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Back in February, the awesome news that action star Scott Adkins had joined Kickboxer: Armageddon (the last entry in the hugely successful reboot of the classic martial arts actioner) and that Adkins was going to be playing the heavy in the film going toe to toe with franchise star Alain Moussi. The news came with the announcement that filming was going to commence this past April but here we are in September, and it has been radio silence ever since. Fans around the world, including myself, have been left wondering what the deal was and if the film would indeed happen.
Well, this morning brings news that Logothetis and company have just activated a brand-new Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to officially get fans involved in the making of the film while at the same time keeping the production independent of studio interference. Logothetis and Moussi have taken to social media to announce this endeavor which will see a set initial goal of 250, 000 dollars that will go into making the film even better while helping with several aspects of production including time, getting the right cast and crew, utilizing the best equipment, getting the best locations and sets and, of course, making the best next generation action imaginable featuring the best of the best when it comes to onscreen fighting and action design that is unequaled.
Logothetis prepared a special message for the 350,000,000 plus Kickboxer fans around the world and you can check it out below courtesy of the official Kickstarter page!
Logothetis also prepared a special video message for the fans breaking down his intentions for making the best Kickboxer entry imaginable without having to compromise his vision or cheat the fans on the action which is its strongest selling point. View it below!
In terms of the plot, which Moussi told me about in our official interview for the second film Kickboxer Retaliation, the third film’s synopsis is as follows: When Kurt Sloane’s family is killed by assassins intended for him, he travels across the globe in a hunt for vengeance which leads him to an assassin training compound led by Cesare, its enigmatic leader. Jam packed with martial arts action and paying homage to the rich history of martial arts cinema, Armageddon promises to send the trilogy off with a bang that does justice to the Kickboxer franchise and its millions of fans around the globe.
Check out below what Moussi told me when we chatted!
Oh, well with the third one, 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 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.
The look that Moussi mentioned in his statement has been circulating around the net for a few years now and features a much more savage looking Kurt Sloan who is ready to go full on barbaric when it comes to taking down those responsible for his family’s death.
Of course, everyone who backs the project will get some rather juicy incentives ranging from shirts and caps to walk on rolls and producer credits. A digital copy of the finished Kickboxer Armageddon will also be available as well as a physical media pack of the first two films. For a complete list of incentives and prices click here!
Over the past few years, Moussi has really established himself as a premiere action star after cutting his teeth in the stunt game for decades doubling some of the best Hollywood has to offer. Along with the Kickboxer films, Moussi has also been seen in the sci-fi action thriller Jiu Jitsu and the live adaptation of the hit graphic novel King of Killers. Both films served as vehicles on showcasing Moussi’s sick signature skill set when it comes to extreme action design and kicking ass on film.
With Logothetis and crew initiating this campaign, we execute a wait and see approach to how this will all end including who will join Moussi in the cast as well as what the finished film will be. As of this writing, Adkins is still involved in the film and his character of Cesare is still the main antagonist and there are other notable cast included on the IMDb page but that could change at a moment’s notice so Lock N Load and stay tuned. Keeping Adkins involved bodes well for the movie as this is a throwdown we all want to see between two of the best in the business of breaking bones and limbs on film.
In the meantime, check out the teaser video that Logothetis made a while back which highlights Sloan’s new look as well as revisiting other aspects of the first two films. it’s time to go full on dark and savage as the last entry in the Kickboxer franchise promises to be the most thrilling and extreme yet!
Also, check out my official reviews of the first two films below along with the hard-hitting trailers!
Now is the time! Kickboxer fans unite! Let’s make the best finale ever!
