yayan ruhian

Place Your Bets In The New Teaser For COMIC 8: CASINO KINGS!

I suppose Indonesia’s latest resurgence into the action genre has done well enough that it can spoof itself to a certain degree. With this, we now get a look at what director Anggy Umbara has in store for the new action comedy, Comic 8: Casino Kings, the sequel to the first film released early last year, and headlined by a mix of returning cast members and new faces, along with a few noted action film veterans familar to the region – namely Barry Prima and Willy Dozan, and George Rudy…and for some reason, a really, really large alligator. I can’t find an English synopsis right now, so for better or worse, the film has a Wikipedia page with the following details; As usual, Google translate is pants when it comes to translating nearly anything sensibly, so gather what you may. SYNOPSIS: Comic 8: Casinos Kings’ will tell advanced 8 secret […]

The New Trailer For Miike's YAKUZA APOCALYPSE Bites Back!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s only a matter of time before director Miike Takashi steps into the summer season with his latest vampire action thriller, Yakuza Apocalypse. It’s only his latest effort in keeping a promise to his long-celebrate signature style of film while we await further info on his future endeavors, and while the most recent teaser gained the film some publicity to start, we now have a minute-long trailer that lends a little more to the eye. It’s got yakuzas, vampires, some gore, badass tattoos, a better look at Yayan Ruhian in a film outside his normal Indonesian bearings…and a killer frog-suited..thing. Indeed, this looks hella fun. And random! SYNOPSIS: In the ruthless underground world of the yakuza, no one is more legendary than boss Kamiura. Rumored to be invincible, the truth is he is a vampire—a bloodsucking yakuza vampire boss! Among Kamiura’s gang is Kageyama, his most loyal underling. However, the […]

Pre-Production Commences On Gareth Huw Evans's BLISTER

Lee B. Golden III

Much of the fandom for director Gareth Huw Evans‘s currently brewing Raid trilogy has settled since the second installment released last year to much excitement and acclaim. So, it may be an uneasy thing for some to possibly have to wait an extra three years before the saga finishes, although it is rewarding to know that Evans‘s storytelling vernacular goes beyond one franchise. As such, Evans is now moving on to other properties, with at least two films now in-development, including the new movie, Blister. Not much is known about the plot of the film as of yet, although the director did offer a small blurb last year while on the road promoting The Raid 2, describing the film as his own take on “the contemporary American gangster story with echoes of The Wild Bunch”. Evans has since reunited with his fellow film folk in Indonesia, including Iko Uwais […]

YAKUZA APOCALYPSE: THE GREAT WAR OF THE UNDERWORLD Gets A New Promo Image And Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

The Mole Song and As The Gods Will helmer, director Miike Takashi‘s work is not without a following of its own. He’s got a fanbase he listens to-so indicated last Spring when he formally announced a “rampaging” return to the basics with the production of his newest action horror romp, Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War Of The Underworld. Miike reunites with lead actor Ichihara Hayato following their pairing on the 2008 film God’s Puzzle, with a brand new promotional image now available online just below, as well as a new teaser. SYNOPSIS: Kagayama is a feeble but loyal underling to legendary yakuza boss Kamiura, who turns out to be a vampire. When an assassin from an international syndicate arrives in Japan to deliver an ultimatum, Kamiura is killed. But, not before he manages to bite Kagayama, and the transformed underling sets out to get revenge against a formidable team of […]

'The Force Awakens' With THE RAID 2 Actors Joining The Seventh STAR WARS Film

Lee B. Golden III

Well, nobody within a range too distant from the production of J.J. Abrams‘s Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw this coming, but it appears that The Raid 2 principal stars, Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman will have roles of their own in the film when it releases this December. There are no details as of yet, and it also comes as a major, MAJOR fucking surprise since their names were nowhere seen in previous reports. Nonetheless, it’s a big step up from a group that has seen its cult success rise from the recent fanbase grown stemming from the successes of director Gareth Huw Evans whose films have signaled a sizable resurgence for Indonesia’s film industry with the releases of coming-of-age martial arts drama, Merantau, and two of the currently developing Raid Trilogy. It’s also another huge foray further into the mainstream for Uwais and Ruhian, who themselves […]

