Kickboxer is one of those eighties movies that defined the decade’s no-nonsense attitude. Back when every movie was an action flick, and testosterone ruled the box office, movies like that were Hollywood’s bread and butter. Some filmmakers, like Michael Bay and Dimitri Logothetis, fight hard to keep that ’80s spirit alive, and there’s no better proof of that than 2016’s Kickboxer: Vengeance. Logothetis resurrected the Kickboxer franchise after nearly two decades with his new trilogy, featuring a new face for Kurt Sloane in Alain Moussi. Still, something was missing from the Kickboxer revival: the one and only JCVD. Without him, the franchise would be missing its heart and soul, so there was no way a new Kickboxer reboot would enter production without Jean-Claude Van Damme‘s seal of approval, right?
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Reluctance to Return
As fans learned in our interview with Dimitri Logotehtis, Van Damme was against the idea of making a new Kickboxer film. It took some convincing, but the actor finally came around after speaking with Kickboxer: Vengeance‘s writer and producer, Dimitri Logothetis.
According to Logothetis, producing Kickboxer: Vengeance was difficult because “JC didn’t want to do it.” The filmmaker, who mentions Van Damme and Bruce Lee as his greatest inspirations, knew that Van Damme was integral to the Kickboxer formula.
Finally, after some negotiation, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Logothetis discussed what a Kickboxer reboot would need. According to Logothethis, Van Damme “Outlined a number […] of the things that he thought he should be doing and how he could add to the project, as opposed to just being in it.“
Master Durand: Van Damme’s New Role
It was clear that Van Damme wanted his part in Kickboxer to be more than just nostalgia bait. Instead, Van Damme aimed for a role that would add a dramatic angle to the story while still delivering some of the action scenes fans expected from him. That’s how the role of Master Durand came to be.
Now, with two movies in the new Kickboxer chronology, and a third one on the way, Van Damme has returned to the series that essentially launched his acting career. It took decades for Van Damme’s return to Kickboxer (he only starred in the series’ first entry), but Logothetis somehow convinced him to return. And not just that – he turned the veteran action megastar into an integral character in Kickboxer‘s new lore.
Kickboxer Trilogy: A Success Story
Fortunately for fans, Logothetis, and Van Damme, the new Kickboxer trilogy has been a success. While other franchises struggle with their revivals, Kickboxer nailed the tone of the ’80s original. The second movie in the new trilogy, Kickboxer: Retaliation, holds an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is exceptionally uncommon for modern martial arts flicks.
With such a positive response among fans, it’s clear Van Damme made the right choice by returning to Kickboxer. As Logothetis describes him, “He’s got a great instinct for the genre.” If the trend continues with the upcoming Kickboxer: Armageddon, the series can easily be one of the finest martial arts trilogies ever made – and reassure Van Damme’s rightful place as a legend in martial arts cinema.
RELATED: “I Said No” – Scott Adkins Discusses Turning Down Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Offer for a Reboot
Kickboxer: Retaliation |
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Right after winning a fight in Las Vegas, Kurt Sloane is sedated and taken to a prison in Bangkok, where he's forced to fight a 6'10" giant for freedom and $1M - but this will require some intense training. |
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| Studio: Our House Films, Acme Rocket Fuel, Well Go USA Entertainment |
| Running Time: 110 minutes |
| Release Date: January 26, 2018 |
| Cast: Alain Moussi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Christopher Lambert, Ronaldinho, Mike Tyson, Rico Verhoeven |
| Director: Dimitri Logothetis |
| Writers: Dimitri Logothetis, James McGrath |
| Genre: Action, Drama |
| Box Office: N/A |
