0
0
By: John M Jerva
After taking a back seat to the recent sci/fi martial arts actioner Jiu jitsu, star Alain Moussi has confirmed via social media that the third entry in the Kickboxer reboot franchise, aptly titled Kickboxer: Armageddon is finally going to happen. After the well received second installment Kickboxer: Retaliation was released, the duo of director Dimitri Logothetis and martial arts action star Alain Moussi announced that the third movie would be put on hold so they could film the sci-fi epic which was a passion project to both of them.
With that film now out, Moussi has announced through social media that Armageddon is finally a go and that this entry will be “electrifying” and that it will feature “Kurt Sloan as you have never seen before.” Check out Moussi’s post on Facebook below!
There is no denying that the second film in the new Kickboxer reboot trilogy titled Kickboxer: Retaliation was a rousing success with critics and audiences alike. Action star and martial arts sensation Alain Moussi has definitely brought the 80’s fun back into the mainstream martial arts genre. Director Dimitri Logotheis, who helmed the second film, is back in the director’s chair once again and this time, we are promised a more dark and savage Kurt Sloan for the final battle. There was a teaser that dropped three years ago which primarily showcases scenes from the first two films but we do get a glimpse of Moussi’s new look for the film and it is lethal to say the least.
The plot for the third film is still a mystery but I had the distinct honor of interviewing Alain for Kickboxer: Retaliation a few years back when it hit and I asked him about the prospect of a trilogy to which Moussi gave me one hell of answer.
“I have to tell you right now from reading the first draft of the script, this is by far the best script I’ve read for all three Kickboxer films just from the starting point. It amps up the action, it amps up the character which is really cool. Kurt Sloan’s journey is really interesting and it’s kind of like my journey as an actor because I still consider myself a total rookie. I’m learning as an actor all the time and I’m constantly training so I feel like the character is evolving like my evolution as an actor. The first film didn’t ask much of me in terms of performance. Dimitri told me that he wanted me to be as natural as possible. He said that he wanted to get as much of me into this role. Now with the second film, there’s a little more trauma. He’s thrown into jail in Thailand and there is more going on there. For me because of my experience and training, I can deliver more in the second film. Now in the third film, Kurt Sloan has to go deeper and darker. That’s where he is going right now and bad things happen and instead of being pulled into this world, he decides to go back into that world to put an end to it so that’s where the story is going. He’s going into a very dark place because he needs to put an end to all that has been done to him. I can’t tell exactly what it is (laughs) but that’s where the story is headed. He’s going on a rampage from one person to the next to find the people responsible and put an end to it. That’s why the look I have now is completely different. I’ve been growing my hair out and the beard and that’s all for Kickboxer 3. This movie is going to a totally different place than the last two which is great.”
Now, of course, it’s all about the action and Moussi promises that the third film will feature action set pieces that will outdo the previous movies and that we haven’t seen anything yet in terms of brutal, skull crushing, unapologetic martial arts sequences.
“Now in terms of action, we know the things that our audience loves so we just want to deliver more and better versions of it and that is what we are working on now. In terms of a oner like we talked about earlier, you are going to see a crazy, amped up oner in this movie. In terms of the end fight and the stakes, we are going totally bonkers with that and it is going to be great. As you know in a trilogy, when you get to the third film, you often revisit things about the first and that definitely happens in this film in a great way. I think story wise, Kurt is going full circle and it’s going to please the audience. Our goal like I said was to top the last film and to top ourselves and that is what we are doing again with the third film. We want to top what we did in Vengeance and Retaliation but not with making the mistake of just putting everything on steroids. We want to make a cooler and newer version of what we did in the second film.” For my full interview with Alain, click here!
Aside from Moussi, casting is still pending but I’m sure that this movie will include some high profile real life fight talent like the other movies. Jean-Claude Van Damme, who starred in the original, essentially passed the torch to Moussi in the reboots as he played Sloan’s mentor and trainer Durand. No word as of yet if JC will be involved this time around but think I can speak for fans everywhere when I say we hope he returns.
A teaser for Armageddon was released a while back and it teases Moussi’s new darker and savage look for the film mixed in with high octane sequences from the other films. While we wait for more 411, check it out below to appropriately wet your appetite and keep it locked and loaded right here for more as we are your destination for everything action!
[…] Fortunately, in 2011, when he was working for the stunt in “Wings of Dragon,” the director was highly impressed by his skills and thus, invited him to discuss a movie. As a result, he bacame offered the main role for the film “Kickboxer: Vengeance.” It is part two of the 1989 movie “Kickboxer.” The movie was an enormous success that brought Alain into the spotlight. Moreover, the sequels of the movie were also made with Alain as the lead hero. […]
[…] with King of Killers firmly behind him, Moussi will finally circle back to Kickboxer: Armageddon which is the last installment of his Kickboxer reboot […]