THE RAID: Fight Film Fanatics Makes Its Podcast Debut With A Look At The Indonesian Action Hit Film
Fight Film Fanatics is hosted by Lawson Leong and Katie Rose Leon
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THE RAID Is Getting A 4K Remaster!
Read the included caption and that’s pretty much the word so far from director Gareth Huw Evans who is also in toe with Netflix action thriller, Havoc. That film, starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, will arrive in 2024, and with that long a wait I’d say any news on this 2011 martial arts-infused crime classic is a welcome treat. No word yet on the upcoming remagining though or if The Raid 2 will get an upgrade as well, so let’s all stay tuned and commence the celebration once again!
THE RAID: A Look Back On The Trendsetting Hit Action Thriller Ten Years Later
It’s been a while since I’ve written a proper article about The Raid films. I’ve posted, yeah, but it’s interesting that the film is gaining traction again, and not for nothing either. The Gareth Huw Evans-directed martial arts-driven crime saga was released ten years ago this week with a sequel that opened a little over two years later, furthering the advancement of Southeast Asian film fandom in the wake of his inaugural thriller, Merantau, and placing actor Iko Uwais squarely on the map for today’s generation of moviegoers and genre junkies alike. The film also paved the way for a style of cinematic action that was never really fully-fleshed out for Western audiences before – its essence inspired of course for prior films, and it wasn’t long until the subject matter of all filmmaker chatter on “The Raid style” of action was soon co-opted by talk of the “John Wick […]
THE RAID: Hughes, Bay And Evans Lead The Way For A Philly-Set Reimagining Of The Hit Indonesian Action Thriller
Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, upcoming The Man From Toronto) is circling back once more for an opp to direct a new take on the 2011 hit Indonesian crime thriller, The Raid. The news comes years after Hughes was in the space to direct a version of the film that was in development, with Hughes to direct prior to parting from the project’s development under XYZ Films, Sony and Screen Gems at the time. In 2017, WarParty partners Joe Carnahan and Frank Grillo were also vying to take the wheel with a script by Adam G. Simon (Man Down) which also took on new life in 2020 as a seperate film temp-titled “Zeno”. Netflix is heading up The Raid in a move that advances its flourishing relationship with the original The Raid helmer Gareth Evans, who has gone on to solidify his business […]
RUSSIAN RAID Review: An Action Classic Gets Reinvented For A Whole New Audience
Film critic Roger Ebert once eloquently said, “It’s not what a movie is about, it’s how it is about it.” The idea that the execution is ultimately more important than the actual elements of the story is one that has been illustrated time and time again throughout the history of cinema. Whether it’s the more than thirty loose adaptations of the 1929 novel “Red Harvest”, that includes such drastically different films (in content and quality) as Akira Kurosawa’s classic samurai tale YOJIMBO and Albert Pyun’s sci-fi schlockfest OMEGA DOOM, or the seemingly endless interpretations of Bram Stoker’s horror novel “Dracula” to name just a couple of examples, different artists have always looked for ways to reinterpret ideas for their respective audiences. One of the more common reasons this occurs is to “localize” a foreign film for domestic viewers. Hollywood is often criticized for this practice. The most common complaints thrown […]
THE RAID: Carnahan Confirms Grillo, Character And Plot Details
Collider reports with confirmation that actor Frank Grillo (Donnybrook, Beyond Skyline) will star in director Joe Carnahan‘s upcoming redo of Gareth Huw Evans’ 2011 crime hit, The Raid. It’s worth noting since the IMDb page for the project has seen the actor’s name come and go while development on the project remained underwraps for the last four years. The report also cites new and specific details on the role Grillo will play in leading the cast under the stewardship of WarParty Films where he also produces the film next to filmmaker Joe Carnahan who will direct the movie. “You meet Frank’s character having just rotated back from a really, really, brutal special forces operation.” says Carnahan. “He’s got soft tissue damage in his hands, and his rotator cuff is blown out, and they take fluid off his knees, and the doctors basically tell him, ‘Listen you’re at the razor’s edge […]
RAGUEL: ‘The Raid’, ‘Point Blank’ Scribe Adam G. Simon Sets Feature Directing Debut With New Revenge Thriller
EXCLUSIVE: Screenwriter Adam G. Simon isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer as he advances with female-led revenge thriller, Raguel. Best known for penning Dito Montiel’s mind-bending pic, Man Down, and upcoming action thriller Point Blank under the Warparty/Gaumont banner, Simon will set forth to make his directing debut, effectively taking the reigns with cameras rolling later this year. Simon has been at the center of all things much ado with the current production slate over at WarParty Films, shepherded principally in part by filmmaker Joe Carnahan. Long before this, Simon spent 1999 through 2009 taking on numerous trades, including as a Close Protection Specialist, private investigator and bouncer among other risky occupations. The actor and screenwriter faced homelessness a few years later and managed to reboot himself working for James Cameron and Vince Pace at their 3D studio, Cameron Pace Group from late 2013 through the following year. By then, […]
