According to Vital Thrills, Ong Bak star Tony Jaa (Furious 7, Monster Hunter) and Frank Grillo (Captain America, The Purge) have been tapped to join in the upcoming film adaptation of the sci-fi action comic book Jiu Jitsu. Rick Yune (Olympus Has Fallen), Marie Avgeropoulos (The 100) and JuJu Chan (Wu Assassins) have also been cast. Filming is scheduled to begin on June 24.
The film is being co-written by the source material’s authors Jim McGrath and Dimitri Logothetis, the latter of whom is also directing and producing. It will star Academy Award winning actor Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider, Mandy) and Alain Moussi (Kickboxer: Vengeance, Kickboxer: Retaliation, Kickboxer: Armageddon).
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Jiu Jitsu‘s official synopsis reads: Every six years, an ancient order of expert Jiu Jitsu fighters faces a vicious alien in a battle to protect Earth. For thousands of years, the fighters that protect Earth have played by the rules…until now. When celebrated war hero Jake Barnes (Alain Moussi) is defeated by Brax, the Alien invader, the future of humanity hangs in the balance. Injured and suffering from amnesia, Jake is rescued by Wylie (Nicolas Cage), Keung (Tony Jaa), Harrigan (Frank Grillo) and his team of fellow Jiu Jitsu fighters. They must help Jake to regain his strength in order to band together and defeat Brax in an epic battle that will once again determine the fate of mankind.
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The Jiu Jitsu comic book sees martial artists face off against alien invaders and the film adaptation will likely follow suit. According to Logothetis, “‘Jiu Jitsu’ is guaranteed to satisfy the millions of martial arts and science fiction lovers across the globe with world class martial artists, stunt men go-to expert Alain Moussi joining superstar Nicolas Cage for some formidable, no holds barred fight sequences set in exotic Burma.”
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