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Buried in news about a remake of one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s films, Bloodsport last July was word that another of his early martial arts canon, Kickboxer** would be headed into the rework ring. As the film’s backers head to Cannes in the hopes of drumming up international sales, Dave Bautista and Georges St-Pierre have been announced as part of the cast.
Clearly the new Kickboxer team – which includes Tai Chi Hero director Stephen Fung – has been looking to Marvel to find its supporting fight talent, as Bautista is set to play Drax The Destroyer in the studio’s Guardians Of The Galaxy later this year and St-Pierre was one of the villains in Captain America: The Winter Soldie****r back in March.
Both men have unimpeachable wrestling and mixed martial arts backgrounds, so we can certainly see why they’d be recruited to feature alongside the lead, stunt man and fighter Alain Moussi, who will make his acting debut with the movie. Moussi is a veteran of stunt duties on films such as Pacific Rim, Immortals, Pompeii and the upcoming** X-Men: Days Of Future Past**. There’s no word on a shoot schedule or release date for the remake yet.
Guardians Of The Galaxy is set for release here on August 1 and Bautista has also worked on indie thriller LA Slasher. Kickboxer will follow sometime next year, we imagine.