cityonfire.com | Asian Film Reviews | Movie News

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield). The film stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, Kirk Acevedo and Judy Greer.

Updates: Twentieth Century Fox will release Dawn of the Planet of the Apes worldwide on Memorial Day weekend, May 23, 2014.

Updates: Looks like Fox is keen on making the franchise into a trilogy. | Collider has the first teaser image – which was sadly debunked as an existing piece of photography someone happened to post to the movie’s Facebook page. | Collider (via MTV) has an interview with James Franco where he explains why he probably won’t be in the sequel. | Head over to Collider for a pack of the first set photos.

BREAKING NEWS: Take a look at the official logo.

"Redemption" Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Directed by Steven Knight (writer of Eastern Promises), Redemption (aka Crazy Joe, Hummingbird) is the story of an ex-Special Forces soldier (Jason Statham) who finds himself homeless on the streets and out for revenge. Atonement’s Paul Webster and Warhorse’s Tracey Seaward are producing, along with 44 Inch Chest’s Stuart Ford. Hummingbird also stars Lee Asquith-Coe, Vicky McClure, Senem Temiz and Benedict Wong.

Updates: The international poster and trailer has been released. Added a very bland Romanian theatrical poster. | Added another boring international poster.

Yet another Hummingbird poster. This time, the French version where it will be known as Crazy Joe. Is it me or is this movie going through a marketing identity crisis?

BREAKING NEWS: The movie also known as Hummingbird and Crazy Joe has another poster. This time, it’s called Redemption (U.S. release title). Watch the newest Lionsgate trailer at Collider.

"The Eagle Path" Teaser Poster

Jean-Claude Van Damme has a busy year ahead of him, with the release of his first mainstream comedy Welcome to the Jungle and his reunion with Time Cop director Peter Hyams, titled Enemies Closer. Not to mention the ongoing post-production work on his longtime passion project Full Love (AKA Soldiers and The Eagle Path).

Well, you can add another film to Van Damme’s full plate: he’s gearing up to shoot a new action movie called Swelter with a release date set for 2014.

In Swelter, Jean-Claude plays a member of a bank robbing gang that manages to steal a cool $100 million before some of them are apprehended by the police. Flash forward ten years and Van Damme is now an earnest, hard-working sheriff in a small town…with no memory of his criminal past.

But what happens when his old crew rolls into town, anxious to find out where he hid their payload? Yup, this might just be Van Damme’s The Last Stand by way of A History of Violence. Impact Online has the details on the rest of the cast.

Updates: Expendablespremiere.com has some set photos of Van Damme in Swelter.

"Jurassic Park IV" Fan Poster

While promoting his new movie Adventures of Tintin, director Steven Spielberg let slip a few tidbits about Jurassic Park IV. Okay, it’s not much but for JP fans it’s better than nothing. It seems that Spielberg has been busy this past year, what with directing War Horse and Tintin and currently being in the middle of his Lincoln biopic, but he’s getting ready to turn his attention to JPIV. This time around, Spielberg will produce with another filmmaker directing.

When asked if JPIV will be a reboot, Spielberg quipped, “It’s just another boring secret.” Of course, for us JP enthusiasts, news on this film’s development is anything but boring.

A script for the film is currently being developed by Mark Protosevich, who wrote the screenplay for I Am Legend and received a Story credit on Thor.

Chances are his script will bear no resemblance to an earlier one from The Departed‘s Willian Monahan that floated around the web back in 2007. That draft had a soldier of fortune returning to Jurassic Park with the help of some genetically engineered mini-T-Rexes who obeyed his commands like domesticated dogs. We’re not even making this up!

Updates: Nothing ground-breaking but Spielberg has confirmed he will be producing JPIV rather than directing it. He also says it’s too soon to discuss the project. | HitFix relays word that Universal has assigned Rise of the Planet Apes screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver to work on the screenplay.

