Within the realm of martial arts cinema, ‘Ip Man 3’ stands as a testament to the genre’s allure, bringing together the prowess of Donnie Yen and the raw power of Mike Tyson. The film, released in 2015, saw Yen reprising his iconic role, continuing the legacy of the legendary Wing Chun grandmaster. This third chapter sees Ip Man defending a local school from a ruthless gang and a property developer named Frank, portrayed by none other than Mike Tyson. The significance of their fight scene was not just choreographed combat but a cinematic collision between boxing and kung-fu, promising an...
- 2/3/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Classic 1970s television series Kung Fu is heading to the big screen, and Donnie Yen will star – more here.
A feature film based on the classic 1970s TV series Kung Fu has been in development for some time, and now it seems to be moving forward at Universal Pictures and 87North.
According to Deadline, John Wick director David Leitch will helm the film from a screenplay by Stephen Chin, with Ip Man star Donnie Yen set to play Kwai Chang Caine, a role first inhabited by David Carradine.
Martial arts icon Bruce Lee famously auditioned for the lead role in the original 1972 series, but lost out, of course, to Carradine. He played Caine, a spiritual monk who roams the Old West in the 1800s, wandering into confrontations and fist fights every week. The show proved popular, with phrases like ‘grasshopper’ making their way into the cultural lexicon.
Two sequel series,...
A feature film based on the classic 1970s TV series Kung Fu has been in development for some time, and now it seems to be moving forward at Universal Pictures and 87North.
According to Deadline, John Wick director David Leitch will helm the film from a screenplay by Stephen Chin, with Ip Man star Donnie Yen set to play Kwai Chang Caine, a role first inhabited by David Carradine.
Martial arts icon Bruce Lee famously auditioned for the lead role in the original 1972 series, but lost out, of course, to Carradine. He played Caine, a spiritual monk who roams the Old West in the 1800s, wandering into confrontations and fist fights every week. The show proved popular, with phrases like ‘grasshopper’ making their way into the cultural lexicon.
Two sequel series,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Kung Fu, the long-gestating adaptation of the 1970s TV show, is getting a jolt with actor Donnie Yen boarding the project to star. The well-known martial artist and star is in talks to lead the feature for Universal, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Frequent Universal collaborator David Leitch has been on the project since 2020, producing with Kelly McCormick via their Universal-based 87North Productions alongside Guy Danella. Stephen L’Heureux is producing via Solipsist Films. Leitch, who has Fall Guy due out this spring, is eying the director’s chair for Kung Fu, which has a script from Stephen Chin and counts Kung Fu TV creator Ed Spielman as an executive producer.
Yen is a global star, known for his work spanning Hong Kong and Hollywood. He leads the Ip Man films, and was among the cast of the $1 billion grosser Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as well as Disney’s...
Frequent Universal collaborator David Leitch has been on the project since 2020, producing with Kelly McCormick via their Universal-based 87North Productions alongside Guy Danella. Stephen L’Heureux is producing via Solipsist Films. Leitch, who has Fall Guy due out this spring, is eying the director’s chair for Kung Fu, which has a script from Stephen Chin and counts Kung Fu TV creator Ed Spielman as an executive producer.
Yen is a global star, known for his work spanning Hong Kong and Hollywood. He leads the Ip Man films, and was among the cast of the $1 billion grosser Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as well as Disney’s...
- 1/31/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
David Leitch’s 87North is getting ready to reboot the classic martial arts/ western series Kung Fu, and it looks like they’ve found their Caine: the one and only Donnie Yen. The press release doesn’t reveal if Yen is actually playing Caine, but it seems like a no-brainer. The series was infamously developed by Bruce Lee as a starring vehicle for himself, only for the role to be eventually cast with David Carradine in the lead. In the end, it worked out fine, with Bruce Lee gaining immortality with his kung-fu movies for Golden Harvest in Hong Kong (which would have never happened had he been tied to a series), while Carradine became iconic as the enigmatic Caine.
Caine roams the Wild West in the series, looking for his long-lost brother. He was a peace-loving protector of the innocent who only fought when provoked (which happened A...
Caine roams the Wild West in the series, looking for his long-lost brother. He was a peace-loving protector of the innocent who only fought when provoked (which happened A...
- 1/31/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: World-renowned actor and influential Hong Kong action filmmaker Donnie Yen is set to star in 87North and Universal Pictures’ Kung Fu, a feature adaptation of the classic ’70s TV series. Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, and Guy Danella will produce through 87North, with Leitch eyeing to direct.
Stephen Chin wrote the screenplay. Stephen L’Hereaux will also produce, and Ed Spielman, creator of the original Kung Fu television series, will executive produce.
