tony jaa

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HK FilMart 2015: Watch The Official Teaser Trailer For SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUNCES

Lee B. Golden III

I suppose it’s been worth discussing the prospects of seeing actor Donnie Yen return to the fray in a potential sequel to his previous role in the 2005 crime pic, Sha Po Lang. One never immediately came, but it led to a small string of notable hits pairing him with filmmaker Wilson Yip as the two became the most defining pair in contemporary action cinema at the time, reintroducing audiences to the visionary brutality of the genre with stories toned in tragedy, dark heroism and stylish action to boot. It’s the kind of filmmaking that sells to the hardcore niche, and director Soi Cheang is no stranger to this, having established himself quoted films like Dog Bite Dog and Shamo, and recent titles like Accident and Motorway before switching gears and stepping into CG-laden fantasy territory with last year’s box office 3D smash hit, The Monkey King. Alas, Cheang returns […]

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SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES Unleashes The Inner Beast With Four New Character Posters

Lee B. Golden III

2015 just got better for fans of international action star Tony Jaa as he moves forward and beyond his historic career with the addition of three new titles so far, two of which will arriving as early as next month with the third to follow suit this summer. SPL 2: A Time For Consequences kicks off its campaign this week ahead of its expected July release with specific dates and territories pending, following director Wilson Yip’s 2005 crime thriller, SPL, which signaled an artful return to form for the Hong Kong action genre headlining action star Donnie Yen at the time. This time, The Monkey King helmer Soi Cheang fills in the director’s chair with Yip taking on producer duties with Paco Wong with a script by Jill Leung and Huang Ying that will reintroduce the central astrological themes surrounding our characters, several of which will surely take primal form […]

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SKIN TRADE Brandishes An Official U.S. Poster

Lee B. Golden III

There have been a few posters floating around in the wake of the latest official trailer for Ekachai Uekrongtham‘s international action thriller, Skin Trade. The film is moreso introspective for lead actor Dolph Lundgren who also served as producer as the film itself touches on a subject he has publicly professed about within the media, and now the film itself is gearing up for a limited theatrical and VOD release of its own within the next three months. As such, feel free to glance toward the end of the album beneath the trailer where you will find the first, second, and then third, official poster for the film courtesy of Uproxx. Skin Trade stars Lundgren alongside international action star Tony Jaa, with actress Celina Jade, and actors Ron Perlman, Michael Jai White, Peter Weller and Cary Tagawa also starring. SYNOPSIS: New Jersey detective, Nick Cassidy (Dolph Lundgren) heads to Bangkok […]

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Watch Lundgren And Jaa Spring Into Action In The U.S. Trailer For SKIN TRADE

Lee B. Golden III

I think the biggest thing that intrigues me about any trailer is what I don’t see. That said, while there’s plenty of compelling action with co-lead, international star Tony Jaa alongside towering powerhouse Dolph Lundgren, perhaps the one thing I’m looking forward to sampling is how well they pair on screen between lines, especially considering Jaa himself is now crossing over into other markets. Other than that, Skin Trade makes the latest from director Ekachai Uekrongtham with an ensemble cast lining-up this seasoned cast of stars to hit th U.S. next month. Action fans will appreciate this, no doubt about it, and with thanks to Magnet Releasing no less. See the trailer from Yahoo just beneath the synopsis and take note of the iTunes/On-Demand and theatrical dates at the end! SYNOPSIS: New Jersey detective, Nick Cassidy (Dolph Lundgren) heads to Bangkok where he teams up with Thai detective, Tony Vitayakui […]

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[UPDATED] SKIN TRADE Gets New VOD, Premiere And Theatrical Release Dates

Lee B. Golden III

It won’t be long before director Ekchai Uekrongtham‘s upcoming international thriller, Skin Trade, finally makes its way to theaters. Initially conceived by lead actor Dolph Lundgren, the film itself has since taken on a new identity through social media as production began at the top of last year courting action fans with the intent to entertain, but with a story based on the actor’s own acknowledgement of the afflicting nature of human trafficking at a global scale. Having already touched base with the mainstream media via CNN, I’d say the production is slowly and progressively accomplishing its goals on both fronts, in addition to teasing a meaty cast of action stars including international action star, Tony Jaa as the film marks his second run in an English language production following the April 3 release of Furious 7. Although Skin Trade ,still hadn’t had a release date prior to presenting a […]

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FURIOUS 7 Releases An Extended Second Trailer!

