Actor Iko Uwais has been reaching some increasingly newer peaks of late. The photo above, a still from his upcoming directorial debut, Timur, is just the latest first in a pending rollout of firsts hailing the martial arts star’s new production label, Uwais Pictures. Also in toe is martial arts thriller, Ikatan Darah (or Blood Bond), directed by Sidharta Tata who previously helmed TV dramas “Pertaruhan,” and action horror “Zona Merah”.
Uwais and his team made the announcement at the Uwais Pictures Press Conference Launch & Slate Announcement event at XXI Plaza Senayan on Tuesday. Both films are part of a newly announced production slate under the Uwais Pictures banner, which itself specializes in fight choreography, action design and stunts. The label is set to launch the projects for the next edition of the European Film Market in Berlin which launches February 13.
Timur is an action-thriller that follows the real-life international hostage crisis that took place in Mapenduma in 1996. The subsequent rescue operation was overseen by now-Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The film is Uwais’ directorial debut and the first action film co-produced out of Indonesia. Uwais also stars. Ikatan Darah is a local-language action film in which a former martial arts athlete must face a network of loan sharks to save her younger brother, who is trapped in online gambling debt and risking their family’s safety.
The move marks a path anew for Uwais who paved a way for revitalizing Indonesian action cinema under the stewardship of director Gareth Huw Evans with films such as Merantau, The Raid and The Raid 2, all of which propelled Iko and Indonesia’s gleaming talent roster to global stardom and appeal. Uwais kept the habit up as well with thrillers such as Headshot and The Night Comes For Us, and even Triple Threat and Beyond Skyline.
Indeed, the jury is still out for his Beyond Skyline follow-up, Skyline: Warpath, while his hit-or-miss resumé of titles in the West are more “miss” than “hit.” The relief here now is that Uwais has both the muscle and means to better feature himself and his circle on projects with films that otherwise aim to show us and some of the lesser-knowing filmmaking elite just how action cinema is done when done right, that is if his back catalogue isn’t proof enough.
“I am excited to unleash the next phase of Uwais Pictures with the release of Timur and Ikatan Darah,” said Uwais. “We are bringing a new style of action movies for audiences around the world.”
Read more at Deadline.
Lead photo: Uwais Pictures