THE PROCESS: A Word With ‘Man Down’, ‘The Raid’ And ‘Point Blank’ Screenwriter Adam G. Simon
Well, the new year has begun and I’ve all but remained vigilant of any and all legitimate news regarding director Joe Carnahan’s development on The Raid given how much of my own time I’ve invested in covering this film – from pestering XYZ Films’ Todd Brown for info to covering as much ground on Indonesian films within the genre as possible. Needless to say, not everyone is convinced just yet, even as Carnahan and partner Frank Grillo went public in interviews a few years ago to state their intent; I tend to rub it in a few faces of folks that I know because, in all honesty, one can never really, or always, tell how good or bad a movie is unless they’ve seen it, or how the reviews are in whole or even if they take reviews seriously enough. For this, I’ve personally been urging caution for fans to […]
THE RAID: Screenwriter Adam G. Simon Dishes On Felix, ‘Breaking New Ground’ For The Action, And More
Reading Allan Sealy’s interview at MVPLife with screenwriter Adam G. Simon (Man Down) might have you spitting your drink when you reach the portion discussing his work on Joe Lynch’s upcoming crime noir redux, Point Blank. The film is one of several subjects surrounding Simon’s work slate going into the new year, speicifically with The Raid, which Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces, Stretch) is slated to begin shooting early next year. As usual, Simon gave away very little about the project while additionally sharing his thoughts on its early development with WarParty producing partners Carnahan and actor Frank Grillo, and just a little more. “You know, that wasn’t just the fans of the franchise asking that question.” said Simon, reflecting on fans asking why even bother remaking the Gareth Evan-directed Indonesian crime thrillers. “Joe and Frank both asked the question. I asked the question. Why are we doing this? That is […]
THE RAID Screenwriter Adam G. Simon Teases ‘Warrior’ Meets ‘Black Hawk Down’ In A High-Rise, And ‘A Bad Motherf*cker’ Named ‘Felix’
Gareth Evans may not have his hands on The Raid franchise anymore as he continues forthwith on his own serial endeavors in the U.K. for Corin Hardy’s Gangs Of London. That said, Evans is executive producing the revisal of The Raid currently being shepherded by WarParty’s own Joe Carnahan and screenwriter Adam G. Simon who moved things up another inch on the PR scale when teasing what kind of villain the new interpretation of Evans’ 2011 crowdpleaser would be like with the film set in Caracas, Venezuela. “His name’s Felix.” says Simon during his half-hour session on A Dose Of Buffa. “And he’s…a little more sophisticated, a little more lethal, a little more intelligent and cunning than what we saw in the original ‘Raid’ with that villain.”; The villain in question is the role of Tama, played phemomenally by Ray Sahetapy for the Indonesian crime original. For those not in […]
WarParty Sets LAFF 2018 Selection, EL CHICANO, For November Release; THE RAID Production Begins Janaury 2019
Ben Hernandez Bray’s new vigilante action drama, EL CHICANO, will release this November following its star-studded LAFF 2018 premiere this weekend!
Hey New York City! Midnight Screenings For THE RAID At Nitehawk Cinema This Weekend!
The reverent 2011 martial arts crime classic, THE RAID, is hosting midnight screenings at Nighthawk Cinemas in Brooklyn this weekend!
THE RAID: Writer Adam G. Simon Divulges On Joe Carnahan’s ‘Cool Jump-Off Point’
Screenwriter Adam G. Simon took to WTF Nation Radio on Monday to discuss a plethora of topics such as the Oscars, the industry and a number of social issues. The noted Man-Down scribe who had no filter in offering praise for the likes of Fighting helmer Dito Montiel and Man-Down star Shia LeBeouf, also put noted co-scribe and helmer of The Raid reboot, Joe Carnahan in the crosshairs while stating his excitement on the opportunity with hosts Ice And Flash. “Dude I’m so fuckin’ stoked about this. It’s just so good to be working with great people.” said Simon who spoke of Carnahan and the film’s currently sole attached actor, producer Frank Grillo as “…two of the greatest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of fucking working with.” The Raid reboot is one of several that Carnahan and Grillo have stirring under their WarParty banner, including Ben Hernandez Bray’s feature […]
THE RAID: Carnahan, Grillo Dish The Details For Their Vision, Motivation, Risks And More
Yes, that is the movie that War Party duo, Frank Grillo and director Joe Carnahan are setting out to remaster with their own vision. It’s been an epicenter of much brouhaha for many a fan who already think that the 2011 Iko Uwais-led starrer and its sequel from director Gareth Huw Evans is enough with a third pending and a fanbase this apprehensive toward anything they love like The Raid being remade in any capacity is likely hard to please. Seriously. Just go on any chatboard or any Facebook group where fans gather to discuss the upcoming re-imagining of the hit action film and you will find yourself amid some of the most stubbon fans you’ll ever see. It’s a fun conversation at that, really, but it’s also important to highlight some specific points about just what the heck is going on about The Raid under War Party’s watch alongside […]
Joe Carnahan Confirms He Will Direct THE RAID