The original ABC series starred David Carradine as a master martial artist who fled China after his master was murdered. He wandered the Old West helping the downtrodden and weathering rampant racism while eluding assassins trying to kill him. He was a peaceful man until provoked, which happened at least once an episode.
With his ground-breaking work on and off camera, Donnie Yen is among the exceedingly few actors of his generation to work at the highest levels...
Stephen Chin wrote the screenplay. Stephen L’Hereaux will also produce, and Ed Spielman, creator of the original Kung Fu television series, will executive produce.
The original ABC series starred David Carradine as a master martial artist who fled China after his master was murdered. He wandered the Old West helping the downtrodden and weathering rampant racism while eluding assassins trying to kill him. He was a peaceful man until provoked, which happened at least once an episode.
With his ground-breaking work on and off camera, Donnie Yen is among the exceedingly few actors of his generation to work at the highest levels...
- 1/31/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
"The Witcher" star MyAnna Buring was prepared for her character to die from day one. "I'd known that this would happen in season three from the very, very beginning," the actress told Insider in the wake of the Netflix show's heartbreaking third season conclusion. After all, the Aretuza headmistress and mother figure to Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) dies tragically near the end of Andrzej Sapkowski's "Time of Contempt," the book whose climax the adaptation has been hurling towards for some time now.
"Season one, I was very clear what would happen in season three, so I think when I first read the scene, I was quite pragmatic about it," Buring told the outlet. "I was like, 'Okay, that's the scene. That's how they've chosen to do it. Great. I understand. That's lovely.'" The scene in question is certainly more heartbreaking than its literary counterpart, given the warmth with which...
"Season one, I was very clear what would happen in season three, so I think when I first read the scene, I was quite pragmatic about it," Buring told the outlet. "I was like, 'Okay, that's the scene. That's how they've chosen to do it. Great. I understand. That's lovely.'" The scene in question is certainly more heartbreaking than its literary counterpart, given the warmth with which...
- 8/28/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for "The Witcher" season 3.
The back half of "The Witcher" season 3 feels as much like a beginning as it does an ending. While the three-episode second volume of the Netflix fantasy series wrapped up some plots, it used others as a jumping-off point from which to build the rest of the ongoing series. Just as Andrzej Sapkowski's novel "Time of Contempt" burns some of its world to the ground to start fresh -- sending Ciri on a formative journey of reinvention, assassinating Redania's king, and demolishing the Brotherhood of Sorcerers completely -- so does the TV adaptation.
"The Witcher" also paves the way for a storyline in which Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) parts from Geralt to take her own path back towards Ciri (Freya Allan). The trio of lead characters undergoes many a shifting power dynamic and personal transformation throughout Sapkowski's book series, but few moments...
The back half of "The Witcher" season 3 feels as much like a beginning as it does an ending. While the three-episode second volume of the Netflix fantasy series wrapped up some plots, it used others as a jumping-off point from which to build the rest of the ongoing series. Just as Andrzej Sapkowski's novel "Time of Contempt" burns some of its world to the ground to start fresh -- sending Ciri on a formative journey of reinvention, assassinating Redania's king, and demolishing the Brotherhood of Sorcerers completely -- so does the TV adaptation.
"The Witcher" also paves the way for a storyline in which Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) parts from Geralt to take her own path back towards Ciri (Freya Allan). The trio of lead characters undergoes many a shifting power dynamic and personal transformation throughout Sapkowski's book series, but few moments...
- 8/26/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This post contains slight spoilers for "The Witcher."
Bringing Yennefer of Yengerberg to life on the screen is no small task. Integral to Andrzej Sapkowski's "The Witcher" novel series, Yen is a key presence in the lives of Geralt and Ciri, as she aids them through their journey at several points. Just like the Netflix series, the books paint Yen as a powerful, no-nonsense sorceress who eventually acts like a mother to Ciri and helps Geralt out of several unsavory situations. As one can imagine, franchise expectations surrounding Yen were pretty high when Anya Chalotra was cast for the role in the series, especially after some pockets of the fandom had a preconceived idea of Yen based on the video games.
While the Netflix series makes certain changes to her character — show Yen is much more amicable and emotionally open from the get-go — the core of her character is...
Bringing Yennefer of Yengerberg to life on the screen is no small task. Integral to Andrzej Sapkowski's "The Witcher" novel series, Yen is a key presence in the lives of Geralt and Ciri, as she aids them through their journey at several points. Just like the Netflix series, the books paint Yen as a powerful, no-nonsense sorceress who eventually acts like a mother to Ciri and helps Geralt out of several unsavory situations. As one can imagine, franchise expectations surrounding Yen were pretty high when Anya Chalotra was cast for the role in the series, especially after some pockets of the fandom had a preconceived idea of Yen based on the video games.