Lee B. Golden III

In the wake of the latest superbowl spot for director James Wan‘s Furious 7, we now have an extended trailer that delves much more into the action with further insight into the antagonistic and vengeful Lucas Shaw, played by the one and only Jason Statham. The trailer also shares a little bit more of late actor Paul Walker‘s character on screen while it is noticeable that we have seldom seen or heard him in any of the trailers so far, a bittersweet reminder of the task at hand of maintaining his character long enough on screen using hybrid mo-cap and digital enhancements with the help of Walker‘s brothers, Caleb and Cody. The franchise has surely come a long way, having evolved into a purely character-driven saga based on family, trust as well as speed. With the caliber of stars and action muscle on-hand, there’s no doubt that this installment of […]

Tony Jaa Drops Out Of Fung's KICKBOXER

Tony Jaa Drops Out Of Fung's KICKBOXER

Lee B. Golden III

It was approximately four months ago that international action star Tony Jaa was on deck to possibly star in Tai Chi 0 helmer Stephen Fung‘s forthcoming production of Kickboxer from Radar Pictures, a remake of the 1989 martial arts tournament thriller officially announced a year and a half ago. Since then, casting continued with some missteps along the way while boasting what appeared to be an otherwise promising slate of names joining actor, martial artist and stuntman Alain Moussi for his hopeful lead debut as a Fall 2014 shoot neared, and now with the year approaching its end, it appears the production has hit another bump. Jaa‘s manager, Mike Selby, has informed Film Combat Syndicate that the actor has officially withdrawn from the production, stating “The production changed schedule to a period where Jaa would not be available.”. Whatever the case may be, it looks like a pretty scary pattern […]

Get Your Kicks In The Explosive New Trailer For SKIN TRADE!

Lee B. Golden III

If there’s anything specifically worth noting about actor and producer Dolph Lundgren‘s new action thriller, Skin Trade, much of it lies in its etymology. The film is well over seven years in the making, having mainly begun as the first step into a more personal journey for the veteran action hero upon doing his own research on the disturbing reality of human trafficking. As such, while Skin Trade certainly is not the first film to utilize this particular type of story setup in serving its purpose like many action movies in history, there has always been a much larger agenda at hand. At any rate though, as we now move into 2015 for the film’s hopeful release, Beautiful Boxer helmer Ekachai Uekrongtham‘s latest foray into storytelling now welcomes willing observers with a full trailer for Lundgren‘s latest labor of love which promises plenty of stylish action entertainment to equal in […]

SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE: My Interview With Jeeja Yanin

SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE: My Interview With Jeeja Yanin

Lee B. Golden III

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’)); Post by Jeeja Yanin. Interviewing Tony Jaa late last year turned out to be much more of a blessing than I thought it would be. Growing into my first year as an action film enthusiast and blogger, not only did I earn the opportunity to share exclusive content with one of the biggest action stars to date, I also get to in touch every once in a blue moon, and it’s pretty fantastic! I actually got to Skype once a few months ago with Jaa and his manager, Mike Selby (who also helped faciliate my previous interview with Michael Jai White back in May), and it’s the first time I got to engage in such loose, comfortable dialogue. I have to say though, none […]

RE-ENTERING THE DRAGON: My Pick For "The Deadly Three"

Lee B. Golden III

With the recent casting announcement of director Stephen Fung’s new Kickboxer reboot starring Alain Moussi, Scott Adkins, Tony Jaa, Dave Batista, and George St. Pierre, I felt this casting was just insane; a group of actors/martial artists that can really bring something special to the fight sequences…it’s something that many of us haven’t seen in an American martial arts film in quite some time! That thought led to this one: Whatever happened to the classic martial arts tournament movie era that started with King Boxer AKA, Five Fingers of Death and ended with, Bloodsport? (Jean Claude Van Damme is more iconic to American martial arts films then some people think). Well, nowadays we have more actors who ARE real martial artists than ever before on screen, and we’re seeing different styles and systems that were never captured on film more than forty years ago. As such, a new tournament film […]

