Like many of his brethren of the Hong Kong cinema scene of the 1980s and 90s, director John Woo has not had much luck in trying to replicate his success within the Hollywood studio system. It probably boils down to how Tinseltown works. With numerous people wanting to give their “creative” input, a film’s original vision often becomes diluted to the point where it has become completely lost. This probably explains why many actors who came to Hollywood from Hong Kong, like Jackie Chan and Jet Lee, are instead choosing to split their time between the two filmmaking centers- Do a Hollywood film for the paycheck and then a couple of films in Hong Kong for the greater artistic freedom. Woo, however, seems to have forsaken Hollywood completely following the release of the 2003 dud The Paycheck.

Back in Hong Kong, Woo recently has been wowing audiences with the epic, two-part Red Cliff. And while that film is just starting its limited release here in the States, Woo is already hard at work on his next picture, Jianyu Jianghu, which poetically translates as Rain of Swords In The Pugilistic World. Joining Woo as co-director is Su Chao-Bin whose best known films, Silk and Better Than Sex, are only familiar to the art house crowd here in the States.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘s Michelle Yeoh stars in the film as a retired assassin roused from retirement when she discovers that the group of assassins she used to belong to is coming to kill her and steal something from her possession. She also discovers that her husband is the son of a former victim who may want to talk to her about her former occupation. Our first look at the film is below. Click on each picture for a larger version.

Via Monkey Peaches.

The sad thing is that many of you won’t get to see Chocolate when it gets released next Friday. Sure, you’ll get to catch up with the film once it hits DVD a few days later, but this is the type of bone-crunching martial arts film that should be enjoyed with an audience. And since this film is directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who discovered the great Tony Jaa, you know that the action is going to be intense.

Jeeja Yanin stars as an austic young woman who ihas managed to develop incredible martial arts skills through watching the students at the Muay Thai martial arts school next door and by watching old martial arts films on television. When her mother develops cancer, she and her friend Moom set out to get money for her treatments.

We’ll have a review of the film next week for you in our run up coverage to this year’s New York Comic Con, but in the meantime, enjoy this new trailer.

Just a few short months ago, it looked as if we might never see Thai action star Tony Jaa’s directorial debut Ong Bak 2 due to numerous behind-the-scenes dramas including Jaa’s own disappearance and reappearance. Thankfully, things seem to have settled down and the film looks like it is well on its way to its December 4 Thailand premier date.

To whet your appetite for the film, here’s the current trailer. All I can say about it is that it definitely seems to encompass what I’ve come to expect from a Jaa film- raw power, speed and precision and a touch of spirituality.

The Weinstein Company currently holds the North American distribution rights for Ong Bak 2, but there is no indication yet if the company will give the film a theatrical release or just dump it directly on to DVD.

Almost no sooner than the news began to spread about the difficulties on the Thai action film Ong Bak 2 and the disappearance of its director and star Tony Jaa, than the martial arts master resurfaced on Thai television to reassure everyone he was fine and still committed to finishing the movie.

During an appearance on Monday’s edition of the show Nine Entertain, Jaa stated that he was shocked when he heard reports that he had abandoned the production of the sequel to the film that launched his career. He claimed that the confusion over his absence was all a misunderstanding.

Via Kaiju Shakedown.

Tony Jaa, the Thai martial arts master and actor who stunned audiences with his 2003 debut film Ong Bak, has been missing since June, placing the future of his nearly completed directorial debut, Ong Bak 2, in jeopardy.

The producers of the film, Sahamongkol Films, state that they have not had any contact with Jaa in almost three months and that the film, which he has already spent three years working on, is about 70% to 80% complete. Panna Rittikrai, Jaa’s longtime martial arts instructor and mentor who has also served as the action choreographer for the film, has been unable to locate him either.

However, conflicting reports have Jaa requesting time off to recover from the stress of the production, which has been plagued with difficulties. There are also conflicting news stories concerning the films finances. Some sources state that Jaa has been spending his own money to ensure the film’s completion, to the point where he is nearly broke. Other sources state that Sahamongkol Films has been shoveling nearly three times the film’s original budget into the production.

In the meantime, Sahamongkol Films has brought in Prachya Pinkaew, Jaa’s director on the original Ong Bak and for Tom-Yum-Goong (The Protector), to complete the film in time for its scheduled December 5 release. Ironically, Jaa and Pinkaew had a falling out in the early stages of pre-production of Ong Bak 2 over how much creative control Jaa would have. Pinkaew left the film to shoot the martial arts action flick Chocolate.

