triple threat
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.
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.
TRIPLE TIME – Part III: An Interview With TRIPLE THREAT Star Michael Jai White
Actor, martial artist and cult superstar Michael Jai White became endowed with a royal title at the top of the year. That’s just one topic that I felt I needed to cover going into this, my second interview with him in the years since our first interview leading up to the release of Ekchai Uekrongtham’s 2015 action thriller, Skin Trade.
TRIPLE TIME – Part II: An Interview With TRIPLE THREAT Star Tony Jaa
Martial arts action cinema fans are just weeks away from catching Jesse V. Johnson’s newest ensemble action adventure thriller, Triple Threat. Respective reviews will likely go out by the week of Friday, March 15, which is when we’ll proudly post ours.
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.
TRIPLE THREAT: The Official Trailer Arrives Thursday
Well Go USA is still getting its campaign going for Furie on March 1 while the company isn’t waiting any longer to rev up on its forthcoming rollout, Triple Threat, which is also releasing next month.
FIVE-A-DAY COUNTDOWN: Enter The Fat Dragon, Ip Man 4, Avengement, Abduction, and Triple Threat
Last week saw the first 25 titles to start the five-a-day countdown through December, and so here’s five more toward the goal of 100:
TRIPLE THREAT: Producer Mike Selby Talks Buddies, Monsters, Machines And The Pursuit Of Perfection
Photo: Mike Selby
If all goes as expeditious as planned, stunt multi-hyphenate Jesse V. Johnson’s latest contribution with all-star Asian headliner, Triple Threat, should see a release midway this year. Post-production still remains pending completion for the new action thriller written by Joey O’Bryan and Paul Staheli, and filmed early last year and with fans pining for Johnson’s latest exciting follow-up to this week’s release of Accident Man, I managed to touch base with Mike Selby, manager to one of the film’s leads – action star Tony Jaa.
It was Selby, who served as one of the producers as he did on Skin Trade, Jaa’s 2015 two-hander with action heavy-hitter Dolph Lundgren opposite Ron Perlman and Michael Jai White, who aided us in getting in touch with his client for an in-depth interview several years ago. At the time, he and I chatted and I made a passing mention about hopefully seeing Jaa and headlining action star Iko Uwais on screen together someday, and that was really all that was at the time. Nowadays it’s something of a mind-blowing reality with up to seven big stars plus Michael Wong and Celina Jade who starred in last year’s summer blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2. It reads as quite the achievement and pretty feasible in a post-Expendables era of film, and all the more opportune for the production.
Photo: Mike Selby
“It was easier than it might appear. We all knew each other, and everyone felt it was the right time to do something together. A couple of other comments.” says Selby. “Jaa and Scott Adkins have been friends for quite some time but never had a chance to work together. Triple Threat was something they both looked forward to and they really had a great time together. Jaa is also quite close with Michael Bisping with whom he worked with on xXx3. Jeeja Yanin is also in Triple Threat and has worked and trained together with Jaa on a number of occasions. This was truly a behind-the-scenes buddy movie.”
Triple Threat had several directors’ names circling the project during its evolution; Certainly someone like Chad Stahelski caught wind of fans, though time would ultimately tell just went things would change, and in all likelihood, for the better with Jesse V. Johnson sitting in the chair. Momentum was already stirring for the director following his stellar hit period thriller, Savage Dog, set in the early 1900s in Indochina with Adkins as a boxer who finds himself becoming the center of heroic folklore in lieu of a bloody battle with an oppresive Nazi warden and his French legionaire military. Johnson spoke to us last month lending some descriptive insight into the hard work it took to finish the film and Selby is echoing those sentiments all the same, from post-production and onward.
“In the final form that we came up with Jesse was the name that came to mind.” he says. “Jesse is a machine when it comes to work, he pays attention to every detail as if it was the end of the world. He is one very hard working guy and is easy to work with. We actually reworked the script together until we felt it jelled, and off he went.” Selby extended his praise in speaking highly of local film crew members amidst the kind of brisk scheduling and set conditions involved in making a film like Triple Threat happen and the endurance it takes, adding “I believe that Thai crews are among the best in the world. They have a lot of experience in logistics and setup and the enthusiasm to make things work. The shoot went off without a hitch, we were always on time.”