Yayan Ruhian Sports A Ghastly Image On The Set Of COMIC 8: CASINO KINGS

Lee B. Golden III

Indonesia’s current film climate is a lagging a bit nowadays, and there have been casualties as a result-namely whatever the heck stonewalled production for Timo Tjahjanto’s The Night Comes For Us back in September. Thankfully some projects haven’t faltered, including Anggy Umbara‘s upcoming heist sequel, Comic 8: Casino Kings. The film is arriving in 2015 with a larger cast and even greater scope to accomodate its larger budget following the success of its first installment in early 2014. Several cast and set pictures have appeared online, and if you’ve been enthusiastically following the career of fellow Indonesian action star Yayan Ruhian can expect to see him in the upcoming heist action adventure as well, that is if this picture has anything to say for it. Ruhian contributed to the pre-production phase of The Night Comes For Us with action star Iko Uwais solely choreographing the fights, and Merantau and The […]

[UPDATED] THE NIGHT COMES FOR US Is On Hold, Production Uncertain

Lee B. Golden III

UPDATE (12/24/14): Based on a Tweet response four days ago, it appears that Tjahjanto is taking his vision for the former production of The Night Comes For Us and putting it into graphic novel form with Glitch Network. Production on the film itself suddenly halted back in September for reasons unknown. (Special thanks to commentor, Fatso, for the heads’ up!) EARLIER REPORT: Fans of Gareth Huw Evans’s 2011 action thriller, The Raid, may have noticed one other title that’s gone quite a while without much mention in the headlines. That title, of course, Killers co-helmer Timo Tjahjanto’s Indonesian crime epic, The Night Comes For Us, for which The Raid co-star Joe Taslim was the subject of much buzz when he was officially cast for the lead in April of last year. Well, if you fit the profile and have long been pining for more details surrounding the film, the good […]

AFM 2014: THE RAID Remake Trio Set To Go BEYOND SKYLINE

Lee B. Golden III

Well this is intersting news! I’ve never seen the 2010 installation of the sci-fi thriller, Skyline. The trailer itself was appealing though, but being the action aficionado I try to be, I eventually put it off. Now, with the American Film Market in its fourth day of activity as of Saturday, who would have thought that the upcoming sequel from Hydralux Entertainment, Beyond Skyline would have given me more reason to see the first? And much to the approval of an international audience at that! (Looking at you Indonesia). According to Bloody Disgusting, action stars Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian are joining actor Frank Grillo for the upcoming sequel with Skyline scribes Liam O’Donnell and Joshua Cordes directing and writing, respectively. Greg Strause and Colin Strause helmed the first film which introduced the story of alien creatures descending on Earth looking to wipe away humanity. So, how integral will these […]

Yayan-Ruhian-Yakuza-Apocalypse-thumb-630xauto-47948

Enemies Stand Face-To-Face In The First Photo From YAKUZA APOCALYPSE!

Lee B. Golden III

Director Takashi Miike is well on his way with another potential hit with his next film, Yakuza Apocalypse. Marking the acclaimed director’s latest “rampage back to the basics” with a script by Yoshitaki Yamaguchi, the film sets lead actor Hayato Ichihara as a gangster caught in the nightmare of his life when he finds out his boss is a vampire. The film also stars Yayan Ruhian, best known for his memorable performances in Gareth Evans’ recent hits, The Raid and The Raid 2. “Miike is the first director I’ve worked with since Gareth Evans,” said Ruhian in a recent set report from Screendaily’s own Jason Gray. “Miike is very good with a unique character. Whatever I do, I make it fun for myself. I like Japan. I am making new friends.” Miike also clarified a bit more about the film’s setup and direction in the same report, adding “My aim […]

