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Havoc director Gareth Evans recently opened up about the fight sequences in his upcoming Netflix movie, which will be led by Oscar nominee Tom Hardy. Evans first gained global recognition for his incredible work in the 2011 Indonesian action thriller The Raid.

During a recent interview with Empire, Evans confirmed that Havoc won’t be like his previous action movies, such as 2009's Merantau and the popular The Raid franchise, where the action sequences heavily featured martial-arts fights. Instead, the movie would feature more gunplay. "It was never going to be a martial-arts film," he said. "I wanted this to feel like the gunplay stuff that I love watching." Evans also hyped up Hardy's performance, teasing that the viewers would get to see the Mad Max: Fury Road actor deliver brutal and intense fight sequences.

"Tom came to us in f***ing beast mode," Evans explained. "I tapped him on the shoulder,...

Picture: Empire Online / Netflix

Havoc is the long-awaited crime drama starring Tom Hardy. Directed and written by Gareth Evans, the movie has been coming for a long time but will finally hit our screens in early 2025. Here’s everything we know about the action thriller as of late 2024, including all the first looks, the first trailer, and the all-important release date.

Gareth Evans is best known for his Indonesian martial arts films, The Raid, The Raid 2, and Merantau, through which he brought the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat into world cinema. The Welsh native is also known for creating and directing Sky Atlantic’s critically acclaimed series Gangs of London, which stars Joe Cole (Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders) and Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones).

Gareth Evans on the set of Gangs of London

Havoc was first announced publicly in early 2021 when it was also revealed that he was...

Iko Uwais is one of the world's best action stars, having starred in various successful action movies like Merantau, The Raid, and The Raid: Redemption in his home country of Indonesia. On the global stage, Uwais is best known for his work in The Expendables and Skyline film franchises. Deadline reveals that Uwais has two action films set to come out in the near future under his new production company, Uwais Pictures. The outlet also revealed a new image from one of the films, Timur. The film marks Uwais' directorial debut in addition to starring in it.

Mark Wahlberg’s panned action thriller from 2018 is currently finding new life on streaming. Mile 22, which sees Wahlberg reunite with Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day director Peter Berg, has now found its way into the top 10 on Starz, with audiences turning to this no-nonsense tale of Marky Mark and his leadership of an elite, top secret CIA unit.

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, Lauren Cohan, and Ronda Rousey, Mile 22 was met with largely negative reviews upon release. The action outing stands at just 23% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences slightly more enamored and scoring the movie 44% on the Popcornmeter. “Mile 22 lets the bullets fly -- and not much else -- in a thrill-deficient action thriller whose title proves sadly fitting for a film that feels close to a marathon endurance test,” the critics’ consensus reads. You can check out the official synopsis below.

Series three of Gangs of London will air on Sky next year, and the trailer for it has landed. Right here, in fact.

After revitalising action cinema with the two astonishing martial arts films in The Raid franchise – his directorial debut, Merantau, is well worth tracking down too – Gareth Evans turned to television, co-creating Gangs of London with Matt Flannery in 2019.

A sprawling crime saga, the show follows the Wallace family as they grapple to keep control of their criminal empire. And we’ve had two series of it so far, with plenty of memorable moments to talk about.

The show became known for its notoriously violent action scenes, which are as visceral and gory as anything seen in a big screen slasher. Unsurprisingly, given Evans’ involvement, the work that went into those scenes was really quite something.

The show is now in its third series. Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù returns as lead character Elliot Carter,...

You may not even be aware that Oscar nominee and Venom star Tom Hardy has already filmed an action thriller for Netflix directed by the filmmaker behind the martial arts masterpiece The Raid. If you were not aware, allow me to say that again: Tom Hardy is leading an action thriller from the director of The Raid. Titled Havoc, Hardy reportedly finished filming more than three years ago, but we still do not know when it will debut on the streaming platform.

Thankfully, we may at least now have some idea. Director Gareth Evans, who has also helmed Merantau, The Raid 2, and Apostle, took to Instagram a few months ago to reveal that Havoc will (hopefully) hit Netflix in the first quarter of 2025. See what Evans had to say about the production of the action movie below.

Only the most glamorous of locations. But working with the best of friends.

Iko Uwais has been practicing the Indonesian martial art of pencak silat since he was 10 years old. Uwais was discovered by Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans in 2007 when Evans was making a documentary about silat. Uwais learned the fighting style from his grandfather, who founded the Tiga Beranti Silat School in 1974.

