News

Exclusive: Banijay Entertainment’s adventure reality format Shaolin Heroes has kung fu-kicked its way on to networks in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Banijay Benelux has struck a deal with broadcaster Vtm for a version of the Danish show in Belgium, and Rtl Nederlands has handed SimpelZodiak, another Banijay production house, a greenlight in the Netherlands.

The deals mark the first international adaptations for the format, which was originally created by Banijay’s Danish label Metronome for local broadcaster TV2 last year.

We also hear Banijay-owned Truly Original is developing a U.S. version of the show, and will be taking it out to market this year.

The format sees celebrities embark on a transformational journey to master the ancient martial art of the Shaolin warrior monks. Under the guidance of two Shaolin masters, they face intense trials that test their mental and physical boundaries.

In Denmark, where Season 1 surpassed its...

With most martial arts movies, it's hard to avoid a predictable ending, but Five Shaolin Masters pulls that off perfectly. Most films in the genre, whether it's an old school kung fu movie or something a bit more modern, follow the same basic formula, even if they're stories differ widely. Typically, they culminate in the hero triumphing over the villain in a hotly contested showdown in the closing minutes of the film.

Many of the greatest martial arts movies end in this manner, including Enter the Dragon, Way of the Dragon, Drunken Master, and The Karate Kid. These fights can be intense, well-choreographed, and entertaining even after multiple viewings. But, that's not to say that they keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, wondering who's going to win. In most scenarios, there's no secret who will emerge the victor, even if the hero takes a beating early on.

Arrow, the premier streaming platform for cult cinema and international classics, is ushering in the New Year with an exciting slate of handpicked films and curated seasons. This January, viewers can immerse themselves in a rich collection of horror, thrillers, martial arts, and unique cinematic oddities, promising a month packed with discovery, entertainment, and adrenaline.

Arrow January 2025

Sam Raimi’s The Gift arrives on Arrow this month, offering a gripping blend of supernatural suspense and character-driven drama. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, and Hilary Swank, the film marks a fascinating entry in Raimi’s filmography, seamlessly melding his trademark eerie sensibilities with powerful storytelling. Don’t miss this underappreciated thriller, a late Christmas gift for fans of Raimi’s atmospheric storytelling.

Arrow also welcomes the visually stunning Rampo Noir, an anthology of four tales inspired by Japan’s celebrated master of the macabre,...

Although there seem to be fewer Kung Fu movies released lately, many of the Kung Fu movies released in recent years have been of excellent quality. These movies feature meticulously choreographed fight scenes and are filled with action and stunts. Some of these modern films are so good that a few years later, they might even be considered Kung Fu classics, like many Kung Fu films from the '90s.

Originally associated with Hong Kong, many more traditional Kung Fu movies were created in China. These Kung Fu films created incredible action stars, with countless Kung Fu classics that even include animated films. Still, while the Kung Fu films recognized as classics are generally older, many of the Kung Fu films released nowadays will be contenders for such a title down the line.

Raging Fire (2021) Benny Chan's Final Film Was A Hit

Directed by the iconic late Benny Chan in his final film,...

RZA will journey from Staten Island to symphony halls with the Wu-Tang Clan mastermind’s upcoming orchestral album, A Ballet Through Mud.

The producer rediscovered the project during the pandemic when he revisited lyrical songbooks he penned as a teenager in “Shaolin.” RZA then transformed those early works into a ballet that tells a coming-of-age story about love and growth.

“I have been composing my whole life, although I didn’t know initially that was what I was doing. The inspiration for A Ballet Through Mud comes from my earliest creative output as a teenager,...

'Shaolin Mantis' follows a young scholar who learns Kung Fu from a praying mantis, offering a unique and deep storyline. The movie's use of Praying Mantis style is based on real martial arts techniques designed to redirect and counter opponents' attacks. The film, produced by the Shaw Brothers, stands out for its unusual premise and realistic inspiration, making it an underrated martial arts movie.

The protagonists of Kung Fu movies often come from humble origins, but very few films had such an orthodox beginning as one movie from 1978 whose main character learned to fight by watching a bug. While it wasn't one of the best Kung Fu movies of the 1970s, this film certainly stood out due to its unusual premise. It's also not a comedy, despite the seemingly ridiculous nature of the film; instead, it's actually quite a good movie, and it could even be considered one of the most underrated martial arts movies.

Bruce Lee forever changed Kung Fu movies, leaving behind a legacy that influenced martial arts worldwide. Jackie Chan's comedic timing and dangerous stunts solidified his role as the greatest Kung Fu star ever. Lesser-known stars like Fung Hak-on and Yuen Biao made significant contributions to the genre as well.

