The 1988 American mixed martial arts film Bloodsport, directed by Newt Arnold and starring Belgian martial artist and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme as Frank Dux, is to be remade at A24.
Michaela Coel is set to direct and write the remake of this cult classic.
The 1988 Bloodsport movie, which helped revive mixed martial arts films in America, was shot entirely in Hong Kong. Fight fans and fighters are already aware of how much this film inspired them and the early days of the UFC, when there were no weight limits, no judges, no scored cards, and it was mostly no-holds-barred bare-knuckle fighting.
For the unversed, check out the video below:
Plot of the 1988 Bloodsport
The original Bloodsport’s plot revolves around Frank Dux, a U.S. Army captain who trained in ninjutsu under Sensei Senzo Tanaka.
Dux leaves his role as Captain without notice after he gets invited to an illegal martial arts tournament in Hong Kong called Kumite. Soon after, two agents, Helmer and Rawlins, are assigned to arrest him.
After arriving in Hong Kong, Dux becomes friends with another fighter named Ray Jackson. On the first day of the Kumite, Dux breaks champion Chong Li’s record for the fastest knockout. However, on the second day of the tourney, Ray Jackson loses to Chong Li, and Dux makes it clear that he wants revenge for his friend.
On the final day of the tournament, when Dux clashes with Li, the latter blinds Dux with a salt pill. With his vision compromised, Dux relies on the training he had previously received from Sensei Senzo Tanaka on how to fight blindfolded. Using that same technique, he ultimately defeats Li, avenges Jackson’s loss, and then returns to the United States with the aforementioned agents.
The synopsis of the film, as per Rotten Tomatoes, reads:
U.S. soldier Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) has come to Hong Kong to be accepted into the Kumite, a highly secret and extremely violent martial-arts competition. While trying to gain access into the underground world of clandestine fighters, he also has to avoid military officers who consider him to be AWOL. After enduring a difficult training and beginning a romance with journalist Janice Kent (Leah Ayres), Frank is given the opportunity to fight. But can he survive?”
Bloodsport (1988) was made on a reported budget of $1.5–2 million and went on to gross $50 million. The film has three sequels:
- Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)
- Bloodsport III (1997)
- Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999).
Coming back to the reimagining of Bloodsport by Michaela Coel. A24 will finance and distribute this remake, as confirmed by Variety. Stuart Manashil and Peggy DiSalle will serve as executive producers, and Marc Toberoff and Alberto Lensi will serve as producers.
So far, director and writer Coel has not given information on the plot, cast, filming location, or when shooting will commence. Check out what she had to say about the reimagination below:
I have long been in awe of fighters and astounded by the discipline, intensity, and isolation the sport demands of them. I am excited to explore this world, especially so with A24 as my collaborators.”
Meanwhile, producer Toberoff is ready to ‘bring back the high-energy tournament format to the big screens.’ He told multiple media houses:
In 1988, the now-iconic ‘Bloodsport’ introduced audiences to the gritty aesthetic of mixed martial arts. I look forward to bringing back that high-energy tournament format to the big screen again.”