Indonesian actor Iko Uwais has one of the most extraordinary fighting styles used in modern martial arts movies. Gaining popularity from Gareth Evans' gripping The Raid movies and being seen as a wasted martial artist in The Expendables 4, Uwais has started to become a household name in action films. Over the last decade, Uwais, alongside his often-on-screen fighting partner, Joe Taslim, has delivered some of the most fast-paced, brutal, and satisfying fight scenes throughout the genre. Though he broke out in 2011's The Raid: Redemption, he's just now starting to appear in major Hollywood films.

Without Uwais' unique fighting style,...

The following contains spoilers for Boy Kills World, now playing in theater

Boy Kills World gives Yayan Ruhian a bigger, more complex role than seen in John Wick 3. Ruhian's character, the Shaman, undergoes a surprising twist in the film that also showcases his fighting skills. Although the Shaman dies in Boy Kills World, a potential sequel could recast Ruhian in a different role.

Boy Kills World features a great showcase for Yayan Ruhian, with a far more impressive showcase of his skills than seen in the John Wick franchise. After being cast as Eric in Gareth Evans' Merantau, he became a welcome addition to several movies and franchises, including Star Wars and John Wick. However, Boy Kills World is one of the best uses of the performer yet, with a late-film twist in Boy Kills World's ending setting up an impressive showcase of Ruhian's fighting skills.

As the otherwise unnamed Shaman,...

Sony has just unveiled the details for the 4K ultra HD Blu-ray of The Raid: Redemption. Physical media collectors rejoice as you can now see a higher resolution version of the popular martial arts film that became the world’s introduction of Iko Uwais after his debut in Merantau, which was also directed by The Raid: Redemption‘s Gareth Evans. The 2011 hard-hitting Indonesian action film wowed audiences with its non-stop martial arts sequences and gritty suspense about a Swat team becoming trapped in a building filled with criminals. Check out the specifications below. The Raid: Redemption will be available in 4K and in limited edition steelbook on January 16, 2024.

The synopsis for the film from Sony reads,

“Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the rundown apartment block has been considered untouchable. Cloaked under...

The season of ghosts and goblins is coming to a close, making a transitional period for a number of streaming services. Of course, what we mean by that is that they're dumping all of their horror-themed films and shows in exchange for a wider variety of content. Tubi has never disappointed in this department, frequently offering a slew of varied releases from all across the globe. Naturally, this has made this free-to-use streamer a perfect home for martial arts films. From domestic releases to international gems, it's hard to find a better home for martial arts films in the contemporary streaming world.

November is an especially busy month for Tubi, as it'll be seeing dozens upon dozens of new and returning titles. For your convenience, we've highlighted a handful of notable martial arts titles that'll be hitting Tubi throughout November. All titles will be available to watch from as early as Nov 1 unless stated otherwise.

Mortal Kombat movie franchise has stayed true to the popular video games and brought the flair of Hong Kong action movies to the big screen. The Karate Kid franchise has been a modern culture phenomenon, with its story of the master-student relationship resonating with audiences. The Ip Man franchise, led by Donnie Yen, has become the greatest martial arts movie franchise of all time, blending epic fight scenes with the life story of a martial arts master.

Both East and the West have produced long lists of martial arts movie franchises, some of which being significantly better than their contemporaries. Like any other genre, the storytelling of martial arts films can often be encapsulated very well in just one movie, as seen in Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury, the John Carpenter's '80s classic Big Trouble in Little China, or Iko Uwais' debut movie Merantau. However, the popularity...

Den of Geek is the Senior Media Sponsor of The London Action Festival

If a lack of quality action movie content is a disease, consider the return of The London Action Festival the cure.

If you’re in the London area or are planning to be between June 21-25, you won’t want to dodge this bullet. The London Action Festival is returning for Year 2 locked and loaded with an impressive lineup celebrating the skills, creativity, talent and bravery required to create the world’s most exciting content across Film and TV.

“The London Action Festival is back and bolder this year, once again championing the incredible talent both in front of and behind the camera,” said Festival Co-Directors Julian Alcantara and Ron Fogelman in a release. “With exciting events already confirmed and more to be announced, festival- goers will be able to immerse themselves in all things Action. 2023 is...

