers out of their homes at the will of a sinister politician named Hanoeng (David Saragih). When Guru’s attempt to cudjole the village keeper, Haji (Egi Fedly), into selling his property turns violent, Sandi’s own son, Pandu (Muzakki Ramdhan), falls witness to the incident, making him a target and forcing Sandi to protect his son in a race against time, hired killers, and a narrowing chance to redeem himself. The film definitely takes some whimsical turns in its recurring flashbacks of Sandi’s childhood, which is enough to pair against the film’s more gritty and gruesome imagery per the action and drama. Key […]

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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: THE REVENGE OF SCAR/THE FINAL ALCHEMY Debut On Netflix This Fall

It’s been five years since director Fumihiko Sori’s live-action adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist out of Warner Bros. Japan. This year’s sequels have since arrived and with Netflix going full-circle with the respective releases of Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge Of Scar, and Fullmetal Alchemist: The Final Alchemy on August 20 and September 24. The final battle for the future has begun. The legend concludes with these two films, forming a “complete version” telling the story up until the end of the original manga. Ed and Al visit Central, where a serial murderer is targeting State Alchemists. While the identity of the criminal is unknown, he is called “Scar” because of the X-shaped scar on his forehead. When the brothers are targeted as well, they fight Scar. In the face of overwhelming strength, Ed’s Automail is destroyed and their lives hang by a thread. Will the brothers be able to overcome this […]

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Fantasia XXVI Review: SPECIAL DELIVERY Arrives With Full-Throttle Fun

If there’s one particular kind of story that usually hits many of the right notes with Korean movie fans of late, it’s where the hero must rescue a child from certain dangerous, criminal elements. For this third film to date, writer/director Park Dae-min is handed the reigns for a story that clearly takes some cues from the likes of Edgar Wright, Simon West and Louis Leterrier and for this, we get Parasite and Man Of Will actress Park So-dam’s newest role in action thriller, Special Delivery. Our story centers on Jung Eun-ha, a North Korean defector who’s long been in the care of Baek (Kim Eui-sung). Together with Asif (Howard Han), they operate an elite delivery business for clients out of Baek’s junkyard and save for Eun-ha’s eagerness for a 50/50 split away from the usual 40% take she earns, not only is she good at what she does, but […]

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DUNE: PART TWO Commences Principal Photography For 2023 Rollout

Cameras are now rolling in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy for Dune: Part Two, according to an announcement on Monday. Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve is back to direct the second installment following the film’s critical and commercial acclaim from its release last year, taking six Academy Award wins including Bests in visual effects and for composer Hans Zimmer’s original score. Hailing from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment, Dune: Part Two sees Villeneuve directing from a script he co-wrote with Jon Sphaits, continuing his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller. The film centers on the interplanetary upheaval over spice on the desert planet, Arrakis, wherein the fate of Paul Atreides, the noble son of the House Of Atreides, will be decided as a war looms between an evil Baron and the warrior dwellers of Arrakis. As the studio describes it, the sequel “will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as […]

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YU YU HAKUSHO: Meet Kurama And Hiei In Two More Images For The Upcoming Live-Action Series

A few other pieces of character art were revealed in the wake of this past weekend’s debut reveal of Tokyo Revengers star Takumi Kitamura in the title role of the upcoming live-action series adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho. The streamer also shared promotional images of actors Jun Shison (HiGH&LOW: The Worst, Bubble) and Kanata Hongo (Fullmetal Alchemist trilogy) in the respective roles of Kurama, the fox demon in human form, and Hiei, a fire demon imbued with a supernatural power born from the “evil eye” on his forehead. The casting announcement for the role of Yusuke’s high school frienemy, Kuwabara, remains pending following a teaser image over the weekend. All three characters and more are expected to join Kitamura for the series with a story based on Yoshihiro Togashi’s original manga which centers on a delinquent high schooler who is thrust into a dark adventure as a spirit detective when […]

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CARTER Official Trailer Reveals Single-Take Explosive Action Adventure

The New York Asian Film Festival’s Daniel A. Craft Award-winning Jung Byung-gil’s latest thriller is hitting Netflix on August 5 with Carter, and a new trailer is online following a teaser revealed earlier this month. Save for the logline, this footage now immerses us into a story that’s more visually descriptive – even more so in the YouTube description as it notes the film’s story will be told in real-time. A man wakes up missing his memories. Directed by a mysterious voice from a device in his ear, he sets off on a hostage rescue mission rife with danger. Invariably, you can expect fans of Jung’s The Villainess and films like One Shot and Crazy Samurai Musashi might be keen on this latest endeavor. Lead actor Joo Won is joined by Lee Sung-jae and Jeong So-ri.

