Fantastic Fest XX Review: In CHOCOLATE, A Vivid, Starmaking Extravaganza
CHOCOLATE enjoyed a special screening in 35mm presentation for the twentieth edition of Fantastic Fest.
jeeja yanin
THE FURIOUS: Edko/XYZ-Produced Actioner Sets Sail For Thailand, Xie Miao Leading Pan-Asian Cast
Production is currently underway for The Furious, a new Hong Kong-produced action thriller being shot in Thailand. Variety’s Patrick Frater cites producer Bill Kong’s (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Rise Of The Legend, Jet Li-starrer Fearless) attachment as financier and producer via Edko Films alongside XYZ Films. The cast includes China’s Xie Miao (Eye For An Eye 1 & 2, Jet Li’s The Enforcer), Joe Taslim (The Raid: Redemption, The Night Comes For Us), Thailand’s Jeeja Yanin (Chocolate, Triple Threat), Yang Enyu (Eye For An Eye 2) and Yayan Ruhian (The Raid franchise, Boy Kills World). International action and stunt stalwart Kenji Tanigaki (Dennis Law’s Fatal Contact, Keishi Otomo’s Rurouni Kenshin franchise, Donnie Yen’s Sakra, Soi Cheang’s Walled-In: Twilight Of The Warriors) directing. When his daughter is snatched off the street, simple tradesman Konggu (Xie) fights his way through a complex web of criminals in a frantic attempt to win her back […]
FESTIVAL NITS DE CINEMA ORIENTAL DE VIC XVI: Thai Retrospectives, Samurai Thrills And Jackie Chan Among 20 Titles To Look For
The Festival Nits De Cinema Oriental De Vic in Catalunya, Spain, is about to enter its sixteenth year in BIG fashion with some cool new premieres and retrospectives. The festival’s 32-title line-up will be giving deep into a variety of genres from horror and animation to comedy and drama, and for its Asian film coverage, you can especially predict there’ll be some terrific action titles making their European and otherwise international. Among some 20 titles we’ve gathered, the Thai retrospectives should be a crowdpleaser for fans looking to catch films like BKO: Bangkok Knockout and Panna Rittikrai classics like Hard Gun and Born To Fight. Family adventures will also make the rounds including Jackie Chan’s The Knight Of Shadows and Vidyut Jammwal’s elephant rescue actioner, Junglee, while Hong Kong takes aim with Big Brother starring Donnie Yen and Golden Job with Ekin Cheng, and Japan enters the fray with Takahiro […]
Jesse V. Johnson’s TRIPLE THREAT Is A Showdown Every Bit Worthy Of It’s Title
In the opening scene of Jesse V. Johnson’s film, TRIPLE THREAT, Payu (Tony Jaa) and Jaka (Iko Uwais) meet in a Maha Juyan jungle setting during a high stakes rescue mission. They fight briefly amid the chaos of gunfire, each of them instantly delivering a whirlwind volley of homespun moves from their respective catalogues – these familiar to anyone that has followed their separate, impressive oeuvre. And though that initial fight ends briefly, it’s exclamation a bomb detonation that interrupts the melee, the scene still plays to the sort of wish fulfillment that lies at the foundation of many a speculative debate among fans of the martial arts genre. In this way Triple Threat’s premise is a promise, and the rest of its runtime delivers in generous servings. The jungle sequence is the catalyst, introducing us to many of the stars (Michael Jai White, Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, Michael Bisping, […]
Jesse V. Johnson’s TRIPLE THREAT Multiplies With Its Starry Action Cinema Line-Up
There’s no real shortage of action movies in the industry. The rarity, however, lies in seeing so many talented household names under one banner (save for The Expendables franchise of late) in a film like Jesse V. Johnson’s newest ensemble gathering, Triple Threat. The film presents a familiar, albeit intriguing, classic betrayal/revenge story that dares to do what Hollywood thusfar won’t do; Granted, piting together the likes of martial arts action cinema favorites like Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, Iko Uwais, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, and Jeeja Yanin doesn’t deem as lucrative in a market saturated by superhero movies coming out of its orifices. Still, you can’t deny that a marquee like this isn’t mouthwatering, if only for the fact that once upon a time, a film like this would have seen a nationwide release as big as James Cameron’s True Lies or John McTiernan’s The Predator. A one-night only […]
TRIPLE TIME – Part IV: A Word With TRIPLE THREAT Star, Actress Jeeja Yanin
Martial arts star, actress Jeeja Yanin will be the forth and final entry into our interview series leading into next week’s sequential March 19/22 rollout of Jesse V. Johnson’s new ensemble action thriller, Triple Threat. It’s been five years since she and I traded Q’s and A’s and there was at least one area that I felt needed covering, so I’m especially pleased to have heard back from her as I did. It’s also worth noting that folks in the UK looking forward to seeing Jeeja in action among the heavy-hitting cast can watch the film at the Mockingbird Cinema Birmingham on April 28, courtesy of the Fighting Spirit Film Festival organization. Whether or not any cast attendance remains to be seen but for what it’s worth, the film will assuredly get its time on the big screen as Johnson wishes, and fans are more than welcome. Click the names […]
Load Up! The Official TRIPLE THREAT Trailer Is Finally Here!