Tom Hardy’s long-gestating action thriller Havoc is finally gearing up to be released on Netflix. While it’s been in the works for a while, Havoc is getting closer to becoming a reality. Although an exact release date has yet to be announced, Havoc will be arriving in Netflix’s streaming library sometime in 2023. And Hardy isn’t just starring in Havoc; he’s also attached as a producer, so he has even more investment in this project than usual.

Having played Farrier in Dunkirk, SPC Lance Twombly in Black Hawk Down, and “Mad” Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road, Hardy is no stranger to playing action heroes in gritty thrillers. With The Raid director Gareth Evans at the helm, Havoc is shaping up to be one of Hardy’s most ruthless and riveting action movies to date. Telling the story of a grizzled detective fighting his way...

Tony Jaa uses a wide collection of martial arts in the Ong Bak trilogy. Tony Jaa began his career in action movies as a stuntman, before achieving his big break with 2003's Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, which shot Jaa to international stardom. Ong Bak is widely beloved for Jaa's showcasing of Muay Thai in the movie's enthralling fight scenes, with Jaa and the cast also performing incredible stunt work throughout the film. Meanwhile, the Ong Bak franchise would later go back in time with two prequels, Ong Bak 2: The Beginning and Ong Bak 3.

In the Ong Bak prequels, Jaa expands his repertoire of martial arts significantly, blending a variety of different fighting styles and weapons into an eclectic approach to fighting, enabling his protagonist Tien to adapt to and overcome any opponent. Tony Jaa has frequently cited Bruce Lee as one of his major influences, and Lee's own philosophy...

Undisputed 5 could bring aboard many great martial arts stars for Yuri Boyka's return to the ring. The Undisputed franchise first introduced Yuri Boyka (Scott Adkins) in Isaac Florentine's Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing, with the highly formidable Mma fighter Boyka determined to prove himself worthy of the title of The Most Complete Fighter in the World. Though he was introduced as the antagonist of Undisputed 2, Boyka quickly became the Undisputed franchise's central character, returning as the protagonist of Undisputed 3: Redemption and Boyka: Undisputed.

Though Scott Adkins says there is a script for Undisputed 5, the next chapter of the Undisputed series has not yet gotten off the ground. Naturally, in a martial arts franchise like the Undisputed movies, a cast of great martial artists is a must. While Undisputed 5 bringing back Michael Jai White, Marko Zaror, and other past stars of the series would be a fantastic concept,...

Iko Uwais' debut movie Merantau poised The Raid films for success in several key ways. Released in Indonesia in 2009 and releasing internationally in 2010, Merantau follows a young man named Yuda (Uwais), who ventures from his tiny village to Jakarta and encounters a human trafficking operation. Armed only with his skills as a Silat exponent, Yuda must fight to stop the ring's overlords Ratger (Mad Koudal) and Luc (Laurent Busan) and save the captive Astri (Sisca Jessica) and her brother Adit (Yusuf Aulia).

Written and directed by Welsh-born filmmaker Gareth Evans, Merantau was a big hit, but it was his and Uwais's follow-up movie The Raid: Redemption that truly shot them both to stardom in 2012, with Evans and Uwais re-teaming again in 2014 for The Raid 2. Everything from the Bruce Lee-based series Warrior to Marvel's Daredevil has been influenced by The Raid's impact on action movies and fight choreography. However,...

Indonesian firm Msv Studio is well underway on production of “Ajisaka: The King and the Flower of Life,” the first of three hugely ambitious animated films it will work on this year.

Msv Studio is the animation division of Msk Pictures, which itself is part of the larger, Indonesia-based Amikom Group. Since 2015, Amikom says it has invested 20 million into the research and development of computer animation technology. Having readied its proprietary — and rapid — methods, it now plans to invest 100 million developing, producing and distributing up to 10 animated feature films over the next seven years.

Msk Pictures is led by Ario Sagantoro, producer of “Merantau,” “The Raid: Redemption” and “The Raid: Berendal,” the hit Indonesian action films written and directed by Gareth Huw Evans.

Deploying a 15 million production budget, “Ajisaka” tells an original story, recalling ancient times when the world was inhabited by three races: humans, Raksha (giants), and Vidya. The...

“Havoc,” an action thriller starring Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, has rounded out its cast.

