Clearly feeling confident about their imminent remake of the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Kickboxer, production companies Headmon Entertainment and Acme Rocket Fuel have announced that the finance for a sequel is already in place. The recently retitled Kickboxer Vengeance will be followed in short order by Kickboxer Retaliation.
John Stockwell (Blue Crush, Into The Blue, Paradise Lost) is the director of the first in the rebooted series, with stuntman Alain Moussi taking over the Van Damme role as Kurt Sloane. As before, the talented fighter heads to Thailand intending to learn the secrets of advanced kickboxing so that he can confront Tong Po, the man who killed his brother. Giving his stamp of approval, Van Damme himself is in the film as Master Chow (Dennis Chan's role in the original), who teaches Sloane what he needs to know.
Dave Bautista is Tong Po this time, with Gina Carano on board as a fight promoter (reuniting with Stockwell following In The Blood). Georges St Pierre and Darren Shahlavi are elsewhere in the cast.
Moussi is confirmed to return for Kickboxer Retaliation, and producer/screenwriter Dimitri Logothetis will also take over the directing reigns this time. He previously worked with Moussi on the actioner Wings Of The Dragon.
Kickboxer Vengeance is currently in post-production for a release sometime next year, while Kickboxer Retaliation is in pre-production for a shoot next year and a release in 2017.