Producer Frank Marshall recently stated that Jurassic Park IV will launch into theaters “within two years,” which would likely mean a Summer 2014 release. This needs a director already! What kind of story would you like to see in JPIV? | AICN has stumbled upon what may be some concept art from the JPIV that was in the works back in 2005. | Here’s the new poster and a trailer for the original Jurassic Park‘s re-release in 3D and IMAX 3D, coming April 5th of 2013. Credit to AICN. | Here’s a new poster for Jurassic Park 3D, in theaters and IMAX this April 5th, 2013.

Collider reports that Jurassic Park IV will open in 3D on June 13, 2014 and Steven Spielberg will be producing. | AICN says the director of Jurassic Park IV will be none other than…Colin Trevorrow, who made waves last year with his quirky indie comedy about time travel, Safety Not Guaranteed.

BREAKING NEWS: Unfortunate news for our fellow dinosaur buffs. AICN is suggesting that Jurassic Park IV has been put on hold due to script issues, even though director Trevorrow was scouting for locations only a few days ago. Realistically speaking, this is probably for the best; securing a good screenplay is the key to making sure JPIV ends up a memorable addition to the franchise and not just another Jurassic Park III.

"Dungeons & Dragons" Theatrical Poster

Decades since its creation, Dungeons & Dragons remains one of the most beloved fantasy properties in the world, spanning every medium from tabletop RPG to novels and video games. Despite its stellar reputation among fans, the brand has never been able to make a successful transition to the big screen.

2000′s Dungeons & Dragons movie was a dud of colossal proportions – even respected names like Jeremy Irons and, uh, Marlon Wayans couldn’t save it from being labeled one of the worst flicks of the new millennium.

Regardless, the Dungeons & Dragons name still carries enough goodwill that Warner Brothers is rolling the die once again, in the hopes of turning D&D into a fantasy movie for the ages. The studio has secured a screenplay from writer David Johnson (TV’s The Walking Dead, Wrath of the Titans); now all Warner needs is a filmmaker with a vision.

"The World's End" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: Rotten Tomatoes via Collider reports that Nick Frost (Attack the Block), Simon Pegg (Ghost Protocol) and director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) are collaborating on sci-fi buddy comedy in the vein of their previous efforts Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

Updates: According to Deadline, The World’s End is due to begin production in September for a spring 2013 release. It will centre on five childhood friends who reunite 20 years after an epic pub crawl when one of them decides it’s time they tried to repeat the feat.

Check out the new teaser poster from the Comic-Con.

BREAKING NEWS: The trailer is online now.

"Ender's Game" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: 70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion. Based on a novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game is directed by Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and stars Asa Butterfield, Abigail Breslin, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld and Viola Davis. Ender’s Game is expected to be in theaters on November 1st, 2013.

Updates: Deadline reports that Hugo’s Asa Butterfield is up for the lead. Comicbookmovie.com reports that Harrison Ford is being pursued for the character of Colonel Hyrum Graff. Summit originally wanted Viggo Mortensen, but it didn’t work out. CBM via Showblitz indicates that True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld is up for the female lead. THR notes that Hugo’s Ben Kingsley has been cast as a war hero previously believed to be dead.

Dark Horizons via THR notes that Brendan Meyer has been added to the cast. Ford, Rango’s Abigail Breslin, and Steinfeld are now confirmed for the project. Dark Horizons via Variety reports that The Help’s Viola Davis has joined the cast. She will play a military psychologist. MTV has the first image of Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield in Ender’s Game.

AICN reveals famous Hollywood composer James Horner (Aliens, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Rocketeer) will write the score for Ender’s Game. | Collider has the first photo of Hailee Steinfeld. | New poster.

BREAKING NEWS: First trailer. Enjoy!

"City Hunter" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Like many stories in the media these days, it seems that the rumors of Jackie Chan’s retirement from the action genre were greatly exaggerated – or at least mistranslated. Word arrives today that Jackie Chan is lining up a new English-language action comedy.

