The British cult action hero Scott Adkins has joined the cast of Kickboxer: Armaggedon, the final chapter in the reboot trilogy of the classic 1980s action franchise.
Adkins, a legend among action fans worldwide for his long career in mainly straight-to-video fare, including the Undisputed and Accident Man franchises, has recently become better-known to a wider cinema audience thanks to small roles in proper blockbusters, including The Bourne Ultimatum, Marvel’s Doctor Strange and, most memorably, as the oversized German mob boss Killa in John Wick 4.
Adkins will play Cesare in Kickboxer: Armageddon, a martial arts master who rules over a sadistic cult, the descendants of the REG (The Royal Elite Guard) of Burma. Cesare’s teaching philosophy involves learning through pain.
The film is the final entry in the new trilogy based on the Kickboxer action franchise which, er, kicked off in 1989 with the Jean-Claude Van Damme home video classic. Alain Moussi returns as Kurt Sloane, a fighter out to avenge his murdered brother who seemingly can’t get enough of beating bad guys down.
Dimitri Logothetis, who co-wrote the first reboot, the John Stockwell-directed Kickboxer: Vengence (2016) and helmed 2018’s Kickboxer: Retaliation, returns to the director’s chair for the third film. The reboot trilogy has won praise for its combination of modern effects and cinema techniques with old-school physical stunts and in-camera martial arts.
“Scott is an exceptional actor as well as a martial arts legend, and I am looking forward to working with him,” said Logothetis on the Adkins’ casting. “I know our Kickboxer fan base cannot wait to see Scott and Alain in Kickboxer: Armageddon. From Undisputed to Accident Man, as well as The Bourne Ultimatum, Scott has impressed us all with his unique action style.”
Kickboxer: Armageddon is set to begin principal photography in Biloxi, Mississippi, in April.
Adkins is repped by Wonder Street, Gersh, The BWH Agency, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.