"NInja 2: Shadow of a Tear" Poster

THE MOVIE: In Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear, Scott Adkins (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) returns as Casey Bowman, a Ninjitsu master out to avenge the death of his wife in director Isaac Florentine’s follow-up to his 2009 film Ninja. The film also stars Vithaya Pansringarm, Kane Kosugi, Tim Man, Ron Smoorenburg, Charlie Ruedpokanon, Mika Hijii, Erika Nagamine and Shun Sugata.

In the past, Adkins revealed via Twitter that – ironically enough – the movie that his fans most want to see made, Undisputed IV, has been the most difficult to find financing for. The producers behind 2009’s Ninja have always been eager to develop a sequel.

This is despite the fact that the movie is not particularly well-regarded among martial arts buffs. For example: the film maintains a not-so-impressive 5.3/10 rating on IMDB in comparison to Undisputed III‘s healthy 7.3 rating.

Update: Photo of Adkins in Ninja 2. | According to Adkin’s Facebook page, Ninja 2 has an official title: Ninja: Shadow of a Tear. | The film will be premiering at this year’s Fantastic Fest, with director Isaac Florentine and producer Frank De Martini in attendance. | Amazon.com has the Blu-ray and DVD cover, as well as a pre-order date for December 31, 2013. | First trailer.

BREAKING NEWS: Your friends at Beyond Hollywood have a new trailer, which is a similar, shorter version of the last trailer. This movie looks to be another Undisputed III-style triumph for both Scott Adkins and director Isaac Florentine!

"The Extendables" Theatrical Poster

Say hello to the cast of The Extendables: Brian Thompson (Cobra), Mark Dacascos (1997’s Drive), Martin Kove (The Karate Kid), Gary Graham (Robot Jox) and Kevin Sorbo (Kull the Conqueror).

Before you get too excited, keep in mind that The Extendables isn’t exactly the B-movie version of The Expendables that you’re expecting (see the B-Team). Written and directed by Brian Thompson – who is mostly known for playing the main bad guy in 1986’s Cobra with Sylvester Stallone – The Extendables is more of a parody/satire somewhere between 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap and 2008’s Tropic Thunder.

Also known under the working title Action Hero, The Extendables’ tagline is as follows: What if all the Expendable actors were rolled into one character and he was given the job to direct a movie? Judging from the trailer, Thompson seems to be doing a medley impersonation of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

The Extendables has a release date set for 2014. Until then, be sure to check out the trailer.

"Road House" Japanese DVD Cover

The Wrap reports that MGM has hired Rob Cohen (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) to direct its upcoming remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie Road House. The original, which was directed by Rowdy Herrington (Striking Distance), revolves around a tough bouncer (Swayze) who is hired to tame a violent bar. The remake is being written by Michael Stokes (Iron Eagle IV, Exit Speed, Exit Speed).

The original Road House grossed over $30 million domestically. Since its release in 1989, the movie has become a cult favorite amongst action fans. Like most remake jobs, Cohen faces the challenge of pleasing loyal fans of the original, but with films like Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and original The Fast and the Furious under his belt, Cohen is worthy choice.

Now, the next question remains: Who will fill in for Swayze? We’ll keep you posted.

"Commitment" Theatrical Poster

There’s some positive buzz surrounding Park Hong-Soo’s debut feature, Commitment. This action-drama stars rapper/actor Choi Seung-Hyun (of the hip hop Korean boy band “Big Bang”) and Kim Yoo-jung, who is mostly known for her role as the prostitute’s daughter in Na Hong-jin’s The Chaser.

Here’s the official plot: After his father’s botched espionage mission, North Korean Myung-Hoon (Choi Seung-Hyun) and his young sister Hye-In (Han Ye-Ri) are sent to a labor prison camp. In order to save his sister’s life, Myung-Hoon volunteers to become a spy and infiltrates the South as a teenage defector.

Commitment was originally released in South Korea on November 6, 2013. Well Go USA, who carries the film’s North American rights, is giving the film a limited release on December 6, 2013. Watch the trailer, courtesy of Apple.

Updates: The film will be available on Blu-ray & DVD on March 11, 2014. Pre-order today!

"The Way of the Gun" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Christopher McQuarrie (The Way of the Gun, Jack Reacher) will be a busy man. In addition to Mission: Impossible 5 and a live-action adaptation of the 1970s anime series Star Blazers, he has signed on to direct an action film called Three To Kill, which is based on the novel of the same name by Jean-Patrick Manchette.

Deadline reports that Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) is on board as the protagonist. Could it be that the acclaimed actor – who is known for his dramatic roles in films like A Single Man and Arthur Newman – is following the footsteps of ex-serious actor Liam Neeson by taking on a violent action film? Judging from the film’s plot, it’s a possibility.

According to Amazon, Three To Kill is about a businessman (Firth) who witnesses a murder — and is pursued by the killers. His conventional life knocked off the rails, the man turns the tables and sets out to track down his pursuers. Along the way, he learns a thing or two about himself.