The premise, developed by Chan himself, has Jackie playing a detective on the hunt for an American gambler who owes a fortune to a certain casino in Macau. The internationally-set film will feature stops in Hong Kong, Macau, Eastern Europe and Mainland China.  Jay Longino has been tapped to pen the screenplay.

Jackie will star and produce. Any guesses as to which English-speaking costar will be paired up with Jackie this time around? The film doesn’t have a title as of yet but stay tuned to Cityonfire.com for further details as they develop.

Update: It’s been almost a year (literally!) since we’ve heard anything about this movie, but today Beyond Hollywood relays news that the project has a director and a new female co-star for Jackie Chan. Sam Fell, the filmmaker behind last year’s stop-motion scary movie for kids ParaNorman, will handle the directing duties. Meanwhile, China’s number one ‘It girl’ Fan Bingbing (seen in the Chinese cut of Iron Man 3) plays the female lead. The movie’s tentative title is Skiptrace.

"Dragon Eyes" Theatrical Poster

Justice is coming. But what is Justice? Martial arts star Cung Le (Dragon Eyes) has been teasing an upcoming movie project with action icon Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables), but not much is known about the film other than it carries the title Justice.

Recently, Cung Le shared a picture of himself with Dolph, training for a fight scene in a gym. He also revealed that the director of Justice is James Coyne, an up-and-coming filmmaker whose major credit thus far is a short film titled Vanished and serving as a co-producer on the live-action Tekken movie.

Although Justice remains shrouded in mystery at the moment, at least Cung Le keeps offering a steady stream of Facebook pics from the pre-production process.

Hopefully we’ll learn more about the project in the weeks to come. It appears that British actor Vinny Jones (Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand) has a role as well. Either way, a pairing of Cung Le and Dolph Lundgren is something for fight fans to get excited about.

Update: Thanks to a tip from our reader Jox, it sounds like Justice - which may be called Certain Justice or Justice is Coming - is a bit of a passion project for Cung Le, as he discussed the screenplay four years ago before starring in 2009′s Pandorum. Cung describes Justice as an ‘amazing’ cross between First Blood and No Country For Old Men.

"Merantau" International Theatrical Poster

Recently, Twitch reported on a new film that martial arts buffs might be interested in. You’ll likely recall actor Laurent Buson as one of the two ‘evil white guys’ that Iko Uwais fought at the same time at the end of Merantau – Buson was the one with glasses. Well, the highly trained martial artist also belongs to a group of stunt people known as the Z Team. Their latest project together is a new fight movie called The Price of Success.

The premise is more than a little similar to the Thai movie BK: Bangkok Knockout, in which a bunch of highly trained fighters wake up after being drugged and are forced to fight each other for the whims of madman. However, the advertising for The Price of Success in particular goes out of its way to state that the filmmakers use no wires or computer effects for their action sequences. Don’t believe them? Just watch the trailer.

"The Crow" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Relativity Media has been trying to get a remake of Alex Proyas’ 1994 cult classic The Crow off the ground for what feels like years now. The project has burned through directors and actors on a frequent basis. 28 Weeks Later filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo came and went, while Hollywood big timers Bradley Cooper and Mark Wahlberg were once in consideration for the role.

Now that Spanish filmmaker F. Javier Gutiérrez (2008′s Before the Fall) is at the helm, AICN reports that the film is inching its way towards finalizing a lead. The top contendor as of right now? X-Men: First Class and Wanted actor James McAvoy. Of course, many fans of the original film who still mourn the tragic loss of star Brandon Lee feel that this is a franchise best left in our memories.

Updates: The Wrap reports that Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in The Avengers and Thor) is in talks to play the lead.

