Martial arts star Tony Jaa (Striking Rescue, Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy) is on board for an untitled “Muay Thai Trilogy”. The upcoming China-Thailand co-productions will be financed by Stars Collective and Thailand’s Film Odyssey Co. Ltd.
Directing the “Muay Thai Trilogy” is Yuthlert Sippapak (Friday Killer), who is perhaps best-known for 2010’s Saturday Killer and 2011’s Friday Killer. Jaa is also attached as an executive producer.
Incorporating Thai history and culture, the trilogy of films follows a talented young fighter named Suriya (played by Jaa) who travels back in time to the Ayutthaya period. He must learn to hone his skills and overcome limitations in order to save the king from assassination and then return to his era. As Suriya navigates the past and tries to save the kingdom, he must also contend with the potential consequences of altering the timeline (via Deadline).
Yuthlert Sippapak (Friday Killer) will direct all three of the “Muay Thai Trilogy” movies. Sippapak is the founder of production outfit Film Odyssey and will produce the movies alongside Stars Collective founder Peter Luo and co-CEO Nancy Xu. Luo was the producer of Malignant and Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark, among others. Jaa is also attached as an executive producer (via Deadline).
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. Until then, watch the Trailer for Jaa’s latest, Striking Rescue:
Myth-sploitation.
LOL!
And maybe Hero-sploitation, too.
Interesting. I hope CCP’s censorship isn’t too heavy. I wonder if this will make up for the messes that were Ong Bak 2&3. For one thing, don’t have a cliffhanger ending!
It’s possible it could be good. It sounds interesting. It could be like a Samurai in Time
Catcher in the Rye City on Fire lyrics
“Incorporating Thai history and culture”
The sad fact is we already got a Tony Jaa movie incorporating Thai History, culture and breathtaking martial arts. It was Ong Bak 2. But which is sadly remembered more for Jaa’s meltdown on set causing the movie to end on a cliffhanger. It also meant they needed to do an Ong Bak 3 which was an hour of Jaa’s character’s physical rehabilitation and about 20 mins of explosive fights between Jaa and Dan Chupong. But none of that should detract from the fact that Ong Bak 2, lack of ending aside, remains the crown jewel in Jaa’s oeuvre as far as I’m concerned. The fight scenes are absolutely breathtaking. Cut out the flab in Part 3, join it with Part 2 and there’s your amazing Tony Jaa Thai Historical Epic/ Martial Arts Combo right there.
I feel like those movies are as you imply, good steaks that needed a lot of fat trimmed off of them. Ong Bak 2 certainly had good moments, but they’re lost in a sea of nonsense, and part 3 was just very lacking. Thats why I’m hoping this new trilogy can somehow be an “improvement” on them.
I don’t expect Tony Jaa to fight at the level he did 20 years ago, but what he is capable of now is already impressive, and that should be the showcase.
I agree