Director Macoto Tezka (Black Kiss), son of the late Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy/Mighty Atom, often dubbed “The Godfather of Manga”) is currently preparing the release of Tezuka’s Barbara, a Live-action film adaptation of his father’s sexually-charged manga, Barbara. Tezuka’s Barbara stars Fumi Nikaido (The World of Kanako), Goro Inagaki (13 Assassins), Shizuka Ishibashi (Parks), Kiyohiko Shibukawa (Blue Spring), Eri Watanabe (Ichi) and Ryousuke Ohtani (Departures). Hong Kong film afficiendos will welcome the inclusion Christopher … Continue reading →

Director Ishihara Takahiro (Osaka Badass: Snake of Violence) has a new DTV thriller coming out titled Red Blade, a ninja flick starring Ogura Yuka (Werewolf Game: Inferno), Iwanaga Joey (Tokyo Tribe) and Tak Sakaguchi (Re:Born, Versus), who also serves as general director for the film. In Red Blade, Ogura is Mako, a school girl whose parents were once taken away by Yakuza. A victim of bullying by her peers, her escape into ninja-centric graphic novels manifests into reality as … Continue reading →

xXx 4 is at early stages of pre-production, but considering the xXx franchise has the potential to pull in high profile action stars from around the world, the possibilities are limitless! The latest is that Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou (The Viral Factor, The Green Hornet) is joining Vin Diesel, Zhang Lanxin (Railroad Tigers), and TF Boys member Roy Wang (Pound of Flesh). The last xXx sequel, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (read our review), grossed $346 … Continue reading →

After his notable stuntwork in films such as Lucy and Now You See Me 2 – not to mention his breakout starring role in Jailbreak, indie flick The Division and the recent Nightshooters – Jean-Paul Ly will soon be showing more of his amazing martial arts skills in the sci-fi actioner Rift, from writer/director Haz Dulull (2036: Origin Unknown). Rift follows a nihilistic police officer who goes to extreme measures to protect a young … Continue reading →

Kim Jee-woon (The Age of Shadows), the celebrated filmmaker behind I Saw the Devil and A Bittersweet Life, has released his next film, Illang: The Wolf Brigade (aka Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade), exclusively on Netflix for U.S. audiences. The movie is a live-action take on the popular 90’s anime feature Jin-Roh. The original Jin-Roh was noted for its fluid animation, stylish action, and political allegory. The screenplay, penned by legendary Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii, also … Continue reading →

Action filmmaker Daniel Zirilli has a pack of films that are currently brewing, including Invincible with Marko Zaror (Savage Dog) and Johnny Strong (Sinners and Saints). Now, The Asian Connection filmmaker is recruiting martial arts film favorite Gary Daniels (Cold Harvest, City Hunter) for an upcoming actioner titled Bad Reputation. “Gary and I worked together 10 years ago. I wanted to make a film with him in the lead, and finally have the go. It takes time, but I … Continue reading →

With Netflix’ upcoming Wu Assassins and John Wick 3 (not to mention Roger Avary’s Lucky Day and The Driver), Mark Dacascos (Showdown in Manila, Ultimate Justice) is enjoying a much deserved career resurgence – and now – the martial arts star is getting the ultimate comeback by reuniting with director Christophe Gans for the Live-action adaptation of the swashbuckling comic book Corto Maltese. Gans directed Dacascos in two movies that – along with Drive – are considered the most-acclaimed of Dacascos career: Crying … Continue reading →

Dutch kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven is set to star in, and co-produce The Black Lotus with Tom de Mol and Marcel de Block, the duo responsible for producing The Hitman’s Bodyguard. According to THR, The Black Lotus — inspired by action classics such as Man on Fire and Taken — will see Verhoeven play an ex-military operative on a revenge mission to save the woman he loves. Verhoeven recently had a supporting role in … Continue reading →