Yayan Ruhian Set To Star In Takashi Miike's YAKUZA APOCALYPSE

Lee B. Golden III

Attendees of the New York Asian Film Festival will likely find themselves in front of Ichi The Killer and 13 Assassins helmer Takashi Miike‘s latest manga-based action comedy, The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji this summer. But for those who follow his work in hopes of him returning to darker, more violent movies, as of last month, fans are bound to get exactly that. Following initial reports in April of the film’s principal photography kickoff on April 17 for his latest action horror production, Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War Of The Underworld, reports are now saying that Indonesian action star Yayan Ruhian has joined the cast of the new film, now set for a 2015 release. Based on an original screenplay by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi, Ruhian will be joining lead actor Hayato Ichihara who plays Kageyama, a yakuza subordinate forced to take on a group of deadly international assassins and avenge […]

Part Two Of THE RAID 2: Behind The Scenes Is Here

Lee B. Golden III

With the first of two behind the scenes videos being aired this month, a second one is now up for the upcoming release of The Raid 2, which you can check out below. The new featurette shows a little bit more new footage of the action, and also offers a little more from writer/director Gareth Evans and the cast and crew on the editing process, details and experiences on certain sets, the score, and the “different kind of assassin” fans will see played by returning actor Yayan Ruhian, among other things. The film launches in selected territories around the world, including Indonesia, New Zealand/Australia, and in the U.S. in New York and L.A. on March 28 with further releases thereafter. Honestly, the date can’t come fast enough, and I can’t wait to see this fucking movie already. So… yeah. Check out the new video below!

Danger Comes From All Directions In The New Poster For THE RAID 2!

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and director Gareth Evans‘ new epic action thriller, The Raid 2, has already become a hit among critics since its debut at the Sundace Film Festival two months ago. And with screenings between last month and other early March events preceding the film’s wide release beginning March 28, the film has already garnered its fair share of poster art, including a New Zealand/Australian and an Indonesian print. Alas, with the film’s push in other markets, there are more to come, and thus Entertainment Weekly forwarded an exclusive look at the latest poster for the film being heralded as one of the greatest action movies ever made. Check it out: The Raid 2 follows up the events of the first film with a largely new cast of killers, gangsters to comprise Jakarta’s seedy underworld of criminal activity with Indonesian action sensation Iko Uwais as the rookie cop forced to walk […]

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US Tweets More Choreo Action Via Twitter

Lee B. Golden III

The official Twitter campaign page for director Timo Tjahjanto‘s currently developing action thriller, The Night Comes For Us just launched a day ago after the film’s latest push for an open casting call in Indonesia. And today, the account is now host to its first pre-production choreography photo with its stars, lead actor Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian which you can view below. Hostile Reunion #theNightcomesforUs #choreo http://t.co/Y6ijgcdNiw — TheNightComesforUs (@officialTNCFU) February 27, 2014 The new photo is also the latest of slow and steady updates on the film’s progress through social networking since November last year, teasing bits of the film’s fight work designated to action director Gareth Evans, with Iko Uwais serving as fight choreographer. The film, described as a story of vengeance and redemption, is set to begin its mid-Spring shoot for a 2015 release, with Taslim starring as Ito, a gangland enforcer newly arrived home to […]

Watch The First Full Trailer For THE RAID 2!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a busy month so far for the production partners at Merantau Films and XYZ Films. With The Raid 2: Berandal set to make its three-night world premiere beginning tonight at the Sundance Film Festival following with what has been a grueling post production schedule, we now have a full new trailer for the film’s North American theatrical transition as The Raid 2. Written and directed by Gareth Evans, the film sees actor Iko Uwais reprising his role from the blockbuster breakout hit, The Raid: Redemption, which was released to wide acclaim in the U.S. in 2012. Uwais is joined by Tio Pakusadewo, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Alex Abbad, Julie Estelle and Cecep Arif Rahman, with Cok Simbara, Ryuhei Matsuda, Kazuki Kitamura, Kenichi Endo, and returning actor Yayan Ruhian. The Raid 2 releases theatrically on March 28, 2014. SYNOPSIS: Immediately following the events of the original, The Raid 2 tracks Officer Rama […]

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US Lands North American Distribution