While the Netflix series makes certain changes to her character — show Yen is much more amicable and emotionally open from the get-go — the core of her character is...
- 8/13/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Peacock has finally released the first trailer for the upcoming John Wick spin-off series. The Continental: From the World of John Wick will focus on a young Winston as he establishes himself as the owner of The Continental Hotel of New York City in the 1970s. The series will see Winston taking on a dangerous opponent, which will force him to face his past, which he thought he had left behind.
The John Wick series stars Colin Woodell as the young Winston Scott with Ayomide Adegun taking on the role of a young Charon. The Continental also stars Mel Gibson as Cormac, Misha Prada as NYPD detective Kd, Jeremy Bobb as Mayhew, Jessica Allain as Lou, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Nhung Kate as Yen, and Ben Robson as Frankie Scott.
Credit – Peacock
Created by Greg Coolidge, Shawn Simmons, and Kirk Ward, The Continental is executive produced by Coolidge, Ward,...
The John Wick series stars Colin Woodell as the young Winston Scott with Ayomide Adegun taking on the role of a young Charon. The Continental also stars Mel Gibson as Cormac, Misha Prada as NYPD detective Kd, Jeremy Bobb as Mayhew, Jessica Allain as Lou, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Nhung Kate as Yen, and Ben Robson as Frankie Scott.
Credit – Peacock
Created by Greg Coolidge, Shawn Simmons, and Kirk Ward, The Continental is executive produced by Coolidge, Ward,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The official trailer for Peacock’s three-part The Continental: From the World of John Wick event series delves into Winston Scott’s backstory and how he wound up in charge of The Continental. The trailer’s got action, intrigue, and our first good look at Mel Gibson as the big bad.
Colin Woodell stars as the younger version of Ian McShane’s Winston Scott, and Ayomide Adegun plays the young Charon, the fan-favorite character brought to life by Lance Reddick in the John Wick films.
The cast also includes Mishel Prada as Kd, Ben Robson as Frankie, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Nhung Kate as Yen, Jessica Allain as Lou, Jeremy Bobb as Mayhew, and Peter Greene as Young Uncle Charlie.
Discussing this prequel, executive producer Basil Iwanyk said, “The four Wick films take place over a 3-month span. John is either chasing or being chased. There has been no time to take a breath,...
Colin Woodell stars as the younger version of Ian McShane’s Winston Scott, and Ayomide Adegun plays the young Charon, the fan-favorite character brought to life by Lance Reddick in the John Wick films.
The cast also includes Mishel Prada as Kd, Ben Robson as Frankie, Hubert Point-Du Jour as Miles, Nhung Kate as Yen, Jessica Allain as Lou, Jeremy Bobb as Mayhew, and Peter Greene as Young Uncle Charlie.
Discussing this prequel, executive producer Basil Iwanyk said, “The four Wick films take place over a 3-month span. John is either chasing or being chased. There has been no time to take a breath,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The Continental, a three-part event series that serves as a prequel to the John Wick films, will be making its premiere on the Peacock streaming service on September 22nd, with Night 2 following on September 29th and Night 3 on October 6th. Outside of the United States, the Middle East, and Israel, the show will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. And with just over a month to go before the show starts airing, a full trailer has arrived online. Check it out in the embed above!
Colin Woodell (The Flight Attendant) takes on the role of a younger Winston in The Continental, and throughout the series, viewers will follow Winston through the underworld of ’70s New York, where he will battle demons from his past as he attempts to seize control of the iconic hotel – a hotel that serves as a meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals.
Colin Woodell (The Flight Attendant) takes on the role of a younger Winston in The Continental, and throughout the series, viewers will follow Winston through the underworld of ’70s New York, where he will battle demons from his past as he attempts to seize control of the iconic hotel – a hotel that serves as a meeting point for the world’s most dangerous criminals.
- 8/9/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
If you are a fan of the John Wick movies, you will be thrilled to know that a prequel series called The Continental is coming to Peacock soon. The series will explore the origins of the mysterious hotel chain that serves as a safe haven for assassins and criminals in the John Wick universe. The series will also feature some familiar faces from the movies, as well as new characters and enemies.
The Continental is set in 1970s New York City, where a young Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) is the manager of the hotel. Winston is recruited by Cormac (Mel Gibson), a ruthless crime lord, to help him recover something stolen from him by Winston’s own brother, Frankie (Ben Robson). Winston soon finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Cormac and his henchmen, as well as other assassins who want to take him down.
The...