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[UPDATED] Tony Jaa And Scott Adkins Are Confirmed For KICKBOXER

Lee B. Golden III

UPDATE (8/5/14): This may come as a mild disappointment, although hopefully a tentative one provided the odds are in fans’ favor. I have just received word that today’s press release went viral prematurely and that neither Scott Adkins, Tony Jaa, nor Dave Batista have been officially confirmed for the film. As such, talks remain on-going as the actors await a final contract to be outlined. Considering the response to today’s premature headline, let’s hope these talks are successful! EARLIER REPORT: The current and accumulating cast list of the forthcoming production of director Stephen Fung‘s new reboot of the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic, Kickboxer is looking better and better. It was previously broken on Film Combat Syndicate that international action star Tony Jaa was in talks for a role in the film, following his forthcoming appearances in Skin Trade, Fast And Furious 7 and SPL 2: A Time For Consequences. With Jaa […]

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THE ONG BAK TRILOGY Home DVD Release Gets A New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

In Thailand, you are given several names when you were born. But when Tatchakorn Yeerum took to the film stage and partook in the legendary legacy of stellar cinematic action, the world would come to know him as the one and only Tony Jaa, star of the 2003 break out hit, Ong Bak. The film, directed by Prachya Pinkaew, launched an international wave of fan hype among martial arts action cinephiles that put Jaa on the map of growing superstardom among legends like personal favorites Jackie Chan, the late great Bruce Lee, and even local legendary actor and Thai action auteur, Panna Rittikrai. The film also brought forth two epic sequels that explored the legendary etymology of the first film, with deeper scope in storytelling and stunning action sequences that defied death, and essentially, even logic. All three films have since been distributed over the years on DVD, Blu-Ray and […]

BREAKING NEWS: Tony Jaa Has Been Offered A Role In The KICKBOXER Reboot

Lee B. Golden III

Quite a bit of time has passed with a lot of things happening in the world of film since the official announcement confirmed the forthcoming production of the new Kickboxer reboot from Radar Pictures back in May. While things appear to be moving forward in their tentative state, the film has already begun showing some areas of promise with Tai Chi 0 and Tai Chi Hero helmer Stephen Fung on board to direct, the new film which centers on the reintroduction of protagonist, Kurt Sloan, who sets out to Thailand and finds himself on an epic quest to avenge the death of his champion brother, David, at the hands of the brutal killer Tong Po. Current casting shows a meaty line-up of prominent athletic actors, including world-renowned martial artist and stuntman Alain Moussi, whose own addition to the film has been in the making for the past few years. Actors […]

Check Out Another Exclusive New Photo From SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES

Lee B. Golden III

Production remains on-going for director Soi Cheang‘s new film, SPL 2: A Time For Consequences. Currently, lead actor Tony Jaa‘s official Facebook page is the principal platform for the slate of set pics from the film outside of Chinese media for English-speaking audiences, aside from exclusive set photos presented here at Film Combat Syndicate courtesy of co-producer, Mike Selby, and that also includes the latest new EXCLUSIVE photo just below, in addition to two photos from Jaa‘s page just beneath (click for larger viewing): Sun Entertainment Culture Ltd. is producing the film from a script by Jill Leung, which sets off an epic international action-packed martial arts crime thriller preceding the 2005 hit film, SPL. The new film stars Jaa as Chai, a Thai prison guard whose only reprieve for saving his dying daughter’s life is to team up with her only bone marrow match-Kit, a tough Hong Kong cop […]

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[UPDATED] EXCLUSIVE: Tony Jaa And Wu Jing Trade Blows In A New Set Photo From S.P.L. 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES

Lee B. Golden III

International action hero Tony Jaa is currently finished filming his role in his forthcoming Hollywood debut with director James Wan in Fast And Furious 7, and is back overseas to complete work on his upcoming role in director Soi Cheang‘s new film, SPL 2: A Time For Consequences. The film is just one of a handful of projects that are currently brewing for the Thai actor who has been reinventing himself through his official Facebook page, connecting with fans and showcasing his improvements in English, a sign of great prospects to come as he expands his horizons as one of the most prominent action stars of today. To say the least, I suspect some surprises may be on the way. That said, Film Combat Syndicate is proud to introduce an exclusive official HQ set photo with Jaa and fellow action superstar Wu Jing from the set of the film which you […]

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FAST AND FURIOUS 7 Will Release One Week Early!

