Last we checked in with the very unnecessary remake of the 1989 martial arts classic Kickboxer, starring stuntman and uncredited White House Down actor Alain Moussi, Tony Jaa was in talks to join the cast as the Xian Chow character. Along with Moussi, Georges St-Pierre and David Bautista, Jaa would have helped make sure that what the film lacked in acting, it would more than make up for in legitimate ass-kicking ability. Sadly, Jaa eventually dropped out because of “scheduling conflicts,” and it left a giant, foot-shaped hole in the cast of this attempt to capitalize on our undying 80s nostalgia.
Fortunately, the original film’s star, Jean-Claude Van Damme, loves money and fame, so he’s filling in for Jaa as the mentor to the revenge-hungry Kurt Sloane, and it actually makes a ton of sense. This remake could really be fun with Van Damme on board, but at the very least it makes it a hell of a lot more profitable, and that has the producers excited.
“We are so excited to have Kickboxer roll into production and to have JCVD in the role of Master Chow, passing the torch to Alain, to have him lead the franchise to a new generation ” said Ted Field of Radar Films, who is producing the movie with Dimitri Logothetis and Nick Celozzi. Logothetis and Jim McGrath wrote the script. (Via the Hollywood Reporter)
Logothetis has previously written some stuff you’ve never heard of, while McGrath has no writing experience. But does a Kickboxer remake even need writers? Just use the same exact script as the first one – it will be hilarious if Van Damme still plays Master Xian Chow – and spruce up the fight choreography a bit. Save that writer money for craft services and neck surgeries…