There have been so many incredible Kung Fu movie stars who left their mark on the martial arts genre, but over the years, a select few stood out as the greatest of all time. Following the massive interest in Kung Fu that developed during the 1970s in the wake of Bruce Lees incredible success, there were plenty of other stars who made a name for themselves both in Hong Kong and Hollywood productions. With astounding acrobats, fantastic fights, and stunning stunt work, these stars truly stood as the best the world has ever seen.

With roles in action comedies, sword-fighting showdowns,...

Invincible Shaolin features one of the best training sequences in kung fu movie history, thanks to Lo Mang's real-life martial arts background. Lo Mang's character learns Southern Praying Mantis, an art he practices in real life, adding authenticity to his training scenes. While some aspects may have been exaggerated for the film, Lo Mang's training routine in Invincible Shaolin is mostly true to life.

1978s kung fu movie classic Invincible Shaolin has one of the best training sequences in the entire martial arts genre and its so great because it was (partly) real. Alternatively known as The Unbeatable Dragon, Shaolin Bloodshed, and North Shaolin vs. South Shaolin, Invincible Shaolin revolves around Shaolins long-standing rivalries with the Qing Dynasty. The movie was directed by Chang Cheh and stars the Venom Mob (a Brat Pack-esque name for a company of actors who frequently worked with the Shaw Brothers).

Training montages...

Even after years since the last season aired, Avatar: The Last Airbender is considered one of the best-animated series to date. Created by Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko, the series premiered on Nickelodeon in February 2005 and was aired for three seasons until July 2008.

A still from Avatar: The Last Airbender episode The King of Omashu

While numerous fascinating elements are used in the show, one of the most prominent is the different martial arts styles the creators chose to use. The creators once revealed how a former celebrity bodyguard helped determine all four martial arts that they incorporated into the show.

The Former Celebrity Bodyguard Who Inspired the 4 Martial Artists

A still from Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender

Primarily influenced by Chinese culture, the series follows the story of a 12-year-old boy named Aang the Avatar, responsible for maintaining harmony in the world, can manipulate and control all...

In recent times, anime and manga have started to bring about cultural shifts in the realm of wider pop culture and even entertainment in general. And leading this revolution is none other than Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece.

A still from One Piece

This revolution has only been strengthened with the release of Netflix’s One Piece live-action, which through defying the curse of former anime adaptions failing hard in execution, made a splash with both new and old fans of the manga and the animation.

Although this seems to have been a beacon of hope for live-action adaptations of the future, if Oda had never seen the 2001 action/sports film Shaolin Soccer, he may have never been convinced that his creation could be developed in the real world for the silver screen.

One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Reveals How Shaolin Soccer Encouraged Him To Make Netflix’s One Piece...

Bruce Lee's impact in bringing Kung Fu to the West and influencing subsequent movies cannot be overstated. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow set the stage for Jackie Chan's signature comedy Kung Fu style. King Boxer and Crippled Avengers were international successes that showcased the best of Kung Fu cinema.

The 1970s was an incredible time for Kung Fu movies, as it was the heyday of the world’s biggest martial arts stars and there were so many great films to check out. From incredible historical epics to slapstick comedy movies, Kung Fu cinema during the 1970s was vast and varied as some truly unique films were being made, and the genre was being discovered by an international audience. With fast-paced fight sequences, expertly choreographed battles, and intense martial arts showdowns, Kung Fu movies were truly at their peak during this decade.

The success of Kung Fu movies during...

Martial arts movies draw inspiration from real historical events, adding a layer of believability to their extraordinary stories. Films like "Executioners from Shaolin" and "Shaolin Temple" were based on real-life figures and events in Chinese and Asian history. Movies like "Bloodsport" and "Ip Man" were based on the lives of real martial artists, influencing the development of mixed martial arts and popular video games like Mortal Kombat.

Martial arts movies often deliver action sequences that feel entirely outside the realms of reality, however, lots of these films are rooted in real history and based on true stories. Many martial arts classics were based on the life stories of significant fighters or depicted real historical events throughout Chinese and Asian history. The real-life basis of these stories helped ground the often mystical or fantastical elements of martial arts movies into the real world and brought an extra layer of believability to these extraordinary stories.

Martial arts movies use different fighting styles to distinguish the personalities of heroes and villains. Common martial arts types in movies include tai chi, karate, boxing, kung fu taekwondo, silat, and wing chun. Each martial art requires discipline and commitment to master, showcasing the training and character development of the characters.

