Jean-Claude Van Damme is returning to the franchise that helped launch his movie career in the "Kickboxer" reboot, but this time he'll be playing the master instead of the student.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Van Damme and his representatives are putting the final touches on a contract that will bring him into the "Kickboxer" movie remake that helped put him on the map as an action star in 1989. This time around, he will play Master Chow, the instructor who teaches Kurt Sloan (to be played by Alain Moussi) the art of kickboxing.
The original "Kickboxer" generated $14.6 million at the
box office in 1989, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, and catapulted Van Damme to a successful career. His résumé includes a long list of action films, including 1991's "Double Impact," "Universal Soldier" in 1992, "Time Cop" in 1994, "Street Fighter" in 1994, and "Sudden Death" in 1995.
"The original 'Kickboxer' marked a turning point in Van Damme's career, and the Belgian martial artist/actor soon became a go-to Hollywood action hero for much of the
early Nineties," wrote Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone magazine.
"While his star descended during the following decade, Van Damme continued to make movies, and in recent years has seen somewhat of resurgence thanks in part to a semi-fictional portrayal of himself in JCVD and appearances in 'Kung Fu Panda 2' and 'The Expendables 2.'"
Moussi, who did the stunts in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," will get facetime as the lead in "Kickboxer" — the role Van Damme originally held. The movie follows his character, Kurt, as he trains to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of Tong Po, to be played by "Guardians of the Galaxy" star Dave Bautista.
Moussi is one of the busier stunt men in Hollywood, having worked on movies like "White House Down," "Pacific Rim," "Pompeii," and the upcoming "Warcraft."
Bautista starred in one of the biggest financial hits of the year as Drax the Destroyer in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy." "Guardians" raked in $331 million domestically and $771.4 worldwide, making it the third-best Marvel movie ever at the box office, according to BoxOfficeMojo.
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