In addition to the previously announced Hardy and Whitaker, the Netflix movie will also feature Timothy Olyphant, “Training Day” and “The Umbrella Academy” actor Justin Cornwell, star of the upcoming Edgar Wright horror film “Last Night in Soho” Jessie Mei Li and Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann. Supporting cast members include Quelin Sepulveda, “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia” actor Luis Guzmán, “Headshot” star Sunny Pang, and UFC mixed martial artist Michelle Waterson.

“Havoc” takes place after a drug deal gone wrong and centers on a bruised detective who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.

Gareth Evans is writing and directing the movie as part of his recently announced deal to produce and direct...

And just like that – here comes spring. Amazon Prime‘s list of new releases for April 2021 isn’t as cheery as one would expect from the sunny season. But perhaps that’s by design – you should be outside anyway!

Amazon’s most prominent original series for April 2021 is undoubtedly Them from multi-hyphenate Lena Waithe. This horror anthology’s first season, subtitled “Covenant”, will center on a Black family in the 1950s who move from North Carolina to a white neighborhood in Los Angeles. It premieres on April 9. Given its name and premise, Them is drawing some (largely joke-y) comparisons to Jordan Peele’s Us on social media. But hey, the world could always use some more Us.

Read more TV Does the Latest Lord of the Rings Amazon Series Cast Exit Signal Trouble? By Joseph Baxter TV New On Amazon Prime Video UK March 2021: Invincible, Coming 2 America and More!

Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Forest Whitaker is set to co-star with Tom Hardy in the Netflix action film “Havoc” from Gareth Evans, the director of the critically acclaimed martial arts film “The Raid.”

Evans has set a film deal with Netflix to produce and direct films for the studio, and “Havoc” — which he will write, direct and produce — is the first under the creative partnership.

Hardy stars in “Havoc” as a bruised detective who, after a drug deal gone wrong, must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son. In doing so, he unravels a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.

Evans will produce through his One More One Productions, as will Tom Hardy and Ed Talfan for Severn Screen and Aram Tertzakian for XYZ Films.

Evans is best known for his Indonesian action, crime and martial arts films,...

Exclusive: Gareth Evans has found his new home for the next several years as the director of The Raid franchise has signed an exclusive deal with Netflix to produce and direct films for the studio. As part of the new partnership, Evans has set the action thriller Havoc as the first film under the deal with Tom Hardy on board to star.

Evans will write and direct the pic as well as produce for One More One Productions, as will Hardy, Ed Talfan for Severn Screen and Aram Tertzakian for XYZ Films. The story is set after a drug deal gone wrong, when a bruised detective must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son, while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city.

Netflix and Evans have been working through the new deal for some time but wanted...

Before the international success of “The Raid” , the team comprised of Gareth Evans, Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian shot another film that highlighted Pencak Silat, “Merantau,” which actually served as the guide for “The Raid.”

Yuda is a young but skilled practitioner of Silat, who lives in West Sumatra. He is about to embark on the “merantau”, a kind of pilgrimage that involves a trip from his village to Jakarta, where he is supposed to open a school and teach Silat. In his way, he meets Eric, a man who has already completed the merantau, and is now living in Jakarta. Eric tells Yuda that he cannot make a living in the city just by teaching, but the young man is too optimistic to believe him. However, his problems start upon his arrival, as the house he was supposed to live is torn down and he is...

Even as his latest comicbook superhero film “Gundala” prepares for release later this month, the trailer for “Impetigore”, director Joko Anwar’s fourth film of 2019, yet again a horror film, as been released.

Synopsis

After surviving a murder attempt in the city, Maya, a down-on-her-luck young woman, learns that she may inherit a house in her ancestral village. With her friend Dini, Maya returns to the village of her birth, unaware that the community has been trying to locate and kill her to remove the curse that has plagued the village for years. As she begins to discover the complicated reality about her past, Maya finds herself in a fight for her life.

The film stars Tara Basro (“Satan’s Slave“), Ariyo Bayu (also in “Gundala”), Marissa Anita (“Folklore: A Mother’s Love“) and Christine Hakim (“Merantau”) and is distributed by South Korea’s Cj Entertainment. It is expected to...