Martial arts movies often employ popular fighting styles from around the world to help differentiate the personalities of the protagonist and the antagonist. The heroes in most martial arts movies typically use graceful yet precise strikes to defeat their foes, as these styles tend to be more consistent with their personalities. Meanwhile, the villains often use powerful and aggressive techniques as they best represents their psyche. From all around the world, the martial arts genre has bred some of the most interesting and unique fight scenes and choreography, with many of them borrowing techniques from real-life fighting styles and martial arts disciplines.

The 2023 MIPCOM Cannes international television market kicks off Monday against the backdrop of the violence in the Middle East with the Israel-Hamas War, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and a worldwide TV industry that has seen its business models, built on the promise of global streaming revenues, collapse with little to replace them.

The importance of the latter issue pales against the gravity of the two wars on the edge of Europe, but it will likely be the one most on the minds of industry execs on the Croisette, who have come to Cannes to try and figure out how to weather the downturn everyone knows is coming (or is already here).

“It’s been bad, and everyone I speak to expects it to get a lot worse,” says Ida Martins, CEO of European indie sales group Media Luna. “Coming out of Covid at [MIPCOM] last year there was hope, but...

To celebrate the release of action legend Jackie Chan’s latest film, Ride On, coming to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on 24 July 2023, we have an amazing prize bundle to giveaway for one lucky winner!

Courtesy of CineAsia, this top prize includes a signed copy of his best-selling autobiography, ‘Never Grow Up’, plus a fantastic set of Jackie movies including his latest, Ride On (with Blu-ray exclusive extras), Vanguard (Blu-ray), Shaolin (Blu-ray), the Jackie Chan-produced House of Fury (Blu-ray), and The Shinjuku Incident (Ultimate Edition DVD). A must-have for any Jc fan!

In Ride On, the Rush Hour star is back in an action-packed and heart-warming tribute to the world of stunts which made him a superstar. He plays a washed-up stuntman whose glory days are long behind him. When his trusty stunt horse, Red Hare, becomes the target of debt collectors, the pair fight off the attackers, with their impressive...

Bruce Lee would utilize techniques from a wide array of different martial arts throughout his film career. Lee's legendary status as a martial arts movie icon has its foundation in his childhood, having studied Wing Chun under the tutelage of the famed Ip Man. As an adult, Lee would bring his skills as a martial artist to movies and television, achieving his first big success as Kato on The Green Hornet, before appearing in several kung fu movie hits in his native Hong Kong. Though Lee sadly passed away just before the 1973 release of Enter the Dragon, the film would become a towering martial arts classic.

Lee's success in martial arts films lies in his deep knowledge of different martial arts forms. Lee would come to the conclusion that no one martial art has a monopoly on combat effectiveness, leading him to research many different martial arts and distill them...

The Expendables collects a big ensemble of action heroes, but there are many that the series has overlooked. The Expendables franchise follows a team of mercenaries led by Sylvester Stallone's Barney Ross, with the team being deployed on high-stakes and often explosive missions across the globe. Stallone's crew for The Expendables movies has long included Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, with other big action stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins, and Mel Gibson joining the series along the way.

The cast of The Expendables 4 adds new blood to the franchise's roster with Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais, though Li, Willis, Schwarzenegger, and Terry Crews do not appear in the fourth installment of the series. However, despite bringing together so many action stars with each entry, there are also quite a few who would add more explosive energy to The Expendables franchise...

Exclusive: Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil are getting into business with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The producing partners have signed a multi-year first-look development and production deal for film and TV via their Mortal Media production banner.

Under the first-look pact, Mortal Media will develop and produce a range of projects across film and television, in both the scripted and non-scripted space. Feature films and scripted television projects will focus on the intersection of genre and comedy, while the non-scripted slate will be dedicated to sports-related projects. Former NFL center Kalil and NBA All-Star Griffin bring a unique perspective to the world of sports, having both had successful careers as professional athletes.

The deal comes on the heels of the company’s recently released Apple TV+ sci-fi dramedy series Hello Tomorrow!, starring Emmy winner Billy Crudup.

“We always look for opportunities to work with new talent with fresh ideas and couldn...

In the 1970s, the martial-arts-genre lived through one of its most interesting periods, with many directors and therefore features competing for an audience who was eager for stories of fighting Shaolin monks or rebellious students facing a seemingly unbeatable power structure. Among the many names associated with the genre, Huang Feng was one of many directors who delivered what the audience (and therefore the producers) wanted, with his 1977 feature “The Shaolin Plot” arguably being his most notable effort. It is an impressive movie including some great set pieces and fight sequences, while also featuring actors such as Chen Hsieng, James Tien and Sammo Hung, names which have defined the martial-arts-genre during this period.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

During his reign, Prince Daglen (Chen Hsing) has not only developed formidable skills as a fighter, but also a plan to collect every martial-arts-manual of the schools in the country,...