For some of us, the last two years have been an eternity with the planned release of forthcoming ensemble actioner, Triple Threat. This one in particular is one in a bundle of productions that have jam-packed The Beautiful Ones director Jesse V. Johnson’s schedule since he resurfaced with his Pit Fighter co-star, Scott Adkins, for a quintet of projects to date beginning with Savage Dog in 2017. With Adkins’ Avengement still in the pipeline as well as Dominique Vandenberg starrer Legion Maxx over at Evolutionary Films, Triple Threat, long since its stasis as “Makeshift Squad”, can finally pick up some steam with the official trailer, and a wide one-night release March 19, and a select theatrical and VOD rollout on March 22. A hit contract is taken out on a billionaires daughter intent on bringing down a major crime syndicate. A down and out team of mercenaries must take on […]
TRIPLE THREAT Sells To Multiple Territories Worldwide For Theatrical And Netflix Releases In 2018
July was a great month to be a martial arts fan with all the excuse in the world to repeat-watch the comic-con teaser trailer for the new martial arts thriller, Triple Threat. Of course, critical results are pending but the trailer ponies up everything you could want in a movie of its genre with Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Tiger Chen leading the cast and Savage Dog helmer Jesse V. Johnson directing. The movie opens in 2018 with plans for a sequel already underway and Well Go USA has already snagged first dibs on the upcoming ensemble action pic. That leaves off a number of territories to be accounted for which brings us to Screendaily‘s exclusive on Monday for the U.S. based company to release the film in the U.K. and Australia as well, in addition to the following locations: Germany (Koch), Latin America (Swen), Italy (Movies Inspired), Portugal (Cinemundo), […]
TRIPLE THREAT Has Your Favorite Action Stars Beating The Hell Out Of Each Other In The Official Trailer
I could go on and on until I’m blue in the face about how excited I am for the new action thriller, Triple Threat. I won’t, but I will throw my hat in with some words for seasoned stuntman and filmmaker Jesse V. Johnson who, in the wake of a stagnant directing career salvaged by the appeal drawn from his latest release, Savage Dog, has risen above expectations in opportune fashion. It truly is something to be proud of… a succession accompanied, no less, by a line-up of some serious, prominent action starpower; Names like Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Tiger Chen as well as Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Michael Bisping and Jeeja Yanin are all but what one would dream of seeing in a single movie together on the big screen, which, at least until starting late last year, almost felt like an impossibility. Then again, there were […]
The Cartel Assembles For Jesse Johnson’s TRIPLE THREAT
It wasn’t made clear just to what capacity actress Jeeja Yanin’s role in Jesse Johnson’s new movie, Triple Threat, would extend at the time when we broke the exclusive back in March. Needless to say that mystery now comes to an end with the Raging Phoenix and Chocolate star donning some serious tactical gear in a new promo photo featuring herself among the antagonists for the new Asian action movie currently in production in Thailand. Yanin’s cohorts as seen below include Ron Smoorenburg and Scott Adkins, Michael Bisping and Michael Jai White outlining the murderous cartel from which leading action stars Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Tiger Chen must protect a billionaire’s daughter, played by none other than Celina Jade. SC Films International’s own Mike Selby is producing along with Mike Gabrawy and Gary Hamilton of Arclight Films. Actor Chen is also producing the film as will Elliot Tong and […]
Celina Jade And Jeeja Yanin Join TRIPLE THREAT