A promotion reel for the film screened at Cannes earlier this year. Although the Weinstein Company picked up North American distribution rights in March, 2006, they returned them in May 2007. Currently the film has no United States distribution.

Via Variety Asia and Kaiju Shakedown.

No matter what Japanese director Takashi Miike turns his attentions to, it invariably is at least interesting. Famed for such genre films as Audition and Ichi The Killer, Miike has tried his hand at more striaghtforward horror films (the original One Missed Call), musicals (Happiness Of The Katakuris) and even a children’s fanatsy film (The Great Yoki War). Now he has turned his eye towards westerns and the result looks to be as eclectic as any of his other films.

Sukiyaki Western Django looks to combine spaghetti westerns with period Japanese sword play and will feature none other than Quentin Tarantino in its cast. The studio synopsizes the story as follows-

Two clans, Genji, the white clan led by Yoshitsune, and Heike, the red clan led by Kiyomori, battle for a legendary treasure hidden in a poor mountain town. One day a lone gunman, burdened with deep emotional scars but blessed with incredible shooting skills, drifts into town. Expectations reach a boiling point as everyone wonders which gang the gunman will finally decide to join. Dirty tricks, betrayal, desire, and love collide as the situation erupts into a final, explosive showdown.

Some new photos from the film have also been sent out and we offer them for your enjoyment. (Click to enlarge.)

Sukiyaki Western Django opens next month.

2007′s computer animated TMNT film was a moderate success for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Could this success mean a return to the world of live action is next?

According to Playmates toys, the answer is yes. They have announced on their website that the Turtles will be returning not only to the silver screen but also to live action in 2010.

And they should know. Playmates holds the exclusive rights to manufacture toys based on the Turtles. This also counts movies as well. And, when it comes to marketing, the toy companies usually are among the first to know when a film for their license is being made.

Via Comics2Film

/Film has picked up a little titbit from an interview Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA did with Billboard magazine where he announced that he will make his directorial debut.

The film, called The Man with the Iron Fist, is a kung-fu actioner being developed by the rap star and Hostel helmer Eli Roth. Quentin Tarantino has given his “blessing” to the project.

RZA has worked in movies both in front and behing the scenes. He has acted in small roles in Coffee and Cigarettes, Derailed, and American Gangster. He has also scored movies such as Blade II and Kill Bill I.

If I were Rza, I wouldn’t get to attached to that title. Marvel Comics owns the right to Iron Fist and has been developing a film adaptation of the character for years. Unless RZA’s project involves Danny Rand and stars Ray Park, there may be legal wrangling in RZA’s future if he keeps that title.

 Speaking of the Ray Park Iron Fist movie, that film has recently appeared on i09′s list of the five superhero movies columnist Graeme McMillan is glad were never made. It joins:

The Mark: A property Rob Liefeld was developing for Will Smith. The concept bore a striking resemblance to the Marvel comic book Star Brand.

Warcop: A movie Todd McFarlane and Grant Morrison were developing for Madonna

Green Lantern: This is the comedy version with Jack Black proposed a few years back.

Spider-Man: This would be the James Cameron version. Cameron was in line to direct Spider-Man in the 1990′s, but issue about the rights kept him from bringing it to the screen.

Martial arts movie fans who have caught Ong Bak or The Protector (or Tom Yum Goong as The Protector is known anywhere the Weinstein Company doesn’t change a movie’s title before distributing it) knows that Tony Jaa is perhaps more than human.

As a master of muay thai or Thai Boxing, Jaa has amazed audiences the world over with the speed, grace and sometimes fierce brutality of his martial arts prowess.

If you are not familiar with Jaa, check out the promotional reel below for his upcoming film Ong Bak 2*. In addition to starring and choreographing all the fight sequences, Jaa is making his directorial debut with this film. Even more impressive is seeing Jaa branching out as a martial artist in this film, utilizing various weapons and other styles of fighting.

This clip was screened at Cannes in an attempt to get distribution for the film. To date, unfortunately, no US distributor has picked up the film.

*Although it is being called a sequel, Ong Bak 2 appears to be a period piece as opposed to the original film’s modern setting, making it a prequel.

Additional Reading- Tony Jaa Talks The Protector

Via Twitch.