Sales

International media group Fremantle has picked up sales rights outside Asia to Korean format “DNA Singer.” The music gameshow was created by specialty firm FormatEast and Kyung Hwangbo for Sbs and has not yet gone to air. Family members who are genetically linked with celebrities such as singers and actors perform, while the judges must guess which celebrities they are genetically related to. “Fantastic Family – DNA Singer” launches in Korea next week as Lunar New Year specials on Sbs. “It is by no means easy to sell a paper format, before the initial proposal has aired. But recently the preference for Korean content has amplified interest in our shows. We are seeing a trend for major players in the global entertainment industry to acquire our formats in advance to stay ahead of the game,” said Kim Il-Joong, executive director of FormatEast. Fremantle has produced local versions of Korean global...

‘Nautilus’ Producer Moonriver TV Expands Exec Team

Moonriver TV, the producer behind Disney+’s upcoming Jules Verne adaptation Nautilus, has signed Around The World In 80 Days indie Slim Film + Television’s Head of Production Lincia Daniel, while promoting Casey Herbert. Daniel, who has also worked on Cbbc series Mystic, joins as Exec Producer, with Herbert promoted to Senior Executive Producer overseeing the creative team in London and working alongside CEO Xavier Marchand on a slate of premium British and International drama projects. Marchand is currently in Australia working on Moonriver’s Disney+ adaptation of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, titled Nautilus. Moonriver recently wrapped on Lesley Manville/Isabelle Huppert pic Mrs Harris Goes To Paris and is also developing Henry Fry’s First Time For Everything, William Boyd’s Notre Dame and Amor Towles’ Gentleman in Moscow. “This is a tremendous start to 2022 and absolutely the...

“Hey listen! Some great news! Chi-Hao’s beat up Chen Lang down at Chen Sun House.”

Shawscope Volume One , a 10-Disc Mega-Box Set with Twelve Movies featuring Hong Kong’s biggest stars will be available December 28th from Arrow Video

After an undisputed reign at the peak of Hong Kong’s film industry in the 1960s, Shaw Brothers (the studio founded by real-life brothers Run Run and Runme Shaw) found their dominance challenged by up-and-coming rivals in the early 1970s. They swiftly responded by producing hundreds of the most iconic action films ever made, revolutionizing the genre through the hard work of top-shelf talent on both sides of the camera as well as unbeatable widescreen production value, much of it shot at ‘Movietown’, their huge, privately-owned studio on the outskirts of Hong Kong.

This inaugural collection by Arrow Video presents twelve jewels from the Shaw crown, all released within the 1970s,...

Eureka Entertainment will release Cinematic Vengeance! 8 Kung Fu Classics From Director Joseph Kuo, making their worldwide debuts on Blu-ray as part of the Eureka Classics range from 15 November 2021. Released in a Limited Edition 4-Disc set [2000 copies only] featuring a 60-page Collector’s Booklet and Facsimile Lobby Cards.

Although his name may not be as instantly recognisable as some of his contemporaries, Joseph Kuo was an incredibly successful filmmaker who consistently produced crowd-pleasing spectacles always in line with what audiences at the time wanted to see.

Often handling writing, directing, and producing duties, the success of this multi-hyphenate filmmaker is even more remarkable considering that the majority of his films were produced independently, at a time when the kung-fu genre was dominated by the big Hong Kong studios. Cinematic Vengeance! collects eight of these independent productions, all fully restored and making their worldwide debuts on Blu-ray.

8 Films across four Blu-ray discs, all fully...

An unreleased Wu-Tang Clan album forfeited by Martin Shkreli after his securities fraud conviction was sold Tuesday for an undisclosed sum, though prosecutors say it was enough to fully satisfy the rest of what he owed on a $7.4 million forfeiture order he faced after his 2018 sentencing.

The entrepreneur known as “Pharma Bro” once boasted that he paid $2 million in 2015 at auction for Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the 31-track double album the multiplatinum rap group spent six years creating.

“With today’s sale of this one-of-a-kind album, his payment of the forfeiture is now complete,” Acting ...

An unreleased Wu-Tang Clan album forfeited by Martin Shkreli after his securities fraud conviction was sold Tuesday for an undisclosed sum, though prosecutors say it was enough to fully satisfy the rest of what he owed on a $7.4 million forfeiture order he faced after his 2018 sentencing.