According to Deadline, Tom Hiddleston’s involvement has been blown way out of proportion, stemming from a “simple conversation.” However, Deadline does note that True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard is being looked at, though no formal offer has been sent yet. “It sounds to me like it’s Skarsgard’s role if he wants it in the F. Javier Gutierrez-directed film series relaunch.”

BREAKING NEWS: Deadline reports that the new Eric Draven will be Fast & Furious 6′s Luke Evans.

"Legendary" Key Art

Fan favorite martial artist/actor Scott Adkins (Undisputed III, The Expendables 2) is currently in China filming a new 3D action movie titled A Legend. The movie is actually a British and Chinese co-production, featuring talent from both countries. Adkins stars opposite Chinese actress Huang Yi, who recently turned heads in the lead role of The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake.

Despite the multi-national cast, Chinese Films reports that the dialogue is being recorded in English. The plot follows a tour group exploring China’s unique geographical formations. Scott Adkins and Huang Yi’s characters will fall in love over the course of the story, a fact that is underscored by these new stills featuring the actors oiled up and embracing one another.

Scott Adkins’ own website has more details on the film, describing it as a “95-minute action-packed adventure film shot in 3D.” Also look for an appearance by Adkins’ Expendables 2 co-star Dolph Lundgren. The film has been discussed in the West under the title Legendary: Tomb of the Dragon. Head on over to this fan website for a ton of pictures from the movie and opening ceremony. Stay tuned to Cityonfire.com for the trailer when it debuts.

Update: Check out the teaser trailer. The movie is finished and now known under the simplified title of Legendary. The film will be screened in 3D at Cannes this month (May 2013), before a Chinese theatrical release in August. Worldwide release dates are to be announced sometime down the road. Here’s the newest poster.

Assassin's Blade Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Welcome to the month of May. Let’s get cracking. If you’re interested in any of these titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it!

Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 5/7/13:

ASIAN CINEMA

The Assassin’s Blade (Blu-ray/DVD) – distributor Well Go USA presents this 2008 Chinese fantasy/romance – a sort of “Romeo & Juliet” with swords!

Bunohan: Return to Murder (DVD) – it’s a blend of Thai kickboxing with arthouse drama in this innovative 2011 Malaysian film

Dragon Lord (Blu-ray) – while it’s appearing on Blu-ray in its dubbed and slightly edited form, this 1982 effort from Jackie Chan is still one of the best martial arts movies of its era. Only $5.99 from Echo Bridge

FOREIGN

Id: A (DVD) – Shout! Factory releases this 2011 Danish thriller about a woman who wakes up with no memory, a duffel bag full of money – and a stalker on her trail

The Rabbi’s Cat (Blu-ray/DVD) – the popular graphic novel of the same name is brought to stunning life in this 2011 animated French-language film

The Condemned (DVD) – this 2012 creepy chiller about a mansion with hidden secrets arrives from Puerto Rico

MAINSTREAM

Jack Reacher (Blu-ray/DVD) – Tom Cruise tries to do his best “Dirty Harry” routine in this gritty 2012 thriller set in Pittsburgh

Upstream Color (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2013 sci-fi film is the latest mind-bending feature from the writer/director behind 2004 cult favorite “Primer”

Mark 2: Redemption (Blu-ray/DVD) – martial arts icon Gary Daniels (“City Hunter,” “Bloodmoon”) co-stars in this 2013 apocalyptic thriller with a Biblical theme

NEW TO BLU-RAY

Band of Outsiders (Blu-ray) – the Criterion Collection offers this beloved 1964 effort from French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard in hi-def for the first time. A must-see for fans of the director

The Great Escape (Blu-ray) – an all-star cast, including Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Garner, headlines this 1963 classic about prisoners escape from a WWII prison camp

Saboteur (Blu-ray) – from the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, comes this 1942 thriller. Now in hi-def

Shadow of a Doubt (Blu-ray) – the inimitable Joseph Cotton stars in this 1943 thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, considered one of Hitch’s own personal favorites

Fortress (Blu-ray) – Echo Bridge releases this 1992 Christopher Lambert vehicle in hi-def for only $5.99. From the director of “Re-Animator”!