Photo: Mike Selby
Selby hopes for a steady release starting as early as this June as the film completes its rounds behind-the-scenes. Most genre fans were gutted to see a 2018 stamp after Well Go USA delivered such an amazing SDCC trailer, leaving some folks wondering what to do with themselves between now and then. Selby shed a little bit of light on the matter in this regard, citing the importance of ADR (automated dialogue replacement) as especially on many films where the actors are not native English speakers. He also talked about the key measures visual effects editing for all of the organic stuntwork that was filmed (not special effects as some might reckon). “…The folks at Arclight who packaged the film are perfectionists and wanted to make sure this film was really the best we could deliver. This slowed postproduction down somewhat, but at the end I think people will find it was worth it.” he said.
Actor, martial artist and stuntman Tim Man who has risen in the ranks as one of the best screenfighters and action directors to date, makes Triple Threat now one of six projects shared with Adkins and the second project he shares with Jaa since sharing stunt duties on Ong Bak 2. “Tim Man is nothing short of an action monster. He was great to work with.” Selby tells us. “Tim did pre-visual work (blocking out and shooting with the stunt team) on every action scene. He rehearsed extensively with the cast and welcomed their input and the result was when people like Jaa or Iko arrived on set they were truly ready to rock and roll.”
With Triple Threat on the way, I’m pretty certain a number of people are already waiting on the sequel. Deadline reported the news of its preliminary development as the Comic Con trailer began making the rounds. According to Selby, it’s fairly too soon to tell, while Triple Threat otherwise bookmarks a pretty memorable team effort among friends with reason to celebrate their camraderie, as well as their craft, saying “…I can tell you with certainty that you will see some of the cast working together on other projects. One thing about this shoot that was truly outstanding was how much everyone liked each other and how much fun everyone had.”
Photo: Mike Selby
Selby offered one other thought regarding the “other projects” the cast would work on. Fans following updates for Kellie Madison’s upcoming fantasy action thriller, The Gate, caught a clear view of Jaa’s name when the site went live, and I inquired with the producer and manager regarding. He tells us nothing is official but also gives way for just enough optimism: “We have seen the script and thought it was interesting so we are certainly open to it.”
A June date isn’t official either for that matter, but it does give us an idea about where exactly to pinpoint when the film will open. Triple Threat is an independent production and one of a dying breed of entries in cinema that nowadays often ends up on the direct-to-home markets. A project this big requires some serious investment next to the grueling workload one endures to help put a project like this together, and so one hopes this will not only see a theatrical release, but a strong turn out that will match the financial goals needed to make a sequel happen.
That obviously means not stealing it, something I was informed Adkins wasn’t very pleased about while in Thailand with regard to Boyka: Undisputed IV, and as vocal as he is and as visibly damaging as torrenting can be, the frustration is understandable. It’s why I largely stand by the headline of my review for Boyka: Undisputed IV and, in essence, why that could also affect Triple Threat in the forseeable future, and it’s definitely up to us to be better fans and change that.
Stay tuned for more news on Triple Threat!
SAVAGE RESOLVE: An Interview With Stuntman And Filmmaker Jesse V. Johnson
Greetings Jesse and thank you for stopping by to talk to us!
FIVE-A-DAY ROUND-UP XII: Proud Mary, Plan B, Mrs. K, Triple Threat, The Green Ghost
The bold and beautiful Taraji P. Henson leads this one with a look at Proud Mary which stands to gain amply as a milestone effort at the top of the new year, especially since we nary see a black female lead in an action vehicle. London Has Fallen helmer Babak Najafi directs this, the story of a hitwoman who crosses paths with a young boy after a hit job gone awry. January 12 is the date!
We were the first to bring you a North American review of German martial arts action comedy, Plan B: Scheiss Auf Plan A, since its summer release and news of U.S. acquisition still awaits knowing. The film debuts German stunt, film and screenfighting design troupe, Reel Deal Action, center stage for the story of four friends caught in a dangerous game involving the search of an infamous safe hidden somewhere in Berlin. Martial arts action spectacle and feel good comedy and adventure are what lies in store for this, a previous entry in last year’s Five-A-Day editorials so let’s hope 2018 will be it.