The entrepreneur known as “Pharma Bro” once boasted that he paid $2 million in 2015 at auction for Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the 31-track double album the multiplatinum rap group spent six years creating.

“With today’s sale of this one-of-a-kind album, his payment of the forfeiture is now complete,” Acting ...

Twenty-four years ago, on the evening that the U.K. handed political control of Hong Kong to China in 1997, Hong Kong leading man and Cantopop superstar Andy Lau performed in state broadcaster CCTV’s song-and-dance spectacular to mark the occasion.

As the camera panned through an audience waving both Chinese and Hong Kong flags, he sang a dulcet duet with Chinese singer Na Ying of one of iconic Taiwanese singer-songwriter Lo Ta-yu’s most famous songs, “Pearl of the Orient.”

Lo had written the song in 1986 as an ode to Hong Kong and its unique identity as a haven and hub between east and west. The song nods to the territory’s troubles under British colonial rule, and implores it not to lose sight of its Chinese identity. At a time of growing anxiety about Hong Kong’s future after the handover, its lyrics posed the question: “Pearl of the Orient,...

Ng Man-tat, the star Shaolin Soccer and frequent collaborator of Kung Fu Hustle filmmaker Stephen Chow, has died.

The iconic Hong Kong actor, accompanied by his wife and children, died peacefully on Saturday of liver cancer. He was 70.

Born in China’s Fujian province in 1951, Ng began his career with acting classes from Hong Kong’s Tvb at 19 years old. Just years later he appeared Tit Lee’s 1975 comedy Gu huo lao xun chun, marking the vet’s first screen credit.

Upon garnering experience in a number of film and television titles throughout the 70s and 80s, Ng landed a recurring role in the adventure series The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The series, adapted from Louis Cha’s novel of the same name, saw Ng play Elder Peng.

In 1989, Ng first acted alongside Stephen Chow, who would soon become a frequent collaborator for “mo lei tau” films, a popular...

When delving into the world of the martial arts movies, it can be hard to know where to begin. In my formative days shelves in the video store were full of VHS and then DVD’s of extravagant titles with “Revenge”, “Shaolin”, “Tiger”, or “Dragon” emblazoned on the title. Working out which was good or cinematic purgatory was quite the challenge. So with Shaw Brothers and Kung Fu cinema emerging on blu ray once more, how does this title hold up?

A retelling of the Fong Sai-yuk story. As Shaolin disciples are slain by the white eyebrowed monk and his allies, Fong Sai-yuk (Fu Sheng) must learn a secret style that renders him impervious to blows in order to avenge the death of his parents. Joined by Hu Hui-chien (Chi Kuan Chun) who equally has revenge in mind, they perfect their skills but Fong Sai-yuk has a...

Chan, widely regarded as one of Hong Kong’s leading action directors, became ill while shooting Raging Fire last year.

Benny Chan, widely regarded as one of Hong Kong’s leading action directors, has died aged 58.

Chan was suffering from nasopharyngeal cancer. He had fallen ill while shooting Raging Fire, starring Nicolas Tse and Donnie Yen last year, and handed post-production of the film to his colleagues. He had spent the last few months hospitalised in Hong Kong.

Chan’s career started at Hong Kong broadcaster Tvb where he worked as an assistant director to Johnnie To and later became a director.

Veteran Hong Kong action movie director Benny Chan has sadly passed away at the age of 58.

After a beginning of career working for Rtv and Tvb, director Chan served as assistant to Johnnie To. His directorial debut was “A moment of Romance”, produced by Johnnie To, starring Andy Lau and Jacklyn Wu.

During a long lasting collaboration with Jackie Chan he directed “Who Am I?”, “New Police Story”, “Rob-b-Hood”, “Shaolin”. More action classics directed by Chan include “The White Storm”, “Call of Heroes”, “City Under Siege” and “Connected”.

Benny Chan was filming his latest work, “Raging Fire” with Donnie Yen and Nicholas Tse when he felt ill and was hospitalised. The filming had been completed but Chan wasn’t able to supervise the post production.

Gone too soon, Chan was one of the last genuine directors of action movies in Hong Kong.

UK-based Asian film distributor Terracotta Distribution has announced their June refreshers. Cult-classic hit “Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell” is back in stock here. In addition, this month’s acquisitions are now available on DVD, exclusively through Terracotta’s store:

Takeshi Miike’s psychotic thriller, Ichi The KillerDonnie Yen as the eponymous, Ip Man 1 & 2Dante Lam’s war epic, Operation Red SeaAndy Lau’s dramatic Shaolin

Moreover, sister company Sharp Teeth Films releases Luz, the debut feature from director Tilman Singer. Shot entirely on 16mm as a film school graduation project, the film is a throwback to 80’s horror, and nowhere is this more evident than in sound composer Simon Waskow’s incredibly tense and atmospheric synth soundtrack.