The Continental is set in 1970s New York City, where a young Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) is the manager of the hotel. Winston is recruited by Cormac (Mel Gibson), a ruthless crime lord, to help him recover something stolen from him by Winston’s own brother, Frankie (Ben Robson). Winston soon finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Cormac and his henchmen, as well as other assassins who want to take him down.
The...
- 8/9/2023
- by amalprasadappu
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
In the wake of four movies, the John Wick Universe is set to expand with prequel series “The Continental,” and the upcoming Peacock Original Series gets a full official trailer today.
The three-part event premieres September 22, 2023, followed by Night 2 airing September 29 and Night 3 airing October 6. Check in with the official trailer below.
“The Continental” is prequel to the blockbuster franchise that explores the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe.
Peacock previews, “The three-part event series will explore the origin behind the hotel through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind.
“Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.”
Ayomide Adegun...
The three-part event premieres September 22, 2023, followed by Night 2 airing September 29 and Night 3 airing October 6. Check in with the official trailer below.
“The Continental” is prequel to the blockbuster franchise that explores the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe.
Peacock previews, “The three-part event series will explore the origin behind the hotel through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott (Colin Woodell) as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind.
“Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.”
Ayomide Adegun...
- 8/9/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Below is the official trailer for the upcoming John Wick spinoff series from from director and executive producer Albert Hughes.
The Continental: From the World of John Wick is Peacock’s three-part limited series, set roughly 40 years before the events in the John Wick feature film saga.
Continental focuses on events surrounding a hotel for assassins in New York City and stars Colin Woodell (The Purge) as Winston Scott — the young version of the Continental Hotel owner played by Ian McShane in the Keanu Reeves movies.
Mel Gibson also stars as a character named Cormac, an underworld kingpin and the hotel’s current manager. The Continental is the Oscar winner’s first TV series work since his recurring role in the short-lived 2004 ABC comedy Complete Savages.
Here’s the official description: “The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the...
The Continental: From the World of John Wick is Peacock’s three-part limited series, set roughly 40 years before the events in the John Wick feature film saga.
Continental focuses on events surrounding a hotel for assassins in New York City and stars Colin Woodell (The Purge) as Winston Scott — the young version of the Continental Hotel owner played by Ian McShane in the Keanu Reeves movies.
Mel Gibson also stars as a character named Cormac, an underworld kingpin and the hotel’s current manager. The Continental is the Oscar winner’s first TV series work since his recurring role in the short-lived 2004 ABC comedy Complete Savages.
Here’s the official description: “The three-part event will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the...
- 8/9/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Whether you love Netflix's take on "The Witcher" or just love to hate it, there's no denying that this season's major battle episode was pretty epic. In episode six of season 3, the coup at Aretuza quickly transformed into an all-out fight, with bodies exploding and a ring of fire raining down upon both sides -- not to mention a final confrontation that left our titular witcher in bad shape. In the midst of all the chaos, though, the show makes time for a brief, effortlessly cool moment: the death of Rience (Sam Woolf).
Rience was been positioned as a shadowy, dangerous schemer since day one. He was a fire mage with a stereotypical villain scar on his face who spent much of the series hot on Ciri's (Freya Allan) trail. But when he finally got the chance to face off against her, it was a short-lived moment that was...
Rience was been positioned as a shadowy, dangerous schemer since day one. He was a fire mage with a stereotypical villain scar on his face who spent much of the series hot on Ciri's (Freya Allan) trail. But when he finally got the chance to face off against her, it was a short-lived moment that was...
- 8/6/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
We’ll be returning to the world of John Wick next month, but it won’t be quite the same as we remember. The Continental: From the World of John Wick takes us to ’70s New York and stars Colin Woodell as a young Winston Scott, the character played by Ian McShane in the movies.
While speaking with Empire (prior to the SAG strike), Colin Woodell teases just how different his version of Winston Scott is in The Continental. “It’s a story of revenge and making amends for what I think is taken from [my character], and that’s my love and my family,” Woodell said. “I love Ian’s embellishment [of the character], and how delicious everything is. To some degree we begin to get there at the end [of The Continental] and you understand what motivates him, but I didn’t get to really participate in that deliciousness.“
Related The Continental: From the World of...
While speaking with Empire (prior to the SAG strike), Colin Woodell teases just how different his version of Winston Scott is in The Continental. “It’s a story of revenge and making amends for what I think is taken from [my character], and that’s my love and my family,” Woodell said. “I love Ian’s embellishment [of the character], and how delicious everything is. To some degree we begin to get there at the end [of The Continental] and you understand what motivates him, but I didn’t get to really participate in that deliciousness.“
Related The Continental: From the World of...
- 8/2/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
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