Three To Kill certainly has the potential to be an interesting flick. Other than Firth, there are currently no other actors attached to the movie. We’ll keep you updated.

"Control" Chinese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Film Combat Syndicate reports that a new movie called Control – a sci-fi action/thriller directed by Kenneth Bi (Girl$) and starring Daniel Wu (The Man with the Iron Fists) – will be released domestically on November 21. Control also stars Yao Chen (Firestorm), Simon Yam (The Thieves), Leon Dai (Reign of Assassins), Ady Ang (Saving General Yang) and Shao Bing (Let the Bullets Fly).

Here’s the official synopsis: Control takes places in a futuristic city and revolves around the themes of “being controlled” and “losing control.” Daniel Wu plays Mark, a man who commits perjury for his company in order to help his mother. However, he meets a mysterious person who threatens him and forces him to rob a bank. After the theft, the mysterious person continues to cause disasters to happen to Mark, which is when Mark vows to break free from this person’s control and expose his or her true identity.

Updates: A teaser trailer has been released (no english subtitles). | Newest poster. | Newest trailer.

BREAKING NEWS: Check out the newest poster, plus Film Combat Syndicate has a couple of behind-the-scenes clips.

"No Man's Land" Chinese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Directed by Ning Hao (Crazy Racer), No Man’s Land (aka Western Sunshine) is about a young lawyer from the city who travels to the Gobi desert where he embarks on a series of adventures and challenges. No Man’s Land stars Huang Bo (Police Story 2013), Yu Nan (The Expendables 2), Xu Zheng (Lost in Thailand), Wang Shuangbao (Flying Swords of Dragon Gate), Ba Duo (Midnight Beating) and Yang Xinming (Book). The film will be released domestically on December 3, 2013.

Updates: Teaser trailer. | According to Film Combat Syndicate, although the film wrapped in 2010, its release was haulted because the ARFT’s own Zhao Baohua described the film as “trash,” “depraved,” “gratuitous” and “out of touch with reality.” In addition to Baohua deeming the film as reflective of Ning’s narcissism in abandoning his responsibility as an artist.

BREAKING NEWS: Watch the latest trailer, which was released last week. Although the film doesn’t seem to take place in the post-apocalyptic future, I definitely see some Mad Max inspiration.

Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey & Pursuit of the Dragon | DVD (MVD Entertainment)

If you’re a die hard Bruce Lee fanatic and you’re sick and tired of all the countless Bruce Lee documentaries that contain the same footage, usual interview clips and a bunch of other “talking heads,” then In Pursuit of the Dragon is a film you don’t want to miss. It may not have any new or rare visuals of Bruce, but it does contain fascinating content that most fans will find both unique and educational.

We rarely provide screen shots for films we review, but for In Pursuit of the Dragon, visuals were an absolute must.

To read our review, click here.

"The Raid 2: Berandal" Teaser Poster

The highly anticipated sequel to The Raid: Redemption made waves online when it was announced that three high-profile Japanese actors – Ryuhei Matsuda (Nightmare Detective), Kenichi Endo (Visitor Q), and Kazuki Kitamura (Azumi) – would be joining the cast. It’s clear that the scope of The Raid 2: Berandal has widened beyond the claustrophobic confines of the first film to encompass an entire gang war on the streets of Jakarta. It only makes sense that the Yakuza should get in on the action!

Much in the same way that The Raid 2 has gone global, so far has the English football scene. The English Premier League is the richest football league in the world – and it’s also by far the most international. This is perhaps why there is so much interest in the Premier League in Asia – and particularly so in the performance of Asian players.

Of course, betting on football in England and other countries is also an enormous industry in Asia and every game really comes under the spotlight. In particular, the performances of Man United’s Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa have come in for an enormous amount of scrutiny since the 24 year-old signed him from Borussia Dortmund in July 2012.

Kagawa played 20 times for Manchester United during last year’s title-winning season under manager Sir Alex Ferguson. But since Ferguson stepped down and David Moyes took over at the Old Trafford helm in time for the new season, Kagawa has struggled to make the first team line-up on a regular basis.

Manchester United are around 9/2 to retain their title with Betfair, the world’s largest betting exchange which is proving so popular in South East Asia. And whenever Kagawa plays – there is a huge upsurge of interest.

And there are signs that the Japanese midfielder is beginning to get a real toe-hold. He has put in a few excellent performances of late playing in behind Rooney and Van Persie. Kagawa is undoubtedly a raw talent but he will need games to develop and to prove his ability under the new system under Moyes. Whether he will be able to get that experience, though, is quite another matter.

But it’s not only crucial for Kagawa himself that he does play – it’s also essential for the development of Asian footballers at the highest level. Japan is the world’s third-largest economy with a population of 120 million. If a player from Japan can star at the top level in the world’s most competitive league – then it will work wonders for South East Asian player development and interest in the game in general – and 10 or 20 years from now, we could see the Premier League with scores of top level players. Then again – things could go the other way; so there’s a heck of a lot riding on this!