Luz can be found on digital platforms in the UK from this month and can be seen on Sky store, Virgin Media and Amazon.

The CW has now given a series order to the Vancouver-lensed reimagining of the martial arts action series "Kung Fu" (1972), focusing on a young female lead, who becomes a crime-fighting, mixed martial artist, with 'Shaolin' pacifist beliefs :

"...a young Chinese-American woman drops out of college to go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. 

"But when she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, she uses her martial arts skills and 'Shaolin' values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice, while searching for the assassin who killed her mentor. Who is now targeting her..."

The original "Kung Fu" series was created by Ed Spielman, Jerry Thorpe and Herman Miller, from an idea by Bruce Lee, set in the Old West, airing three seasons starring David Carradine as 'Kwai Chang Caine'...

...followed by "Kung Fu: The Movie", plus TV series...

M.I.A. released a new song titled “OHMNI20209” on her Patreon on the 15th anniversary of her debut album Arular.

“Free music to get you the fuck up outta bed! Here’s the beginning,” M.I.A. tweeted Sunday, announcing the song’s arrival.

Earlier this year, M.I.A. launched a two-tiered Patreon account — for $5 or $10 a month — promising “short films, clips and video diaries,” unreleased footage from her Matangi/Maya/M.I.A documentary, livestreams, Q&As and new music, which she delivered on Sunday.

“I’m doing a Patreon,...

Exclusive: Jon Prasida (Hiding), Shannon Dang (The L Word) and Eddie Liu (Silicon Valley) have been cast as series regulars in the CW pilot Kung Fu, a reimagining with a female lead of the 1970s David Carradine-starring TV series. It hails from Christina M. Kim, Martin Gero, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Warner Bros. TV.

Written by Kim, inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman, the new Kung Fu sees a quarter-life crisis causing a young Chinese-American woman to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, she uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice — all while searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and now is targeting her.

Prasida will play Ryan Chen,...

Jim Dandy Feb 13, 2020

Daniel Warren Johnson is doing some of the best work of his young career taking Wonder Woman to the end of the age of man.

My first experience with Daniel Warren Johnson's comics work was probably his Image book, Murder Falcon, and my first thought was "Oh wow, he's new Stokoe." He's got a very similar vibe - that immaculate attention to detail, the panels that bubble over with imagination, and there's a wryness that I think is very subtle in both artists that people don't appreciate as much because the other skills are so immediately apparent.

But after thinking about it, and pouring over these exclusive preview pages of Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #2, I think I'm leaning towards Geof Darrow being a better comparison. Dead Earth has a little bit of a Shaolin Cowboy feel to it, and Johnson does some things very well, and...

The reboot of “Kung Fu” that was in development at Fox last season is moving to The CW with a new writer.

The project, a new take on the 1972 series starring David Carradine, is being redeveloped at the network with “Blindspot” alum Christina M. Kim taking over as writer for “Sleepy Hollow’s” Albert Kim. “Blindspot” creator Martin Gero has also signed on as an executive producer on the drama via his Quinn’s House banner.

The reimagining centers on a young Chinese-American woman who drops out of college amid a quarter-life crisis and goes on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. When she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, she uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice, all while searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her.

Shannon Lee has finally made the martial arts saga her father dreamed up. She remembers ‘the inner energy’ of the kung fu superstar Hollywood – and Tarantino – made a mockery of

The legend that Shannon Lee grew up with goes like this. In 1971, when her father Bruce Lee was at the height of his Hollywood kung fu fame, he tried to develop a TV show called The Warrior. It followed a Chinese immigrant with martial arts skills who gets caught up in the Tong wars of the late 1800s, the violent clashes between rival factions in Chinatowns across America. Our hero finds himself journeying through the wild west.

Lee envisaged himself in the leading role, and pitched The Warrior to a Us studio, which told him that America wasn’t ready for an Asian leading man. A year later, Warner Bros released Kung Fu, which followed a Shaolin monk with martial...

Following up the stellar “Mojin: The Lost Legend,” explorer Hu Bayi and the Mojin six are brought back into a brand new action-packed adventure based on the bestselling novel series. Packed with new stars in the cast and bringing Fei Xing into the director’s chair, the film is released on Digital, DVD and Blu-Ray combo-pack on July 9th by WellGo USA.

