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Bruce Willis's DEATH WISH Remake Lands A New Director

It was last month that Big Bad Wolves helmers Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado parted ways from the currently brewing Death Wish remake which had been set to commence filming this summer for MGM and Paramount. This week, the word now is that genre director Eli Roth (Knock Knock, The Green Inferno) will direct from a script treatment by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski with Roger Birnbaum producing. Bruce Willis who is set to lead the remake in what is being worked i to a hopeful franchise, retelling the story of a New York City architect cornered into taking the law into his own hands for the death of his wife and rape of his daughter. The original franchise was adapted for the screen from author Brian Garfield’s 1972 novel, which led to a successful five-film franchise that made actor Charles Bronson a household name. Saw and Furious Seven helmer James Wan […]

Hrithik Roshan Returns In The Epic New MOHENJO DARO Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

I’m relatively new to Bollywood, and with this, I purely enjoyed Hrithik Roshan’s role in the 2014 Knight And Day remake, Bang Bang!. So, I think I’ll have another and will take a gander at director Ashutosh Gowariker’s latest, Mohenjo Daro as soon as I can following its August 12 release! SYNOPSIS: During the Pre-historic Indus Valley, in 2016 BC, the evil greed of a man is about to destroy one of the oldest cities in the ancient world, Mohenjo Daro. A young indigo farmer, Sarman, enters the city and meets Chaani, the daughter of the Priest, predicted to be the Origin of a New Society. Sarman, in his attempt to win Chaani’s love, uncovers the secrets nobody was ever supposed to know – about Chaani, about Mohenjo Daro and about his own past! MOHENJO DARO is a story of an ancient love and our past, present and future! The […]

John Woo's MANHUNT Begins Principal Photography!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s a great time to be a John Woo fan if you’ve been nostaligic in recent time. As per the hype, expect his return to glory with the new cinematic re-adaptation, Manhunt which is now underway in Osaka, Japan and scheduled through October this year. Screendaily writes of the confirmed cast with actor Hanyu Zhang and Fukuyama Masaharu leading, based on Sato Junya’s 1976 film adaptation of Nishimura Juko’s earlier novel, “Hot Pursuit”, in which a lawyer must set out to clear his name after being framed and wrongfully accused of robbery, rape and multiple murders. Producers Chan Hing Kai (A Better Tomorrow) and Gordon Chan (Painted Skin) wrote the script with Zhang and Fukuyama joined by actresses Ha Ji-Won and Qi Wei. The ensemble cast rounds out with a list of seasoned and upcoming faces like actor Kurata Yasuaki (So Close) Kunimura Jun (Kill Bill, The Wailing) and Takenaka Naoto (Gonin Saga, […]

Orlando Bloom To Star And Co-Produce China-Set SMART CHASE: FIRE AND EARTH

Lee B. Golden III

I don’t get to attend festivals since they’re not in my purview, and so I miss out on a lot of international films that I would love to see on the big screen. That includes director Julien Seri’s most recent thriller, Night Fare which explores the dark tale of a bloodthirsty taxi driver on the prowl when a passenger jips him on his fare. The trailer itself looks awesome and so it’s garnered my own interest despite some mixed reviews. At any rate, I’m pretty appealed to Seri’s career growth, especially in the wake of last week’s teaser poster and news unveiling at the Shanghai International Film Festival that actor Orlando Bloom, star of the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, will star and co-produce in BlissBloom Productions in China ahead of filming for Seri’s next endeavor, Smart Chase: Fire & Earth. As Variety reports, the […]

WHERE FANTASY MEETS REALITY: An Interview With Tanay Genco Ulgen

Lee B. Golden III

I’m not a gamer. Point in fact, I haven’t been a gamer in a LONG time and I probably would be if I had the time and conveniences as other gamers do. That said, when I was a gamer, I never played Final Fantasy in any of its iterations and have only heard of the films therein. Interestingly enough, neither has fight choreographer and filmmaker Tanay Genco Ulgen, although it didn’t stop him from contributing to one of Sony’s forthcoming major feature film releases tying into the game franchise, Nozue Takeshi’s Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. I learned of this in a Facebook post a few months ago and so I found myself at an opportune moment to interview yet another aspiring film professional in the course of my own work in covering independent action as well. Much to my own delight, it just so happens that Ulgen shares membership with […]