EXCLUSIVE: Actresses Celina Jade (CW’s Arrow) and Jeeja Yanin (Raging Phoenix) have been officially cast in the new ensemble action movie, Triple Threat from Arclight Films and SC Films Thailand. Jesse V. Johnson (The Package, The Beautiful Ones) is directing from a script by Joey O’Bryan for production to commence in Thailand on April 12. Triple Threat joins our female components with an ensemble cast encompassing a raft of heavy hitters, including Tiger Chen (Man Of Tai Chi), Tony Jaa (xXx 3) and Iko Uwais (Headshot) opposite Scott Adkins (Doctor Strange), Michael Jai White (Blood And Bone) and UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping (xXx 3). The action-packed story follows a billionaire’s daughter whose only hope for protection from a ruthless cartel are two ill-fated fighters and a third seeking vegenace on the others. Jade, who previously starred alongside Jaa opposite White in Ekachai Uekrongtham’s Skin Trade in 2015, will play […]
Jeeja Yanin Will Rip Your Heart Out In The New Season 2 Trailer For HBO Asia Series, HALFWORLDS
Director Joko Anwar’s treatment of the HBO Asia fantasy horror series, Halfworlds, proved itself immensely enough for a second season. For this, you can certainly expect plenty more action and suspense as well, this time from Skin Trade helmer Ekachai Uekrongtham. And not for nothing either with the newest trailer now making the rounds following the teaser just a few weeks ago. Season two of HALFWORLDS widens the universe established in the first season, shifting from the back alleys of Jakarta, to the neon streets of Bangkok, where a tenacious researcher named Juliet is trying to uncover the secret world of demons that live amongst us, while looking for an ancient artefact of great power. The raft of new and returning faces include The Raid 2 co-star Arifin Putra and Yasmine co-star Reza Rahadian with Peem Jaiyen, Tia Tavee, Emma Grant, Myra Molloy, Nicole Theriault, Jake Macapagal and Teresa Daley, […]
Jeeja Yanin Joins HBO Asia Series, HALFWORLDS For Season Two
Fans of HBO Asia’s hit sci-fi fantasy series, Halfworlds can officially look forward to more thrilling supernatural action and intrigue after this. The show is being granted a second eight-episode season on the network to air at the end of the year with actors Reza Rahadian and The Raid 2 co-star Arifin Putra reprising their roles. Filmed on location in Batam and Jakarta, the first season followed the events surrounding a young street artist who gets caught amid in the brewing uprising of half human demons of myth living in the back alleys of Indonesia. Season one helmer Joko Anwar now hands the directing reigns over to Skin Trade and Beautiful Boxer helmer Ekachai Uekrongtham with a script by Collin Chang that takes the story to Bangkok where researcher Juliet is on a mission to uncover an ancient and powerful interdimensional artifact. Joining Rahadian and Putra are Hard Target 2 co-stars […]
Michael Jai White Goes Old School In The New Trailer For NEVER BACK DOWN: NO SURRENDER
With 2016 ripe as ever for martial arts action cinema, multi-hyphenate Michael Jai White is certainly one whose name lends its share of fervor to the crowd, and even moreso since his directorial debut for the DVD sequel, Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown in which he also co-starred. That momentum now carries over for Sony’s June 7 home release of the new action threequel, Never Back Down: No Surrender with White back once more, and in great company no less with actor former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett and the towering Nathan Jones, along with wife and actress Gillian Waters White, actor Esai Morales and sports broadcaster and actor, Stephen “The Fight Professor” Quadros. SYNOPSIS: Former MMA champion Case Walker (Michael Jai White) has kept a low profile, winning small-time regional matches after refusing to join the powerful new leagues that push performance- enhancing drugs on their fighters. Walker […]
Is Jeeja Yanin Joining HARD TARGET 2?