Hearing of the mythical Ghost Eye curse, explorer Hu Bayi and his Mojin team, Professor Sun Shirley Yang, Fatty, Gold Tooth and Linglong (Chen Yusi from “Our Shining Days”) are told that the only possible cure for the condition rests in a mythical valley. As they set off to find the pieces required to end it, they find themselves in a mystical valley surrounded by various monsters and other threats that impede their progress and forces the team to work together in an effort to continue on their journey.

Eureka Entertainment to release Last Hurrah For Chivalry & Hand Of Death: Two Films By John Woo, an essential pair of early films from one of the greatest action directors of all time, presented for the first time ever on Blu-ray in the UK in a 2-disc set taken from brand new 2K restorations. Released as part of the Eureka Classics range from 24 June 2019, the first 2000 copies will feature a Limited Edition Collector’s booklet.

A decade before he would change action filmmaking forever with “A Better Tomorrow” and “The Killer”, director John Woo was directing martial-arts films for the two biggest studios in Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. Under the mentorship of the great Chang Cheh (“Five Deadly Venoms”), Woo began to develop his signature style, films that featured slick, stylish and often violent choreography, with dramatic plots that revolved around brotherhood, honour and redemption.

Synopsis

A decade before he would change action filmmaking forever with A Better Tomorrow and The Killer, director John Woo was directing martial-arts films for the two biggest studios in Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. Under the mentorship of the great Chang Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms), Woo began to develop his signature style, films that featured slick, stylish and often violent choreography, with dramatic plots that revolved around brotherhood, honour and redemption. Presented here are two of his early works from this period.

In Last Hurrah for Chivalry, two killers (Wei Pai and Damian Lau) agree to help a man exact revenge upon a kung fu master. Woo’s first cinematic masterpiece, Last Hurrah for Chivalry is a dark and violent revenge film, featuring lightning fast swordplay and stylish cinematography.

In Hand of Death, a young Shaolin monk must train to defeat a dangerous Manchu...

Big-budget action blockbusters “Raging Fire” and “The Rescue” headlined Emperor Motion Pictures’ (Emp) star-studded announcement at FilMart on Tuesday, which also saw many familiar Hong Kong faces returning for locally focused projects.

Emp also highlighted its mainland Chinese projects at the event, including “Two Tigers,” a black comedy produced by and starring Vicky Zhao Wei and directed by Li Fei, and “Caught in Time,” a crime thriller produced by Han Sanping, the producer-director who previously headed state-controlled China Film Group. “Caught in Time” is directed by Lau Ho-leung and stars Daniel Wu, who has not appeared in a Chinese film since 2015.

New Emperor title “Raging Fire” reunites director Benny Chan and singer-actor-turned-celebrity chef Nicholas Tse for the first time since their last collaboration, 2011’s “Shaolin.” The film, which recounts the rivalry of a former cop and his mentor, also stars Donnie Yen; Yen also is a producer.

Emp’s “The Rescue...

Fox has given a put pilot commitment to Kung Fu, a present-day sequel to the 1970s David Carradine-starring TV series, from former Sleepy Hollow executive producer Albert Kim, Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Prods. and Warner Bros. TV, where the company is based.

Written by Kim, Kung Fu is an action-driven procedural about a young Chinese-American woman who inherits her father’s kung fu studio, only to discover it’s actually a secret center dedicated to helping members of the Chinatown community who have nowhere else to turn. With the help of a former star pupil — a smart and driven ex-Marine — she vows to continue the school’s mission. In the process, she discovers things she never knew about her cultural background and family’s heritage, including a connection to a legendary ancestor.

That legendary ancestor presumably is Carradine’s character from the original series, Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine.

The UK’s premium martial arts and action cinema label, Cine Asia, joins the popular “HMV Loves…” selection now and throughout July.

In HMV stores all over the UK, fans can pick up new and classic Blu-ray and DVD titles from legends like Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Andy Lau and Chow Yun Fat from Cine Asia’s extensive catalogue, all at a great price. Highlights include recent releases like Wolf Warrior II, Wolf Warrior I & II boxset, Elite Force: Operation Mekong, Shock Wave Tunnel and Youth, plus fan favourites like Ip Man 1, 2 & The Final Fight, Young Bruce Lee, Confucius, Shaolin and many more. Just look out for the “HMV Loves Cine Asia” display. Titles available while stocks last.

With new and exciting titles to be announced later in 2018, this is the perfect opportunity for fans to discover (and re-discover) new and returning favourites and build their movie collection.