The New York Asian Film Foundation

Announces lineup for

The First New York Asian Film Festival Winter Showcase

Feb 1-3, Feb 8-10, 2019

Co-presented with Sva Theatre

New York, NY –The New York Asian Film Festival launches “Crazy Broke Asians”-themed first Winter Showcase, names Korean actress Han Ji-min as Inaugural Ambassador

For the inaugural edition of the New York Asian Film Festival Winter Showcase we’ve chosen a very timely theme. Everyone’s talking about “Crazy Rich Asians”, but what about the other side of the tracks? The showcase offers an alternate perspective on the continent with films that range from pure entertainment to profound introspection, stories about the 99% and the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, which might be from halfway across the world but are more relevant than ever in our troubled times. A deeply moving epic of despair, raw tales of the streets, crime thrillers, redemptive boxing dramas,...

The New York Asian Film Festival, which takes place every summer, is launching its first winter showcase. The 15-title season runs Feb. 1-10 and claims ‘Crazy Broke Asians’ as its theme.

“The showcase offers an alternate perspective on the continent with films that range from pure entertainment to profound introspection, stories about the 99% and the extraordinary lives of ordinary people, which might be from halfway across the world but are more relevant than ever in our troubled times,” organizers said in a statement.

The season opens with 2018 Korean crime drama “Miss Baek.” It stars actress Han Ji-min, who the festival organizers have also named as the ambassador of the winter showcase.

Most of the remaining screenings are of revived East Asian titles in an array of commercial genres, described as “deeply moving epic of despair, raw tales of the streets, crime thrillers, redemptive boxing dramas, a comic period piece, darkly humorous animation,...

After a failed first feature that practically no one saw, Welsh director Gareth Evans traveled all the way to Jakarta to jump-start his career, helming a stunning trio of whiplash-fast action movies featuring the Indonesian martial art of silat — “Merantau,” “The Raid” and “The Raid 2” — that established him as a cutting-edge choreographer of break-yo’-face beatdowns. Turns out that’s not all he can do, not by a long stretch.

Gopher-bombing whatever pigeonhole Hollywood might’ve stuck him in, Evans has found his way back to the British Isles, switching genres entirely with “Apostle,” a Gothic horror mystery that’s less like an adrenaline shot to the heart than a rusty, hand-cranked drill to the skull. Just in time for Halloween, Evans eschews his signature brand of hyper-kinetic pugilism in favor of suspenseful, long-fuse mind games, offering the growing cult of Netflix subscribers this stylishly deranged black mass, which...

We haven't seen much out of writer-director Gareth Evans' upcoming Netflix film Apostle yet, but what we have seen looks promising. The film, set in the early 20th century, finds a man returning home to discover that his sister has been kidnapped and held ransom by a dangerous religious cult. Now if you know Evans' pedigree from films like Merantau and The Raid movies, you might expect the hero of the piece to bust into the cult's compound and fight everyone there one on one to save the day. But Apostle sounds like it leans more in …...

Joseph Baxter Nov 21, 2017

Gareth Evans, the action visionary behind The Raid, will create TV series Gangs Of London for HBO’s Cinemax and Sky Atlantic...

The cult cinema myth of Gareth Evans’s innovative 2011 Indonesian action flick The Raid is still resonating some six years after its release, evidenced by the Welsh helmer’s backlog, which, amongst other high-profile projects, consists of writing/directing The Raid 3 and writing an American remake of The Raid. However, it appears that Evans will also be heeding the peak television call, having been tapped to create an action series called Gangs Of London.

See related The Bridge: an unforgettable Scandinavian drama

Evans will move forward with creating the multi-part action drama for HBO’s Cinemax and Sky Atlantic, reports Deadline. The series will be a co-production of HBO/Sky with Pulse Films and Sister Pictures, marking the first TV drama produced by the latter.

Exclusive: Footage screened in Cannes buyers showcase.

Los Angeles-based Xyz Films has swooped on Us sales rights to Justin P. Lange’s horror project The Dark after 15 minutes of footage screened at the Cannes Marché last month.

Lange’s feature directorial debut took part in the Frontières Goes To Cannes buyers showcase and tells of a flesh-eating undead girl who haunts a stretch of woods where she was murdered. Years later she befriends a kidnapped blind boy who changes her life.

The Dark (see first-look photo) is based on Lange’s Columbia University thesis short film of the same name and shot in Northern Ontario, Canada, with the support of the Austrian Film Institute, the Orf Film/Television-Agreement and the Nohfc.

Nadia Alexander and Toby Nichols star alongside Austria’s Karl Markovics, the lead in Austria’s 2008 foreign-language Oscar winner The Counterfeiters who also starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Danny Krausz and [link...