Lee B. Golden III

Just in time as action stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Tony Jaa are seen taking photos with director James Wan and the cast and crew of Fast And Furious 7 upon wrapping their scenes, April 3, 2015 is the new date Universal Pictures is announcing for the film’s release. The announcement marks the third change in dates since the film, which also features lead actor Vin Diesel, shifted its original July 11, 2014 date to April 10, 2015 last December, following the off-set accidental death of lead actor Paul Walker last November. Many of the cast members have already wrapped their scenes, including co-stars Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges and Tyrese Gibson just a few weeks ago. There’s no official word yet on how the film will transition into its new trilogy regarding the script changes that were required since the film’s temporary hiatus in January, although recent months have revealed […]

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'Consequences' Surround The New English Title For SPL 2

Lee B. Golden III

Thai action star Tony Jaa just got some screentime in Cannes with the unveiling of footage from his new internationally cast action thriller, Skin Trade with Dolph Lundgren and Michael Jai White, which could lead to some exciting distribution news in the days or weeks ahead. In the meantime, principal photography is already underway as of May 1 for Jaa’s new action thriller, Sha Po Lang 2, and the second of two posters have already begun circulating the internet for the film’s presentation in Cannes this month. View it below: In light of the new poster unveiling this month, co-producer Mike Selby has confirmed from producers Wilson Yip and Paco Wong who designed the new poster that the film’s accompanying English sales title will be A Time For Consequences. Serving as a thematic sequel/prequel following the spectacular 2005 crime pic, Sha Po Lang, the new film is directed by Cheang […]

Check Out The Latest Character File For Upcoming Thriller SKIN TRADE

Lee B. Golden III

What do you get when you bring gaming franchise Mortal Kombat’s most prolific online director and filmmaker and one of action cinema’s biggest leading martial arts movie heroes together on Twitter? Well, you get this: @tonyjaaofficial hope to meet you really soon as well! Huge fan of your work! — Kevin Tancharoen (@KTANCH) May 8, 2014 No, I won’t pretend to know what the root of all this is. And in all likelihood I probably couldn’t tell you even if I did know, as with most things I have learned in the past year or so about certain projects with repsect to their originators. But I have a gut feeling that this is worth bookmarking. So, yes. Kevin Tancharoen and Tony Jaa know who each other are. We can pretty much clarify that. However, the bigger question is what happens next? Well…only time will tell. At least we know what […]

EXCLUSIVE: S.P.L. 2 Gets An Official Preliminary Synopsis

Lee B. Golden III

International action star Tony Jaa is currently in Hong Kong putting together his scenes to be featured in director Pou Soi Cheang‘s new film, S.P.L. 2, the forthcoming thematic prequel follow-up to the 2004 film set for a 2015 release. Subscribers to Jaa‘s official Facebook page will regularly see posts of Jaa with the team training and rehearsing scenes, as well as doing make-up and costume tests for the start of production, which ultimately see actors Simon Yam and Wu Jing reprising their respective roles from the first film alongside actor Max Zhang now in the fray as reportedly the film’s villain. However, things are still early, as we still don’t know the full details on how the characters being played by Yam and Wu will apply, much of the focus is further drawn to hints at what the plot will entail, which sees Jaa starring as a prison guard […]

Tony Jaa Is A Uniformed Hero In A New Set Pic For SPL2

Lee B. Golden III

Action hero Tony Jaa took to Facebook on Thursday to unveil the latest costume try-on ahead of rehearsals for the forthcoming production of The Monkey King helmer Pou Soi-Cheang‘s latest film, SPL 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2004 crime thriller which starred Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung. Jaa‘s participation in the film was finally confirmed in recent months after a few years of speculation went by. Check out the photo below with the enclosed caption. “Costume and Rehearsal Time for SPL II. This is going to be a lot of fun. Great cast and great crew. TJ.” In accordance with previous reports, it appears that based on the photo above, Jaa will likely star as the Thai prison guard who helps an undercover whose dying daughter’s fate rests on his willingness to help a cop break out of prison. Of course, this is just one aspect of a much […]