0
0
It’s a new week and another Weekly Intel Rapid Fire is going full auto with the latest news in action cinema! From the surprise announcement that Vin Diesel is setting up a sequel for his box office failure The Last Witch Hunter to Uma Thurman returning for action in the upcoming, we’ve got your six. Lock N Load for the finest intel in action!
Vin Diesel & Michael Caine Set to Return for The Last Witch Hunter 2!
This was rather unexpected but also intriguing at the same time, but reports are saying that Vin Diesel is all geared up for a sequel to his box office dud The Last Witch Hunter. To make the news even more interesting, it would appear that Hollywood legend Michael Caine is contemplating coming out of retirement to star once again as well.
According to Variety, the sequel is on the fast track at Lionsgate along with Diesel’s production banner One Race Films. They do have a reason as to why they are resurrecting a film that pretty much no one saw when it first hit and a lot of it has to do with the film being a streaming hit.
According to Variety: “The original “Last Witch Hunter” was somewhat of a passion project for Diesel, who promoted that the adventure film was an adaptation of his own “Dungeons & Dragons” campaigns, in which he played as the original character of Melkor the Witch Hunter. Released in October 2015 by Lionsgate, the film grossed just $27 million in North America but proved a stronger draw overseas with $119 million from international territories. Per Lionsgate, the long second life of “Last Witch Hunter” on digital and home video, which includes a run as one of the most-watched movies on Netflix this year, led to this sequel’s development 10 years later.”
Any way you look at it, this is definitely interesting and to see Caine, who is now well into his 90’s, come out of retirement for it just bodes well for the movie. Hopefully the set pieces and action design will be far superior as I remember the first one not being memorable. We shall see.
Uma Thurman Returns to Action for BALLERINA OVERDRIVE
According to Deadline, Amazon MGM is in final negotiations to acquire the new action-thriller Ballerina Overdrive which stars Kill Bill’s Uma Thurman who is ready for action again after recently starring in Netflix’s The Old Guard 2. The film is in the can and was directed by The Witcher: Blood Origin’s Vicky Jewson and tells the story of “a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.”
Thurman stars along with Lana Condor (To All the Boys franchise), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place), Iris Apatow (The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping), Maddie Ziegler (West Side Story), Avantika (Senior Year), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill franchise) and Michael Culkin (The Nest). The ensemble cast is solid, and the film will hopefully deliver equal parts drama and kinetic action. Thurman is certainly no stranger to action so here’s hoping that she gets to tussle enough throughout the film’s running time.
What makes this particular action package so attractive is that stunt pros Heidi Moneymaker and Renae Moneymaker have developed a rather interesting action choreography that infuses dance moves with deadly strikes. Sounds like a showstopper to me and I never pass up a Die Hard style actioner when it comes around.
Max Zhang Joins Henry Cavill & Director Chad Stahelski for HIGHLANDER!
The highly anticipated and long-awaited Highlander reboot just got a serious martial arts action upgrade as Deadline has confirmed that international action film sensation Max Zhang (Ip Man 3, Wolf Pack) has enlisted for director Chad Stahelski’s ambitious redo of the iconic cult classic.
Zhang joins an already stacked cast including Cavill as well as Russell Crowe, Marisa Abela, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, and Dave Bautista.
According to Deadline, ” Zhang began his career as a stunt actor, notably in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He went on to star in The Grandmaster, for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Rise of the Legend, SPL II: A Time for Consequences, Ip Man 3, The Brink, and most notably as the lead of Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy, which starred Michelle Yeoh, Dave Bautista, and Tony Jaa. Zhang made his first Hollywood appearance in a film with a supporting part in Pacific Rim Uprising.”
Putting Zhang in the film as an immortal only deepens the narrative that Stahelski and his insanely talented 87Eleven crew will deliver nothing but tier one battles and amazing swordplay stunt work. Lionsgate developed the film which is based on the 80’s cult classic that starred Christopher Lambert and Clancy Brown along with legendary thespian Sean Connery.
That’s it for now but be sure to check out my Weekly Intel LIVE podcast for all the latest in action cinema and television on the Action-Flix official YouTube channel. We are your ultimate destination for everything action!