One Hour Photo (Blu-ray) – Robin Williams headlines this creepy 2002 thriller receiving a belated hi-def release

Grifters (Blu-ray) – John Cusack  stars in this 1990 action/comedy, co-starring Anjelica Huston

Gamer 3D (Blu-ray) – the 2009 action movie from the filmmakers behind “Crank” and “Crank 2″ is unleashed on Blu-ray once again, this time in 3D

Best of the Best: Without Warning (Blu-ray) – also known as “Best of the Best 4,” underrated action star Phillip Ree directs and stars in this explosive action flick

Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball (Blu-ray) – the “American Ninja” Michael Dudikoff is back in this 1997 action B-movie

COMPILATIONS

Face/Off (Blu-ray Steelbook) – a host of beloved films are available this week in new Blu-ray Steelbook editions, including John Woo’s 1997 action masterpiece. Also look for “Batman,” “Batman Returns,” “Gladiator,” “Heat,” and more

Comic Books 5 Film Set (Blu-ray/DVD) – Miramax and Lionsgate team up for this Blu-ray set containing “Conan the Barbarian” (Jason Momoa version), “The Spirit,” “Kick-Ass,” “The Punisher” (Thomas Jane), and “The Crow”

3 Mega-Monster Movies (Blu-ray) – Echo Bridge presents this 3-film collection of marginally related ‘monster movies,’ including the excellent “Godzilla vs. Biolante” alongside “Monster” and “Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus”

CULT

The Dungeon Of Harrow + Death By Invitation (DVD) – the latest double feature release from the cult and drive-in movie purveyors at Vinegar Syndrome

HORROR

Mama (Blu-ray/DVD) – produced by Guillmero Del Toro (“Pacific Rim”) and starring Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”), this horror flick was an early 2013 hit

Hellraiser VII: Deader (Blu-ray) – the 2005 installment in the popular “Hellraiser” series, now in hi-def from Echo Bridge

Teaching Mrs. Tingle (Blu-ray) – “Scream” writer Kevin Williamson took to the director’s chair for this 1997 horror/comedy set in high school. Featuring Helen Mirren as the teacher from hell

Return Of The Vampire/Revenge Of Frankenstein/Mr Sardonicus/Brotherhood Of Satan (DVD) – a low-budget release compiling these 4 separate horror movies

Interested in any of these movies? If so, we hope that you’ll consider ordering from our affiliate to help support this site. Thank you!

"The Yakuza" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Deadline reports that Daniel Radcliffe – of the Harry Potter movies – is set to star in an adaptation of Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction 2010 novel Tokyo Vice. Music video director Anthony Mandler, who has done work with many artists, ranging from Snoop Dog to The Killers, has signed on to helm the project. Tokyo Vice will be his first feature-length film.

According to Amazon, here is the synopsis for Tokyo Vice: Jake Adelstein is the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police Press Club, where for twelve years he covered the dark side of Japan: extortion, murder, human trafficking, fiscal corruption, and of course, the yakuza. But when his final scoop exposes a scandal, a price is put on his head. To protect himself and his family, Adelstein decides to fight back.

We assume that Radcliffe will be playing the journalist, and not a Japanese gangster (hey, in this day and age, you’ll never know).

Hollywood is no stranger to putting the yakuza (organized crime syndicates in Japan) on film. Some of the more popular movies to explore the subject are 1974’s The Yakuza, directed by Sydney Pollack; and 1989’s Black Rain, directed by Ridley Scott. The yakuza have also been portrayed in a more comic book-approach in films like 2003’s Kill Bill Vol. 1, directed by Quentin Tarantino; and 1991’s Showdown in Little Tokyo, directed by Mark L. Lester.

We’ll keep you posted on any new developments regarding Tokyo Vice.