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NYAFF 2022 Review: MAMA BOY, A Visually Poetic Tale About Growing Pains

U.S.-born filmmaker Arvin Chen’s third feature is a profile in coming-of-age hardship amid family drama in Mama Boy, fresh out of Taiwan and currently circulating festivals abroad with its latest movement now at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival. Distribution Workshop is representing the film internationally per its announcement last year with a cast led by Tiny Times franchise actor Kai Ko, and actress Vivian Hsu following their last shared screen credit, Jeff Chang’s 2013 comedy, Machi Action. We meet Xiao Hong (Kai Ko), who’s a bit of a basketcase. He lives with his overprotective and intrusive mother, Meiling (Sara Yu), who insists on coordinating just about every aspect of his life in hopes of securing his future, including his romantic interests. There is just one problem: Xiao has just turned 29. He’s never had a girlfriend, and everytime she sets him up on a date, it ends in […]

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YU YU HAKUSHO: Takumi Kitamura Is Yusuke Urameshi In The First Promotional Image For The Netflix Live-Action Series

Netflix is getting its spirit energy up this weekend with a first official look at actor Takumi Kitamura (Tokyo Revengers) in the lead role of the upcoming live-action series adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho, following its 2020 announcement. Sho Tsukikawa is directing the series from a screenplay by Tatsuro Mishima, with Akira Morii producing for ROBOT, and Kaata Sakamoto exec producing for Netflix. The original IP centers on Yusuke Urameshi, a rebellious teen delinquent who dies saving a child’s life – an act that soon thrusts him into whirlwind adventure and danger as a newly-minted “Spirit Detective”. Joined by his friends, they encounter swathes of supernatural evil in an epic journey of self-discovery that will test his resolve and push him beyond his limits as a skilled fighter and warrior, all leading up to a final confrontation with his own darkness. Yoshihiro Togashi wrote and created the original manga published […]

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THE RIVER WILD Reboot Now Filming, Cast Photo Revealed Ahead Of 2023 Release

A new reimagining of Curtis Hanson’s 1994 thriller, The River Wild, is now underway in Hungary from writer/director Ben Ketai (“StartUp,” “Chosen”). The announcement comes with a first look cast photo which you can view above, featuring Leighton Meester (The Weekend Away, “Single Parents”), Taran Killam (“Saturday Night Live,” “Single Parents”), and Adam Brody (Ready or Not, “StartUp”). The brand-new adventure thriller follows a brother (Killam) and sister (Meester), who love but distrust each other, as they embark on a white-water rafting trip with a small group, including the siblings’ childhood friend (Brody), who turns out to be more dangerous than he appears. The film will debut on non-theatrical platforms worldwide in 2023 from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.   “We are excited to announce a thrilling new The River Wild story, with fresh characters and a story that brings the universe to new audiences and […]

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BLACK LOTUS: Frank Grillo Toplines New Action Thriller From ‘Boyka: Undisputed’ Director

Principal photography has just begun on action thriller Black Lotus, according to production notices sent out on Friday. Todor Chapkanov (Viking Quest, Boyka: Undisputed 4, 2nd unit for The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Expendables 4) will direct a cast headed up by Frank Grillo (The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Copshop, Boss Level) opposite eleven-time world Dutch kickboxing champion and lead actor Rico Verhoeven (Kickboxer: Retaliation, Netxlix series “Undercover”) Penned by Tad Daggerhart (The Expendables 4), Black Lotus sees Verhoeven in the role of special forces officer Matteo Donner. After his best friend dies while on a joint mission, he roams the world struggling with guilt. Once back in Amsterdam, he ends up in a one-man war in the streets and on the canals of the city. Between explosions, flying bullets and crashing cars, Donner has only one goal: to rescue the kidnapped daughter of his dead friend. Cameras are rolling in the […]

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SALOUM: Jean Luc Herberlot’s Award-Winning Senegalese Thriller Arrives In Theaters And Streaming This September

AMC Networks’ premium horror and thriller streamer, Shudder, and IFC Midnight have acquired Saloum, the highly-anticipated and award-winning feature from writer/director Jean Luc Herbulot (Dealer). The film will release theatrically on Friday, September 2 ahead of streaming Thursday, September 8, with national rollout will on September 9. “Saloum is a bold combination of horror, revenge thriller and African folklore that’s worthy of every bit of praise it’s been receiving at festivals,” said Shudder General Manager, Craig Engler. “We’re proud to share this incredibly original and thrilling film from the distinctive voice of Jean Luc Herbulot with our members and theatergoers.” Said Herbulot, “I created the Hyenas as a personal gift for my own 7-year-old self who grew up without heroes and my 37-year-old self who was bored by modern African cinema, and today I hope they can be the heroes of many across the globe. It’s very important for us […]

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