For the lot of you, this is a no-brainer, packed with a sick ton of ‘hell yes’s’ and ‘take my money please’s’ as we approach the official release of Well Go USA’s ensemble action extravaganza, Triple Threat. The film centers us on the vengeful story of three mercenaries reluctantly assembled to protect a billionaire’s daughter from a squad of assassins looking to end her anti-crime campaign. Jesse Johnson directs this one with a cast that obviously needs no introduction.
Ho Yuhang’s latest action thriller, Mrs K., has had an immense global run amid the festival scene hailing actress and Shaw Bros. stalwart, Kara Hui’s final bow in the action and screenfighting end of things. The film was released throughout Asia this Fall centered on Hui who fights to save her newfound family life when her violent past comes back causing a ruckus, imploring her to ensue an even bigger, more brutal ruckus. I can’t tell you when this film will get a U.S. release, although it’s a fair deal to conclude North Americans and western audiences alike will get fair platform releases as well, big screen or small.
Michael D. Olmos’s superhero adventure, The Green Ghost, made the rounds at Fantastic Fest in 2015 with two teasers and a poster at the time, as well as a ten-minute look at the project and a new poster that year. The film is the latest stage of evolution for the original brain child of real-life car salesman, actor Charlie Clark who leads the narrative centered on a group of Mexican superheroes reluctantly inclined to assimilate their adopted gringo and help him transform into the hero he is destined to be in order to prevent the Mayan Apocalypse. Marko Zaror, Cain Velasquez and Danny Trejo also star, and with two years in its wake, lets hope that fans keen on seeing Zaror on the screen won’t have to wait much longer.
We’ll pick up on five more tomorrow!
TRIPLE THREAT Sells To Multiple Territories Worldwide For Theatrical And Netflix Releases In 2018
Shanghai Aurora Alliance, SC Films, and Hamilton Productions produced the film in association with Beijing Manyougu Company Ltd., and Kungfuman Culture Media.
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 people who thought that Jaa would never appear in a movie with Donnie Yen dating back twelve years ago as the Thai action star took the mantle with groundbreaking performances in Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong. That all changed with xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage back in January, and that film’s addition of Bisping to the roster, leaving one to wonder even further of the possibilities from here on.
I believe they’re there. I want to believe they’re there. It makes sense, too, as news of a developing sequel takes shape in the months ahead in a way that would hopefully allow fans the stylized ‘Asian Expendables’ type of film they’re rooting for since this vehicle’s previous life as “Makeshift Squad”. So, yes. Regarding the hopeful addition of Yen by then, I think, would be amply fitting if it can be helped amid the developmental phase of things.
For now though, the jury remains out and deliberating and we still have a movie to promote…one now on deck for a late 2017 an early 2018 release following Well Go USA’s acquisition of the film as reported on Wednesday prior to the unveiling of a brief, albeit exhilarating Comic-Con teaser.
A hit contract is taken out on a billionaire’s daughter intent on bringing down a major crime syndicate. A down and out team of mercenaries must take on a group of professional assassins and stop them before they kill their target.
With actress Celina Jade and actor Michael Wong also starring, that teaser now has a full-on trailer out of Comic Con and it’s one of the best things you’ll see all week. Watch it below and remember Johnson’s name after this.
[UPDATED] 16 Seconds Of TRIPLE THREAT Will Make Your Day
Among all else at Comic-Con this summer at San Diego, Jesse V. Johnson’s new movie, Triple Threat, has to be one of the more hotly-anticipated titles from here on and especially if you are a martial arts fan. Timely, that’s what Well Go USA is here for and with no more than 16 seconds to stir your veins aplenty until a full teaser arrives publicly which won’t be for a little while longer, so take it all in. And then watch it again until you’ve looked at every quick edit and had your fill.
