Nearly two years have passed since news slowly and quietly broke of the shelving of the Joe Taslim-starring action vehicle, The Night Comes For Us, and the real reasons why remain unbeknownst to the public. The film was drawn on the hinges of the recent successes of Indonesian film hits like Gareth Evans’s Merantau, The Raid and The Raid 2, in addition to directing duo Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel’s Macabre and Killers, and as one of two genre films being planned by Merantau and XYZ Films.
Thankfully and whatever the case may be this week, it appears that Tjahjanto’s forthcoming solo feature debut at the helm is officially back on track with word of a screenfighting and casting call just in the last 24 hours overseas in Indonesia via social media. The film, to be produced by Evans along with Maya Barack Evans and XYZ Films, and in what Tjahjanto hopes will showcase a “lean and (very) mean Killfest”, sees Taslim in the role of a Ito, a gangland enforcer caught amidst a treacherous and violent insurrection within his Triad crime family upon his return home from a stint abroad.
The film, which last landed US distribution back in January of 2014, will mark Taslim’s latest return to the fray following his memorable, kinetic performance in The Raid before crossing into Hollywood for Justin Lin’s Furious 6 and Star Trek: Beyond. Taslim is expected to reunite with fellow Raid star Iko Uwais whose choreography unit, Uwais Team, is continuing its handling the action as of late 2013.
Previously listed cast members include The Raid 2 co-stars Yayan Ruhian, Julie Estelle, Arifin Putra and Oka Antara, along with actresses Prisia Nasution and Kelly Tandiono, and actor Rio Dewanto. Expect further details to be ironed out very soon as the film recovers its momentum ahead of Mo Brothers’ latest, Headshot, which gets its day at TIFF next Friday, and at Mayhem in the UK this October.
A photo posted by Timo Tjahjanto (@timobros) on Aug 29, 2016 at 10:21pm PDT