If you’re still in love with director Gareth Huw Evans’s The Raid and its 2014 hit sequel, you can still purchase both in a terrific package at Amazon. In the meantime, there has been much ado about remaking the first film which released in 2014 and it is still a hot topic among many a fan of the film pining for what lies ahead for its original stars in their current career growth, including Iko Uwais who will appear with actor Frank Grillo in the upcoming sci-fi, Beyond Skyline. Speaking of Grillo, it was he who confirmed at a TCA event last month that he and partner, filmmaker Joe Carnahan are currently attached to the project with XYZ Films, and with the goal of making the film their own, as supposed to merely mimicking Evans’s work. Still, nothing was yet mentioned from Carnahan who executive produced Grillo’s upcoming Wheelman for […]
Gareth Evans's THE RAID Is Getting A Comic Book Spin-Off
If you’re wondering when exactly a third installment to Gareth Huw Evans’s cult action crime saga, The Raid, your guess is as good as mine. That said, as far as THR is concerned, a 2018 deadline currently remains pending with Indonesian action star Iko Uwais expected to reprise his role as a rookie thrown into the whirlwind of a sprawling crime opera involving Indonesian and Japanese crime families. Let us hope for more developments as they come, but the word now is that Evans is teaming up with Titan Comics and production company XYZ Films for a comic book spin-off which will launch in 2016. “Gareth is a visionary and a huge talent,” says Titan editor Martin Eden. “It’s a pleasure to work with him on developing his characters for the comic book page. We promise to deliver the same thrilling, fifth-gear adrenaline that fans have come to expect from the […]
STUNT FIGHTING THE FUTURE: An Interview With Umar Khan
I’ve been back and fourth on multilinguist and multifaceted actor, stuntman, filmmaker and fight choreographer Umar Khan‘s YouTube channel for a few years now. It’s loaded with reels and highlights of his training and work as a martial artist and stunt performer working his way up, and all which are clearly working to his benefit to date. His efforts in past year have granted him the necessary credentials, tools and people necessary to help fulfill his goals of becoming a top-tier action director in the film industry, and with more growth to come in film and television. I have to say, it’s rare for me to meet someone like Khan of his caliber who happens to have a team of his own that is just beginning, and having seen what’s out there from other groups I’ve witnessed in the last decade along with sampling a bit of what Khan has […]
Prince Charles Cinema Is Hosting A Double Feature For THE RAID & THE RAID 2 Next Month!
There isn’t much we can do except wait as patiently as possible for the next two years while acclaimed filmmaker Gareth Huw Evans slow-boils his way toward the production of the third installment of his much-heralded crime saga, The Raid. Until then, both film are now available wherever movies are sold for home viewing, and lucky movie goers will be able to attend fan screenings wherever and whenever available. Keep this in mind while the kind folks over in London’s Prince Charles Cinema are gearing up for a double header on August 8 at 7:20pm for the 2011 movie and its 2014 follow up collectively produced by XYZ Films, Merantau Films and Celluloid Dreams, and starring Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian, Ray Sahetapy, Pierre Gruno, Tio Pakusawedo, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Very Tri Yulisman and Julie Estelle, with Cecep Arif Rahman, Endo Kenichi, Matsuda Ryuhei and Kitamura […]
A CASE FOR BETTER ACTION MOVIES – Character Study: Rama From THE RAID/THE RAID 2 (2011-2014)
The following is a version of a segment to a compilation article to which I contributed with other writers over at The Action Elite prior to its publication on February 15, 2015. CLICK HERE to read the article in its entirety. From delivery man to cult film star, Iko Uwais‘s career has been one of the mucuh larger bright spots of the past decade or so for martial arts action cinema. Fans have poured in droves to see him at work since breaking out in the 2009 film, Merantau, which also solidly contributed much to the resurgence of the Indonesian action film industry in the last ten years. For this, we were eventually granted with a delightful reapproach by action auteur Gareth Evans for a script that found its way to a rewritten draft for a character that would ultimately emerge as one of the most electrifying protagonists in action […]
Taylor Kitsch Will Lead THE RAID Remake
Pre-production for the upcoming remake of director Gareth Huw Evans’s 2011/2012 cult smash hit, The Raid is well underway before its forthcoming film schedule next Spring. Several popular names made the rumormill in the last few months before it was officially reported that Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Purge: Anarchy co-star Frank Grillo would be the first among the names attached for the new film to be helmed by The Expendables 3 helmer Patrick Hughes. On Monday, the production finally saw its male lead attached in the form of actor Taylor Kitsch (Savages, Battleship, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Lone Survivor), accroding to forwarded reports from Comingsoon.net. The new film will see Kitsch starring in Hughes‘s Hollywood adaptation centered on an elite DEA fast team who get trapped inside a tenanment building behind enemy lines, fortified by a powerful drug lord and his army of loyal, bloodthirsty killers. It’s no […]
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