It’s been close to twenty years since German martial arts cinema came out of the woodwork bringing actor and martial artist Mathis Landwehr into the limelight as the star of Johannes Jaeger’s Kampfansage: Der Letzte Schüler, a feature expanded from a pre-existing indie action short concept. Landwehr has still been on radar from time to time in roles for projects like Lasko and Martin-Christopher Bode’s Ultimate Justice over the years, and even in Shawn Bu’s explosive hit fanmade Star Wars short flick, “Darth Maul: Apprentice” to name a few, although it remained to be seen just when exactly the actor would take the reins for a lead role in a new feature.
I did have my eye on one project in which he would have starred but I don’t have any faith at the moment that it’ll ever see completion. Alas, leave it to the likes of noted cinematographer Ross W. Clarkson to take notice and bring Landwehr along with a bevy of veteran and nascent screenfighters to the table for the crowdfunded martial arts tourno thriller, The Last Kumite, which is now due for a Spring release from Capelight Pictures. That news comes by way of ComingSoon.net who’ve also implemented a first look teaser trailer for everyone to endulge, catching Landwehr in action along with Billy Blanks (TC 2000), Matthias Hues (I Come In Peace), Kurt McKinney (No Retreat, No Surrender), Mohammed Qissi (Kickboxer) and Cynthia Rothrock (China O’Brien) along with newcomers David Kurzhal a.k.a. Viking Samurai, and David “Bolo Jr.” Yeung to name a few.
Clarkson directs from a script he wrote with co-scribe Sean David Lowe for Landwehr in the role of Michael Rivers, a skilled martial artist forced to fight in an illegal fighting tournament in order to save his daughter. Along his journey he discovers other martial artists have been forced to fight to save their loved ones.
Take a look!