Screener Review: THREE (2016)

Lee B. Golden III

Director Johnnie To’s new movie, Three, plays like an adequately-balanced hybrid of genres than a crime thriller in some ways, but you still get a lot of what you’ll be looking for, save for just a few holes and some bad CG and cardboard performances among other things. It’s also the first Johnnie To film I’d seen in a long while so I’m sort of coming at this with somewhat of a fresh perspective and from an experience that gladly wasn’t entirely for nothing. The film picks up at a hospital where we meet a doctor (Vicky Zhao) belaguered by the pressure to be a successful surgeon, and a Hong Kong inspector (Louis Koo) under the duress of an overbearing press crowd as he escorts a high-profile robbery suspect with a bullet in his head (Wallace Chung). The suspect awakens and decides to exercise his right not to be treated […]

Catch The Latest Trailer For David Lam's S STORM!

Lee B. Golden III

Director David Lam’s 2014 corporate espionage thriller, Z Storm was probably better than it deserved to be. It had some great moments with good acting from its cast led by actor Louis Koo, compensating adequately for what it lacked in depth and originality in some areas and Michael Wong was a fun villain to watch as well. Thus, we’ve come to 2016 with a season full of unknowing as to what Louis Koo title to pay attention to first what with Johnnie To’s forthcoming crime thriller, Three, Jazz Boon’s TVB feature follow-up, Line Walker, and Benny Chan’s period martial arts actioner, Call Of Heroes among the endless list. Alas, you can add Lam’s return to the director’s chair for S Storm to your Louis Koo syllabus of forthcoming movie homework with a release rolling out this August throughout Asia, and Koo back in character as the corporate watchdog group of […]

RZA Is Developing A BLACK SAMURAI TV Series Starring Common

Lee B. Golden III

If you live in New York City and you’re at all curious and interested in what’s happening with musician and filmmaker RZA these days, the Metrograph seems like a good place to start as he’ll be hosting a kung fu double feature on June 25. Suffice it to say it’ll be a great time to answer any and all questions you might have about his latest television venture in the adaptation of Marc Olden’s 1974 book series, Black Samurai. For this, we bring word from Variety that co-star of upcoming Suicide Squad and next year’s John Wick: Chapter Two, actor Common will star in the forthcoming series while further news awaits of a network landing. The series – the latest cinematic rendering since the 1977 film adaptation, sees Common in the role of Robert Sand, a former soldier belaguered by racism, and raised and trained in the samurai arts for […]

Actress Céline Tran Joins Cambodian Action Comedy, JAILBREAK

Lee B. Golden III

Far and away from her former moniker as an adult film star, you may have seen actress Céline Tran in any number of shortfilms and demos she has done in the last few years to re-establish herself. Such projects include French graphic novel action horror concept, Heartbreaker, and Godefroy Ryckewaert’s Bladed Minds swordfighting shortfilm, and both have been exemplary in signaling Tran’s own hard-earning ascension into action cinema stardom. As such, her efforts have not been for naught as of this week with word of her casting in Jimmy Henderson’s new Cambodian action comedy, Jailbreak, from Puprom Entertainment and Kongchak Pictures. Press was announced in Cambodia on Friday with news of Tran’s addition in the company of Henderson who produces along with Loy Te, and lead actors, Hanuman star Dara Ours and co-star Savin Philip, as well as actor Jean-Paul Ly (stunts credited for Luc Besson’s Lucy, Jon M. Chu’s Now […]

Check Out The DVD And Blu-Ray Art For Well Go USA’s KILL ZONE 2

Lee B. Golden III

Director Soi Cheang’s “giddily frenetic” Kill Zone 2 officially has a U.S. DVD and Blu-Ray release date attached. The film is still available on VoD as well but however which way you feel, this will still make a great addition to your collection, especially if there are features, and indeed there are a few. That, and of course you have the added benefit of watching Wu Jing and Tony Jaa fight on screen for the first time. There’s a third film in development now and one can only hope that its cast will be of equal screenfighting caliber, if not better, given the pedigree so far featuring the two legends from the 2004 film by Wilson Yip, on top of a terrific story to boot. Check out the press announcement and artwork below for the July home release! PLANO, TEXAS. (June 14, 2016) – In this giddily frenetic follow-up (though […]