An undisclosed period of time has since otherwise confirmed that actor and action star Scott Adkins will be leading The Admiral helmer Roel Reine‘s latest, Hard Target 2. There are currently no plot details as of yet aside from its shared roots with its 1993 predecessor having starred Jean-Claude Van Damme and acclaimed filmmaker John Woo at the helm, though it’s fairly nice to know that more information about it is now coming to pass. As such, it’s actress and martial arts star of Chocolate and Tom Yum Goong 2 fame, Jeeja Yanin, who is contributing to the buzz with a new behind-the-scenes rehearsal photo of her own for the film which Woo is also producing. The film reunites Yanin with her fellow Raging Phoenix co-star, Kazu Patrick Tang who serves as action choreographer. At some point between now and next year will mark Adkins‘s forthcoming Marvel movie debut with […]
Michael Jai White And Co. Update Fans On NEVER BACK DOWN 3
When it comes to sequels, action star Michael Jai White‘s career resumé is no exception with regard to fans’ hopes, and it’s taken years to answer even a few key questions pertaining to which titles would follow suit and how. Despite otherwise pending details, the multifaceted martial artist, actor and filmmaker confirmed quite a bit this month when it came to at least three titles in question, one of them being Never Back Down 3. White directed and starred in the smaller-scale second film in 2011 based on the big screen 2008 Jeff Wadlow-directed MMA teen fight drama, Never Back Down, and has since confirmed he would do the same. In accordance, White also stated the new film would follow-up from the events of the second with the return of his character Case Walker into the competitive field, one which could include “some” fights in the film with former UFC […]
MJW: Scripts Done For 'Dynamite' & 'Bone' Sequels, Jaa And Jeeja To Appear In 'Never Back Down 3'
If you’re looking forward to catching martial arts action star, actor Michael Jai White back in his big screen element, you needn’t look further than the upcoming release of the new international action thriller, Skin Trade which arrives this weekend in theaters from Magnet Releasing. White has been busy on a promotional tour for the film as of late, and in some instances, including appearances with fellow action star Tony Jaa as the latter has since crossed over into Hollywood and other markets. Not much had been known up until now if whether or not fans will see the two back in action together on screen, which is still an exciting thing to note considering the action they perform together is so exquisitely well done as one of the biggest highlights of the film, on top of their chemistry within the last few years as the two met up in […]
SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE: My Interview With Jeeja Yanin
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THE PROTECTOR 2 Lands On North American Shores With A New Trailer And Release Dates
International action star Tony Jaa is well on his way to completing his transition over to North American territory with the current production of director Ekachai Uekrongtham‘s all-star action adventure, Skin Trade, and Jaa‘s forthcoming appearance next April in Fast And Furious 7. The actor and celebrity purveyor of Muay Thai and dynamic stunt performance will also be observed in the long-awaited release of his latest Thai action epic from director Prachya Pinkaew, Tom Yum Goong 2, newly titled for its U.S. release as The Protector 2, slated for iTunes and VoD release on March 27 before hitting theaters on May 2. Watch the trailer below the following description and stay tuned for more info. SYNOPSIS: Boss Suchart is the influential owner of a major elephant camp. When he was murdered in his own home – the killer delivered three fatal blows on his body – all evidence points to […]
[UPDATED] The Action Heats Up In The New Teaser For TOM YUM GOONG 2
Today we have a new trailer for the upcoming October 23, 2013 release of Tom Yum Goong 2. This week’s trailer brings news of new character posters, including a new poster unveiled for actor and co-star, RZA, in addition to a synopsis that gives fans a brief idea about what will take place in Prachya Pinkaew‘s latest 3D martial arts action feature. The upcoming film also arises with action hero Tony Jaa‘s latest reinsurgence into the mainstream with a new role in his first upcoming Hollywood debut with director James Wan’s Fast And Furious 7. Tom Yum Goong 2 also stars RZA, Jeeja Yanin, Ratha Phongarm and Petchtai Wongkamlao, along with rising martial arts star and co-fight choreographer Marrese Crump. SYNOPSIS: Kham (Tony Jaa) has become the suspect in the murder of Suchart- the influential owner of an elephant camp, who was killed by three punches to the dead spots […]
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