Netflix might have some version of a martial arts television show with Marvel’s Iron Fist, but many would say that is watered down at best. Luckily, it seems like the streaming giant is going to satisfy fans with a martial arts series featuring one of the best in recent years: The Raid‘s Iko Uwais.
Anybody familiar with The Raid and its sequel — or Merantau — should be excited by the prospect of a Netflix original series with Uwais. And as The Hollywood Reporter points out, the market for martial arts on television is open for some additions during Peak TV. AMC’s Into The Badlands is an excellent start, but this series is looking to give us a real-world story to tell:
Uwais, featured in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will both star and serve as lead martial arts choreographer and stunt coordinator on the new series. He’ll play Kai Jin, an aspiring chef who becomes the latest assassin in a long-running battle between good and evil. It’s set in San Francisco’s famous Chinatown.
One can only hope that Yayan Ruhian and some of the other faces from The Raid films make an appearance on the show. And if anything, it’s nice to see martial arts making a return in a severe form compared to something like Walker Texas Ranger.
And if you haven’t seen The Raid, please head out and do yourself a favor. The sequel is a bit long, but they’re worth it.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