Watch The Newest Trailer For Benny Chan's CALL OF HEROES

Lee B. Golden III

There’s no mistake in asserting that director Benny Chan’s Call Of Heroes is one that fans will be clammoring for in the coming months. With action Sammo Hung directing the ferocious action sequences and a cast led by notable thesps like Sean Lau, Louis Koo, Wu Jing and Eddie Peng, what we currently see in the trailers looks all the more promising, making this moreso a matter of time than anything. August 18 is the date in Hong Kong when we will finally our heroes called upon as they defend their village against a tyrannical warlord amid the crimes of a murderous, unwanted visitor being jailed for his crimes. Check out the trailer below, and while you’re at it, be sure to snag a look at the various character posters beneath! View post on imgur.com

Watch The Explosive New Trailer For WWII Thriller, ANTHROPOID

Lee B. Golden III

Director Sean Ellis has come a long way since winning Best Director award at British Independent Film Awards for the hit 2013 drama, Metro Manila. His latest endeavor, Anthropoid, is kicking off events at Karlovy next month, and judging by the latest trailer from Bleecker Street Media, with a stark look into a riveting tale highlighting one of the most volatile game changing efforts of World War II. SYNOPSIS: ANTHROPOID is based on the extraordinary true story of “Operation Anthropoid,” the code name for the Czech operatives’ mission to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich. Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution, was the Reich’s third in command behind Hitler and Himmler and the leader of Nazi forces in Czechoslovakia. The film follows two soldiers from the Czech army-in-exile, Josef Gabčík (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubiš (Jamie Dornan), who are parachuted into their occupied homeland in December 1941. With limited […]

NYAFF 2016 Kicks Out A Spectacular 15th Anniversary Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

This year’s installation of the New York Asian Film Festival is packed with a slew of great titles along with a few upcoming ones. The festival kicks off on June 22 and we have a trailer for the festival – host to footage from films like gangster drama, Mr. Six, yakuza drama Kiyamachi Daruma, and actioners like Sammo Hung’s My Beloved Bodyguard and risqué superhero romp, Hentai Kamen 2: The Abnormal Crisis. Other titles to expect include Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid as well as Yue Song’s own contribution to the hybrid martial arts and superhero tropes with Super Bodyguard. Check out the trailer below and follow-up on the details of the festival at the official website with ticket info included.

BLEEDING STEEL Takes Jackie Chan's Sci-Fi Down Under Next Month!

Lee B. Golden III

You can give up predicting action star and average everyday working man, Jackie Chan’s retirement. Point in fact, if you’ve at all turned this into a drinking game and lost, congratulations! You now have a new habit to accomdate your DVD collection. Last month’s reported news of the new sci-fi action flick, Bleeding Steel, Leo (Lijia) Zhang’s forthcoming sophmore effort, now has an official announcement to make regarding its status and story details. Other hints entail but you can be assured that more news is expected with Chan still slated for any number of titles after this, including these! Eyes open, folks! And…uh, drink responsibily. SHANGHAI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Heyi Pictures announced today that they will co-produce and co-finance the Jackie Chan sci-fi thriller Bleeding Steel, written and directed by Leo Zhang (Chrysanthemum to the Beast). Principal photography for the film is scheduled to begin in July out of […]

Oda’s ONE PIECE Sets The Course For Live-Action Movie, First Casting Announced

Lee B. Golden III

As of today, the fascination of turning anime and manga properties can now extend to author Oda Eiichiro’s popular work, One Piece. Of course, this mark yet another addition to my own anime absorption homework this year, but an official announcement was just published solidifying its first two leads, with actor Kubota Masataka fresh off the success of Japan’s Hulu Hit series, HiGH&LOW and it’s forthcoming film next month. Also set to star is Chinese pop idol Xie Leilei of GNZ48 which might be a peculiar casting choice for critics observant of this kind of thing…I’m not sure. At any rate, Kubota as the choice to play elastic adventurer and aspiring Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy as he and his loyal friends battle demons, monsters and enemies galore could be an interesting one. If it works, then it works, but for those of you familiar with One Piece, what do […]

