RLJ Entertainment Acquires ‘Kickboxer: Vengeance’ Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme

Dave Batista

RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) has acquired all U.S. rights to the highly anticipated Kickboxer: Vengeance.  Co-Written by Dimitri Logothetis (Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers) and Jim McGrath and directed by John Stockwell (In the BloodBlue Crush), the film features the return of Jean-Claude Van Damme to the franchise (Bloodsport, Kickboxer) and a bevy of professional athletes including newcomer Alain Moussi (X-Men: Days of Future Past) Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Gina Carano (In the Blood), Georges St-Pierre (Captain America), and Cain Velasquez (Term Life).  The film was produced by Logothetis along with Nicholas Celozzi (The Lost Angel), Ted Field (The Last Samurai, Jumanji), Allen Knudson, Samuel Cory Timpson and Rob Hickman (who also orchestrated the majority of the financing on the film).

RLJE plans to release Kickboxer: Vengeance in theaters and On Demand later this year.  Mark Ward, RLJ Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer, made the announcement today.

“Fans of Jean Claude Van Damme have been waiting for a long time for this reboot of the Kickboxer franchise,” said Ward.  “The film delivers more action and an amazing ensemble of fighters from Dave Bautista to George St-Pierre to Cain Velasquez and Gina Carano.   Fans will not be disappointed.”

“There is a spectacular beauty in martial arts films that audiences have been deprived of for a significant period of time.  Making Kickboxer: Vengeance has been a priority and passion of mine for several years and I’m thrilled to be able to partner with RLJ Entertainment to bring this genre back to theatres,” said producer and writer Logothetis.

An update to the 1989 classic film KICKBOXER, Kickboxer: Vengeance follows the story of Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi), who travels to Thailand to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of Tong Po (Dave Bautista).  Kurt trains with the legendary Master Durand (Jean-Claude Van Damme) until he is ready to take on Tong Po in a brutal fight to the death.

Jess De Leo, Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs for RLJ Entertainment along with Ward negotiated the deal with Logothetis, Field, Brian O-Shea, and Mike Weber on behalf of the film.

Review: ‘Deadpool’

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Actor Ryan Reynolds has been passionate about bringing Marvel icon Deadpool to the big screen ever since his failed portrayal as Wade Wilson in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine and, after much demand, Reynolds got his wish. The actor, along with director Tim Miller, have created one of the most faithful adaptations of a comic book hero ever to grace the silver screen. Get your chimichanga’s ready cause the “Merc with the Mouth” is about to blow your mind.

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Ryan Reynolds plays Wade Wilson, a mercenary who spends most of his time extorting bad people and hanging out with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), a call girl and the love of his life. After finding out he’s been diagnosed with cancer, Wade consents to a top secret program run by Ajax (Ed Skein), a deranged scientist who uses torture to unearth the dormant mutant gene in his human subjects, a gene in which he hopes to cure Wade’s cancer and turn him into a super soldier. The experiment ultimately leave Wilson with accelerated healing powers, but also leaves him badly scarred in the process. In an attempt to right the wrong that has been done to him, Wilson becomes the anti-hero known as Deadpool and unleashes his brand of justice on all of those associated with the program. When Ajax makes things even more personal and goes after Vanessa, Deadpool enlists the help of his best friend Weasel (T.J. Miller) and X-Men Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) to rescue Vanessa and hurt a lot of people…really, really bad.

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Deadpool is a labor of love and you can tell that everyone involved truly gave everything they have to make this a near perfect action comedy. Director Tim Miller sits back and manages the filming and trusts his actors to bring out the absolute best in their characters. Ryan Reynolds is absolutely superb as the titular character. Reynolds quick delivery and dry sense of humor make him perfect for the role and he delivers a portrayal of Deadpool that fans will embrace with roaring applause. The supporting cast of T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skein, Brianna Hildebrand and others are each rather enjoyable, but let’s be honest here, this is Reynolds’ movie and the film lives and dies with his performance.

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Overall, Deadpool is not a film for everyone, especially not for children! The language and violence and graphic nudity will make it a hard sell for some as well, but the film is an absolute blast and one that will entertain those who are not easily offended. I can honestly say, as a Deadpool comic fan, that this is the film fans have been waiting for and they won’t be disappointed.

Stars:

4 1/2 out of 5

After credit scene?

Yes! 2 of them, so stay thru the credits til the lights come up!

Trailer:

Deadpool Wishes You a Merry Christmas with a Brand New Trailer! *NSFW*

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20th Century Fox has released the brand new trailer for the upcoming Deadpool movie and we have it for you below!

Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

The movie also stars Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano and Brianna Hildebrand and is directed by Tim Miller

Deadpool opens in theaters February 12, 2016

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New ‘Deadpool’ Photos Released!

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20th Century Fox has released three new Deadpool photos in this months Empire magazine and we have them for you below!

Based upon Marvel Comics most unconventional anti-hero, Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

Along with Ryan Reynolds, the film also stars T.J. Miller as Weasel, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Morena Baccarin as Copycat and Ed Skrein as Ajax. Tim Miller is directing the movie from a script by Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

Deadpool hits theaters on February 12, 2016.

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