"White House Down" Theatrical Poster

German-born director Roland Emmerich has made a career out of systematically destroying the United States in movies like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow. His newest film, titled White House Down, continues the trend but with less of a ‘disaster movie’ approach and more of an action/thriller one.

Hollywood ‘It’ boy Channing Tatum stars as a Secret Service agent tasked with protecting the President (Jamie Foxx) when a paramilitary group attacks the White House.

So far it seems like we can expect some buddy chemistry between Tatum and Fox, as well as plenty of stunts and explosions. Website First Showing has an advanced peek at the film, with photos and quotes from Tatum.

With a script from buzzoworthy screenwriter James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man, Zodiac), this movie might be more than just your average summer blockbuster. White House Down is slated for release this June 28th, 2013, so a trailer should arrive in the coming months. | Watch the trailer of the trailer, which will premiere tomorrow. Check out the teaser posters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Watch the first trailer.

BREAKING NEWS: “Get your hands off my Jordans!” There’s a new full-length trailer for the film. Also, check out the latest poster.

"Kickboxer 2" Theatrical Poster

1989′s Kickboxer was just another stepping stone on a young Jean-Claude Van Damme’s path to stardom. The movie was little more than a remake of Bloodsport, this time transported to the world of Thai kickboxing, but the film was successful enough to spawn a number of sequels.

The first sequel saw Cyborg director Albert Pyun team up with actor Sasha Mitchell for Kickboxer 2: The Road Back. This film actually received a limited theatrical release in 1991. Mitchell, who would later achieve fame as a co-star on the 90′s TV sitcom Step by Step, was supposedly playing the brother of Van Damme’s character from the original.

The formula must have worked as Sasha Mitchell stuck around for two direct-to-video sequels, Kickboxer 3: The Art of War and Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor, before domestic problems temporarily derailed his career.

Today, Albert Pyun announced plans to resurrect the Kickboxer brand via a 12 to 18 episode web series. Pyun says he’s been brainstorming with Sasha Mitchell about story possibilities, and the two have hopes of securing financing from foreign investors at Cannes.

Simply titled The Kickboxer, the web series would follow Sasha Mitchell’s character after he has retired to raise a family in the backwaters of Ecuador. When a member of a shady drug cartel recognizes Mitchell from his kickboxing past, all hell breaks loose. Now Sasha must fight to protect not only his honor but the ones he loves. Cityonfire.com readers, we turn to you and ask: are you excited about the prospect of a Kickboxer web series?

"Fantastic Four" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Josh Trank, the co-writer/director of 2012′s Chronicle, scored a major hit with that film’s ‘found footage’ take on the superhero genre. He’s been rewarded with the task of rebooting the Fantastic Four.

This will be 20th Centry Fox’s second attempt at launching Marvel Comics’ cosmic family into a successful movie franchise. Josh Trank will be assisted by producer Matthew Vaughn, a filmmaker who has some experience with comic book material: he directed both X-Men: First Class and Kick Ass.

Updates: 20th Century Fox is negotiating with Marvel to extend their rights to the Daredevil character, but part of the bargain would involve giving the Silver Surfer and Galactus back to Marvel. Perhaps Marvel wants to incorporate Silver Surfer into their upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie?

Only downside is, that would mean Galactus and his Silver herald would be unavailable for Josh Trank’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. | According to Cinema Blend, Fantastic Four will be released on March 6, 2015. The date puts the project in good company, with The Avengers 2 and the Justice League film both releasing in 2015 as well.

First time screenwriter Jeremy Slater has turned his draft of Fantastic Four to director Josh Trank and new producer Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class). Reportedly, they’re both very happy with it but that’s not stopping 20th Century Fox from tapping novelist/screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) for a rewrite, which has some fans concerned.

BREAKING NEWS: Chronicle actor Michael B. Jordan is reportedly in talks to play Johnny Storm AKA the Human Torch.