Watch The High-Octane Trailer For China/German Action Thriller, OUT OF CONTROL – THE PHANTOM DRIVE

Lee B. Golden III

Director Park Hong-soo’s 2013 espionage thriller, Committment, landed actor and singer T.O.P. on the radar for some of us in the action genre. If you enjoyed that one, then you might be pleased with what’s in store from directing duo Axel Sand and Richard Lin, and screenwriter Andreas Heckmann with leading lady Cecilia Cheung, and The Vampire Diaries co-star Michael Trevino also starring. For this, we get the latest promotional footage for the new German-Chinese co-produced thriller, Out Of Control – The Phantom Drive. Following its announcement in the press a few months ago and subsequent wrap last month, the film is financed and produced by China’s Dreams Of Dragons Pictures along with Action Concept, which happens to be one of Germany’s top action and production companies. SYNOPSIS: OUT OF CONTROL follows actress and martial-arts guru Lucy Lin (Cheung) as her visit to a film festival in Berlin is marred […]

Corin Hardy Is HELL BENT At Paramount!

Lee B. Golden III

Will The Crow remake ever happen? That depends on what happens over at Relativity Media following their latest Chapter 11 recovery, and what’s also unknown is whether or not filmmaker Corin Hardy will still direct after this, especially after leaving the project back in March. In the meantime, what looks like a sure thing is officially in the works at Paramount Pictures for the new Dirty Dozen-themed action thriller, Hell Bent. Deadline reports on the film with a script by Mike Finch which tells of a group of mercenaries killed behind bars in Brazil and are subsequently led to through the bowels of Hell by a priest who propositions them with an opportunity to kill Satan before he unleashes hell on Earth. The report cites a ball park figure of $60 million or under as a means for a production that could take an alternative road toward franchise prospects, with […]

Helen Mirren's Wishes Come True As She Boards FAST 8!

Lee B. Golden III

A little over a year ago, actress Dame Helen Mirren made the case for a role in the next installment of the Fast And Furious franchise, Fast 8. She was ever so vocal about it at the time, and now it appears that her wish is coming true as of the latest report from The Wrap. Details are currently unclear about who she’ll play so, as it stands, your guess is as good as mine. At any rate, she’ll be joined by Vin Diesel and the usual principles, in addition to Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Kristofer Hivju and Scott Eastwood with F. Gary Gray at the helm for the film’s April 14, 2017 release to kick off the final trilogy in the saga. Speaking of, it’s not quite clear as to whether or not she’ll appear in any of the remaining movies or spin-off films either. That, of […]

[UPDATED] Scott Adkins Goes From Hunted To Hunter In The New HARD TARGET 2 Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

At first glance I would have sworn that a sequel to John Woo’s 1994 thriller, Hard Target was a standalone film. It was thrilling and fun as it came at the height of action star Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career in Hollywood and though it may have taken more than two decades for a sequel to happen, it finally has. Thus, we get the delight of having actor Scott Adkins lead this latest foray into sequel territory as he nears a career milestone of his own with Marvel’s Doctor Strange later this year. Here and now with The Admiral helmer Roel Reine directing and an equally stellar action-packed cast on hand, the latest trailer has arrived for the film’s forthcoming release on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital HD on September 6, and with probably one of the best action star one-liners you’ll ever hear in this movie. The trailer itself was since made […]

It Only Took A Few Decades But BEVERLY HILLS COP 4 Finally Gets New Directors And Possibly Better Prospects

Lee B. Golden III

Paramount is officially back on track this week with word that two new directors are signed to direct the long-awaited on-again-off-again Beverly Hills Cop 4. Belgian directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are attached to helm the film following the initial trilogy thusfar with actor and comedian Eddie Murphy expected to reprise the role of cunning, quick-witted fish-out-of-water Detroit detective, Axel Foley. The first two films measure excellently as buddy-cop action classics of yesteryear with the first two showcasing the misadventures of Foley and odd-couple Beverly Hills detectives Rosewood and Taggart, played by Judge Reinhold and John Ashton. The third, lesser-received of the bunch has since been one of the main motivators for Murphy to have any interest in doing a fourth film at all given the franchise’s legacy, and all while lingering in development hell as it was passed between the hands of Jerry Bruckheimer, Lorenzo di […]