Director Gareth Evans earned a lifetime of support from me with his impressive martial arts film Merantau and his astounding work on The Raid movies, so it’s safe to say I’m very much looking forward to seeing what he does with his newest film, Apostle. The fact that he’s cast Dan Stevens (Legion) in the lead role and has […]

The post ‘Apostle’: ‘The Raid’ Director’s Next Film Gets a First Image and an Official Synopsis appeared first on /Film.

Joe Carnahan has come aboard to write and direct and Frank Grillo has been set to star in The Raid, a new take on the martial arts film franchise launched by Gareth Evans in 2012. It got a sequel in 2014. The pic will be produced by Carnahan and Grillo’s nascent production outfit WarParty and Xyz Films, the latter of which co-produced the originals with Pt Merantau Films. Evans will executive produce the new take. The Indonesian martial arts movie, which hit U.S. theaters…...

Following their involvement in Na Hong-jin's The Yellow Sea (2009) and The Wailing (2015), 20th Century Fox's local language film shingle, Fox International Productions, is venturing onto its first Indonesian co-production, 212 Warrior. The film is inspired by author Bastian Tito's longstanding popular novels centered on legendary axe-wielding warrior and martial arts hero, Wiro Sableng. The word is local acclaimed director Angga Dwimas Sasongko has been tapped to direct the film whose local talent has Tito's son, actor Vino G. Bastian starring in the title role along with actress Marsha Timothy and Sherina Munaf, and with none other than Yayan Ruhian of Merantau and Raid fame directing the action sequences. Sheila Timothy is providing the screenplay with Tumpal Tampubolon and Seno Gumira Ajidarma, and is also producing...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

If you're a fan of kick-ass martial arts movies, you already know who those three actors are in the headline. But in case you aren't, and maybe you're just curious about what John Wick co-director (and John Wick: Chapter 2 solo director) Chad Stahelski might be up to next, allow me to introduce you to three of the baddest mofos on the planet. Before we get to the intros, let's get to the good stuff: THR reports that these guys will be joining forces in a movie called Triple Threat. The script, written by Dwayne Smith, "revolves around a Chinese martial artist who goes to Mexico to rescue his ex-wife and their son after they are kidnapped by a drug cartel." Wang Xiaolie is set to co-direct the movie with Stahelski.

Why is this cool news? Because the stars are insanely awesome. Tony Jaa is the star of Thai action...

Iko Uwais may not be a household name in the U.S. just yet, but among fans of a certain type of action movie he’s a superstar. The Indonesian actor and martial artist burst onto the scene with Merantau and had an even bigger breakthrough in The Raid. Headshot, from directors Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel […]

The post ‘Headshot’ Is Another Beautifully Brutal Showcase for ‘The Raid’ Star Iko Uwais [Tiff Review] appeared first on /Film.

Many consider the late Bruce Lee to be the reigning King of action film martial artists. I am among the many. However, today we are living in the era of King Donnie.

In my opinion, since the passing of Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen is the one who currently holds the throne. Yes, I am familiar with other well-deserving Princes of Martial Arts who could very well have reigned in Donnie’s place such as Jet Le and Tony Jaa, but this is my kingdom and Donnie Yen is my king.

While the line of successors following Donnie is quite impressive in its own right, I have discovered a dragon in the sky by the name of Iko Uwais. He has the potential to burn right through the royal line.

Being relatively young and new to the martial arts action film industry hasn’t stopped this Indonesian-born star from front-kicking his way onto the scene.

Over the last few years there have been a small handful of high profile Indonesian films hitting the festival and art house cinema circuits. The most recent resurgence in Indonesian films has come, strangely, via the intervention of a couple of Western filmmakers who've done amazing work with Indonesian performers and topics. Gareth Evans' Merantau, The Raid: Redemption, and The Raid 2 and Joshua Oppenheimer's brutal documentaries The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence have been getting almost unanimously positive reviews since they began showing to festival crowds back in 2011. What hasn't proven to be quite as popular are homegrown productions. Not to knock either Evans or Oppenheimer, both seem very well versed in the culture and have no interest in Westernizing...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