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At the Hong Kong Filmart today, Golden Network Asia Limited held a press conference to unveil the promo for The Wrath Of Vajra, a martial arts film from the producers behind the Painted Skin series. This marks Xing Yu's (aka Shi Yanneng) lead debut, and is being called China's answer to Rambo. The former Shaolin monk-turned-actor previously had supporting roles showcasing his martial arts talents in Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin and Flash Point.According to director Law Wing Cheong, who is currently helming The Iceman Cometh with Donnie Yen, the film will explore themes of cultural pride and present a Chinese hero possessing a strong sense of justice and an indomitable spirit.  On the martial arts scenes, Cheong claims to revive a more realistic style than the recent...

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Hot on the heals of news of its opening date in the U.S, it turns out the UK bow of Benny Chan’s blockbuster hit action movie Shaolin isn’t far behind, when it hit DVD and Blu-ray there - on 12th September. Fantastic, full UK (except for that god awful Mr Voiceover man narration) trailer...below. Synopsis: China's last imperial Dynasty has fallen and a ruthless warlord (Andy Lau) amasses a vast fortune through the violent subjugation of his people. Faced with a brutal betrayal, he runs for his life, seeking redemption in the fabled Shaolin Temple. When his enemies discover his location, he must stand with his new brothers and fight his life's greatest battle...

Cine Asia have released a brand new UK trailer for their DVD and Blu-ray release of Shaolin, Benny Chan’s “homage” to the 1982 kung-fu classic The Shaolin Temple, which stars Andy Lau and Nicolas Tse and features a special appearance by the legend that is Jackie Chan.

China’s last imperial Dynasty has fallen and a ruthless warlord (Andy Lau, House of the Flying Daggers) amasses a vast fortune through the violent subjugation of his people. Faced with a brutal betrayal, he runs for his life, seeking redemption in the fabled Shaolin Temple. When his enemies discover his location, he must stand with his new brothers and fight his life’s greatest battle…

Cine Asia release Shaolin on 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray on September 12th 2011.

Our friends at Cine Asia in the UK are bringing one of the most action packed kung-fu films in recent years to Blu-ray and DVD this September 12th.  Benny Chan's Shaolin makes it's UK debut in just a few weeks, and to promote this release, Cine Asia have come up with a really outstanding trailer.  It isn't something that every company does, but Cine Asia's trailers for their home video releases are really great, and I wish more companies would go this route.  Shaolin is a pretty damned entertaining film that I was able to catch at Affd a few weeks back.  There is some solid acting from Andy Lau, Nicolas Tse, and Wu Jing, as well as a nice extended cameo from Jackie Chan...

These days when people think of monks the image that comes to mind invariably falls into one of two categories. Some imagine docile men in robes chanting Gregorian tunes, and others probably picture Tony Shalhoub washing his hands. But once upon a time monks did far more than sell millions of cds and/or solve crimes. Once upon a time they used their meditative, agricultural, and martial arts skills to stand up against tyranny. Or maybe they didn’t. I have no clue in the matter, but if the trailer for the recent blockbuster, Shaolin, has any truth to it these men were bad ass mothers when push came to shove. The film is set in the 1920′s after China’s last imperial Dynasty has come to an end. Warlords control the land, and none are more ruthless than Hoe Jie (Andy Lau), but when he’s betrayed by one of his own and left with nothing...

With the recent release of the trailer for Shaolin, a movie that features Jackie Chan in a supporting role, it served as a reminder that he is supposedly on the verge of retirement and that his finest days are now no doubt behind him. The good news is that he has left us with quite a few martial arts masterpieces that will never get old (many of which I still have yet to see), so for this week's poll I thought it would be a good chance to re-examine his work, discuss our favourites, and maybe even come to a consensus on what his best film is. So what would you pick as Jackie Chan's finest moment? Do you prefer his gritty early work or his more comedic action films? Cast your vote in this week's poll and then sound off in the comments below. Online Surveys & Market Research

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There's been so many Kung Fu films recently but these recent films aren't the same as in the past.  The kung fu classics are more of a comedy than action.  Personally, I prefer the new generation of these flicks as the fight scenes are certifiably badass.  

In Shaolin, Andy Lau is a warlord forced to escape to a Shaolin Temple after his family was murdered.  He becomes a monk but his enemies find out his location and unleash an attack on the temple.  To be fair, I titled this post, "starring Jackie Chan" not because he's the main actor but people won't probably recognize the other actors in the film.  Chan seems to play the cook for the monks but it's unclear how much screen time he gets in the film.

Check out the trailer below:...