Scott Adkins Wants UNDISPUTED 5! There’s Only One Problem…
An exasperating wait, no less, for folks like myself who live in the U.S.. Still, it’s nice to know that a Blu-Ray/Digital HD release of the new tournament martial arts thriller, Boyka: Undisputed, is well on its way with an August release, while it’s even nicer to know that the film’s star, actor and martial artist Scott Adkins wants to do a fifth.
He says so at around the 11:40 mark in his latest interview now online following his recent appearance at MCM Expo in London this week to discuss the role and the film as a whole – And not for nothing either as he continues to pound away at fans who enjoy his movies, but insist on stealing them online which will otherwise kill any chance of the film happening before 2030 if we’re lucky (my words, not his).
Adkins also shares several new images from his latest, Accident Man, and some gems on Michael Cuesta’s American Assassin, working with Tony Jaa on the recently-wrapped ensemble action thriller, Triple Threat, and much more.
The full interview hosted by @tanavip can be viewed below.
Arclight Takes Ensemble Martial Arts Thriller, TRIPLE THREAT To Cannes
Director Jesse V. Johnson’s latest effort, Triple Threat, has entered the last stages of filming in time for its Cannes World Market Premiere this week from Arclight Films. The film certainly took sometime to evolve since late 2016 and evidently came together in the past several months in the course of building its remarkable cast and potential.
TRIPLE THREAT is an adrenaline-fueled action film that brings together the three biggest new action Asian stars in one thrilling movie.
The film is based on a hit contract taken out on a billionaire’s daughter intent on bringing down a major crime syndicate. A down and out team of mercenaries must take on a group of professional assassins and stop them before they kill their target.
Hailing an ensemble English-language action thriller from a script by Joey O’Bryan and Paul Staheli is an Asian trio of leading stars Tony Jaa (Ong Bak Trilogy, Furious 7, xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage), Tiger Chen (Man Of Tai Chi) and Iko Uwais (The Raid 1 & 2, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Headshot). Also starring are Scott Adkins (Marvel’s Doctor Strange, The Expendables 2), Michael Jai White (Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing), Celina Jade (CW series Arrow, Wolf Warrior 2), Michael Bisping (xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage) and JeeJa Yanin (Chocolate, Raging Phoenix).
“I don’t believe anyone has seen a martial arts action cast like this before. Everyone brought their A-game, and the dynamics on set were awesome. The action combined with a very solid story line sets this film apart from others of its genre. If this movie doesn’t get your adrenalin flowing, nothing will.” Said producer Michael Selby.
“We are so excited to bring the superstars of the ground-breaking action films ONG BAK, THE RAID and MAN OF TAI CHI together in a “triple threat” package. This is the first time all three stars will be in a film together and we’re thrilled to be a vital part of the TRIPLE THREAT team.” Said Ying Ye, a producer on the film and Managing Director of Easternlight, Arclight Films’ specialty arm showcasing Asian cinema with the largest film library of any non Asian-based indie film label.
Triple Threat is produced by Shanghai Aurora Alliance and SC Films with backing from Arclight along with Kungfuman Culture Media, and Beijing ManyouguCompany Ltd. Joining Selby and Ye along with actor Chen are Gary Hamilton and Mike Gabrawy in producing with Elliot Tong serving as executive producer. (ScreenAnarchy)
TRIPLE THREAT Casts Hong Kong Cinema Star Michael Wong
There are about two weeks or so left for the Thailand filming of Jesse Johnson’s new Asian action thriller, Triple Threat with Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen and Iko Uwais starring. For this, it’s only now that the production is making official the addition of actor Michael Wong (Cold War, Z Storm, Skiptrace) to the cast. The news was shared on the film’s current fanpage on Facebook via photo which you can view below with Wong featured between Chen and Jaa.
The film sees our action hero line-up leading the film from a script by Joey O’Bryan centered on actress Celina Jade in the role of a a billionaire’s daughter who seeks protection from a murderous cartel with the help of a trio of badass mercenaries, one of whom has more vengeful intentions. Comprising our villain line-up are martial arts stars, actors Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Jeeja Yanin, Michael Bisping and Ron Smoorenburg.
Check out the pic below!
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