So, yeah. Sylvester Stallone has announced that he'll be gearing up a new Rambo film in 2015 and you could wait for that, I guess, if that's your thing. Or you could watch Half Past Original's American Soldier: Blood Brothers right now. It's pretty much the same thing. Only with none of the budget. And Merantau baddie Mads Koudal in place of Stallone. And an English dub provided but 'actors' provided only their own lines with no context. Myself included. Other than that: Exactly the same. Yup....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Iko Uwais isn’t a household name just yet, but anyone who has seen any of director Gareth Evans’ last three films — Merantau, The Raid, The Raid 2 — likely remembers both his face and his sick moves. If you’re of such an ilk, the kind of moviegoer who relishes in the strange and ambitious fare of the science fiction genre, you are probably also away of the 2010 alien invasion film Skyline from VFX wiz-kids Greg and Colin Strause. Made on a small budget and delivered with great scale, Skyline was an imperfect but remarkably impressive entry in the packed landscape of alien invasion cinema. Now these two things are coming together. Badass fighter + badass alien effects. You’re welcome. More details after the jump, including word of yet another Indonesian ass-kicker’s involvement. Beyond Skyline, which begins filming in early December in Indonesia, will be written and directed by Liam O’Donnell, who...

Die Fighting, the latest from martial arts maestros Z Team, also marks the full-length directorial debut of Wushu specialist and choreographer Fabien Garcia, after making the short films Duel, Fantasy Story, and Brothers Forever. It's a nice bit of undemanding fun.Garcia brings along the rest of the high-kicking squad: brothers Didier and Laurent Buson (whom you may remember got his ass whooped by Iko Uwais in Merantau), and Jess Allen. The story allows them to essentially play themselves, essentially, a struggling team of stuntmen looking for their big break in Los Angeles who get roped into filming a real-time fight flick lorded over by a mysterious Filmmaker giving instructions via cellphone. What follows is a riff on The Running Man mixed with the current found-footage...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Great news for our readers in Hong Kong, and the whole Sar in general. The wait is over - The Raid 2 is finally opening on 19 June and Twitch has five pairs of tickets to give away.It is no secret that here at Twitch we have been huge fans of director Gareth Evans and his Indonesian martial arts films since Merantau back in 2009. His 2011 follow-up The Raid took the director and his stars Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Joe Taslim global, and with the sequel, Evans has blown that world wide open to deliver an epic crime saga that pits Indonesian and Japanese gangs against each other in eye-popping fashion.And now Hong Kong gets its chance to savour the bloodshed and mayhem...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Exclusive: Indonesian action star Yayan Ruhian (The Raid, The Raid 2) has been cast opposite Hayato Ichihara in Takashi Miike’s return to hardcore genre filmmaking.

Billed as the world’s first yakuza vampire movie, Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War Of The Underworld is currently in production for a 2015 theatrical release in Japan. Nikkatsu is launching sales in Cannes.

The Japanese studio already has an Indonesian connection as it recently co-produced Killers, directed by Indonesia’s Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto.

Scripted by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi, Yakuza Apocalypse stars Ichihara as a yakuza underling who discovers his boss is a bloodsucker, only to get bitten himself before going up against a gang of deadly international assassins. Ichihara previously starred in TV series Rookies and Miike’s 2008 God’s Puzzle.

Ruhian, who plays one of the international assassins, specialises in the Silat style of martial arts and also starred in Gareth Evans’ Merantau before The Raid and The Raid 2.

The Protector 2

Written by Eakisit Thairaat

Directed by Prachya Pinkaew

Thailand, 2013

Thai martial-arts star Tony Jaa started the current renaissance in South Asian action cinema alongside director Prachya Pinkaew with the 2003 film Ong-Bak, but eleven years on, the warts in their style are starting to show. None of Jaa’s subsequent films has had a comprehensible plot, and Pinkaew’s later attempts to employ computer-generated effects have not matched the down-and-dirty practical stunts in Ong-Bak. Jaa’s latest, The Protector 2,has those same problems, but it also understands the elemental appeal of a balletic fight scene.

The first Protector film (also known by the title of its uncut international version, Tom Yum Goong) had Jaa playing a rural Thai elephant tender, assaulting everyone in Sydney to find one of his kidnapped charges. The best plot summary that one can provide for The Protector 2 is, “the same elephant gets taken again.

In the past five years, director Gareth Evans has seen has status grow from relative unknown to one of the best action directors alive. His film, Merantau, introduced the Indonesian martial arts form of Pencak Silat to the wider world, and his two follow-ups, The Raid and The Raid 2: Berandal (out in theaters right now), expanded on Silat’s usage and featured some […]

The post Watch This: ‘The Raid’ Director Gareth Evans List His Top 5 Action Scenes appeared first on /Film.