Lee B. Golden III

Following news of its worldwide sales back in November of last year, Radius/TWC has officially now acquired the North American rights to director Timo Tjahjanto‘s latest collaborative efforts with Merantau Films and XYZ Films for the new film, The Night Comes For Us. The news arrives on the eve of the forthcoming premieres of two films from both partnering production companies, Tjahjanto‘s latest co-directorial action horror thriller, Killers with director Kimo Stamboel, and filmmaker Gareth Evans‘ upcoming sequel crime saga installment, The Raid 2: Berandal. The Night Comes For Us sees action star Joe Taslim (The Raid, Fast And Furious 6) leading the way as a gangland enforcer named Ito who returns from a stint abroad, and is forced to deal with internal war brewing in his own local crime family while plotting its own campaign of territorial expansion. The film will reunite several names from The Raid franchise, which […]

Joe Taslim Goes MMA In A New Fight Choreo Clip For THE NIGHT COMES FOR US

Lee B. Golden III

While director Timo Tjahjanto continues to promote his latest co-directorial action/horror effort with fellow “Mo Brother” Kimo Stamboel titled Killers, things are still set in motion for Tjahjanto‘s own solo contribution as helmer of the latest collaboration between Merantau Films and XYZ Films for The Night Comes For Us. Some details have already been ironed out, including the plot, where we rising international action star Joe Taslim (The Raid, Fast And Furious 6) return to form, this time portraying a Gangland Enforcer named Ito who comes home to Jakarta after a stint abroad, and is forced to deal with internal war brewing in his own local crime family while plotting its own campaign of territorial expansion. In addition, we also learned in November that while actor Yayan Ruhian will be starring in the film, filmmaker Gareth Huw Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2: Berandal) has been previously reported to be […]

Gareth Evans Drops Details On THE RAID 2: BERANDAL Trailer And THE RAID 3

Lee B. Golden III

“@GaelicMohawk: The Raid 2 is gonna make me shit everywhere” I tend not to RT but this one I simply have to. — Gareth Evans (@ghuwevans) January 7, 2014 Back in December of last year, filmmaker Gareth Evans hosted a brief Twitter Q&A where among a few other things, he acknowledged his composers, Fajar Yuskemal, Aria Prayogi and Joe Trapanese for their work on the score for his upcoming film, The Raid 2: Berandal, in addition to somewhat jokingly teasing a three-figure bodycount. Evans also addressed Film Combat Syndicate’s inquiry on how soon The Raid 3 would begin production, tweeting “I have a basic outline for part 3 – depends on how part 2 does, maybe 2017.”. A new report from Dark Horizons now lists a series of tweets that partly expand just a tiny bit on what lies ahead for the third film according to Evans‘ most recent tweets. […]

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US Sells Worldwide!

Lee B. Golden III

Just six months away from principal photography, actors Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian, and fight choreographer Iko Uwais are running the numbers on the action sequences for producer Gareth Evans’s latest return to the set with director Timo Tjahjanto for upcoming martial arts crime thriller The Night Comes For Us. But even so, the prospects for the folks at Indonesia’s PT Merantau Films and L.A.’s XYZ Films are looking brighter and brighter. Toward the last leg of this month’s event at the American Film Market, XYZ Films have apparently closed distribution deals worldwide for the upcoming film, according to a new report from Screendaily on Wednesday, with rights sold to eOne in the UK, Madman in Australia and New Zealand, Koch Media in Germany, Wildside in France and HGC in China. Also, further deals were closed for Shooting Stars in the Middle East, Daisy in South Korea, Pictureworks in India, […]

Fight Choreography Begins For THE NIGHT COMES FOR US

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and director Timo Tjahjanto shot off a few tweets on Monday after a completing the first day of choreography for the upcoming production of The Night Comes For Us. Following his previous collaboration with The Raid 1 and 2 helmer Gareth Evans now in the producers chair since scribing Tjahjanto’s Safe Haven segment in the summer 2013 horror anthology, V.H.S. 2, The Night Comes For Us brings lead actor Joe Taslim and co-star Yayan Ruhian back together in a reunion that is likely to be one of the most celebrated after their stellar performances in Evans’ The Raid, featuring the two in one of the film’s most brutal, solid and most pulse pounding action sequences ever put on film, a signature quality of the work coming from Indonesian production platform PT Merantau Films. Described as a story of vengeance and redemption, the current synopsis for The Night Comes For […]