The long-awaited sequel to The Raid, The Raid 2: Berandal (review), is finally here; and to celebrate, we have a new poster for you cats with a lot character! Check it out!

Iko Uwais (The Raid), Julie Estelle (Macabre), Alex Abbad (Merantau), Marsha Timothy (The Forbidden Door), Mathias Muchus, Tio Pakusadewo, and Cecep Arif Rahman star.

Synopsis

He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has...

It's already been called one of the best action movies of all time, and it's finally set to open wide this weekend. I'm of course talking about the long-awaited sequel The Raid 2: Berandal (review), and on tap for you today is another action-packed clip featuring a wet and wild prison fight. Cue the bone breaking in 3, 2, 1...

Iko Uwais (The Raid), Julie Estelle (Macabre), Alex Abbad (Merantau), Marsha Timothy (The Forbidden Door), Mathias Muchus, Tio Pakusadewo, and Cecep Arif Rahman star.

Synopsis

He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building...

While Gareth Huw Evans may have reintroduced the world to Indonesian action with Merantau and The Raid, those films are not an introduction of the action genre to the Se Asian nation but, rather, a reinvigoration of a tradition that spans back to the 1930s. And for those wanting to get deeper into that history upcoming documentary Garuda Power dives deep into the history of action cinema in Indonesia.The Raid 1 & 2's success put worldwide spotlight on a largely unknown Asian Cinema country; few people know that there are currently 80 movies produced per year and that Gareth Evan's instant action classics are the latest of a range of hundreds of totally crazy action titles produced in Indonesia since the early 1930s. The docu-fiction...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Writer/director/John Woo junkie Gareth Evans assembled action genre euphoria with The Raid: Redemption, a film that made an artform out of ass-kicking, while utilizing filmmaking that laid hundreds of shakicam movies to shame. In front of the camera, the hero was Rama, a Swat member played by Iko Uwais, who had to fight his way to the top of an apartment complex filled with adversaries. With that film’s well-deserved success, Evans and his Indonesian star Uwais (who also writes the choreography) now return with The Raid 2: Berandal, which was originally intended to be made before The Raid: Redemption.

Read Nick’s interview with Gareth Evans for ‘The Raid: Redemption’

Uwais has only appeared in four films including The Raid: Berandal. He was discovered by Evans when the filmmaker was making a documentary in Indonesia in 2007. Two years later, the duo c/ollaborated for the first time on Merantau,...

Chicago – In 2011, a new kind of martial arts film hit the screens, and wowed audiences with outrageous fight scenes, stunts and violence. “The Raid: Redemption” put Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans – working from Indonesia – on the map, and he is back with fight choreographer and lead actor Iko Uwais in “The Raid 2.”

Expanding on the concept of the heroic Indonesian cop from the first Raid film, “The Raid 2” places him undercover in the seamy world of organized crime syndicates. Without confining itself to one location, as the first Raid did, “The Raid 2” is even more viscerally exciting and audacious, with bigger and better fights, action sequences and weird characters.

The story of Welsh Englishman Gareth Evans reinventing the Martial Arts genre was mostly by an accident of timing and place. He was hired to make a documentary in the country of Indonesia about their style of martial arts fighting,...

While you're sitting there waiting for The Raid 2: Berandal (review) to open wider, we have a series of kickin' animated gifs for you to check out on this fine Hump Day! Dig it!

Iko Uwais (The Raid), Julie Estelle (Macabre), Alex Abbad (Merantau), Marsha Timothy (The Forbidden Door), Mathias Muchus, Tio Pakusadewo, and Cecep Arif Rahman star.

Synopsis

He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Formidable though they may have been, Rama’s opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small...

Director/Writer Gareth Evans’ The Raid 2 arrives in U.S. theaters today (March 28th) and Sony Pictures Classics’ will release the film in St. Louis on Friday, April 11.

After having an early look at Evans’ film, my fellow Movie Geeks are raving about it.

Tom Stockman, calls the R-rated movie, “a hyper-violent, adrenaline-fueled epic!” Jim Batts says, “Raid 2 is a non-stop thrill ride that will have your heart pumping almost from the first fade-in to the final fade-out! It’s an action film lover’s fever dream!” Look for Wamg’s review in the coming weeks.

Here’s what goes down in The Raid 2 -

He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen – a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls – rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life.