Jean-Claude Van Damme’s ‘Bloodsport’ Gets Rebooted
The 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme flick Bloodsport is getting rebooted.
The folks at Relativity Media are spearheading the update of the action star’s breakout film. Taken scribe Robert Mark Kamen penned the original draft of the script, though Craig Rosenberg will provide a rewrite. V for Vendetta director James McTeigue will helm the project.
The Bloodsport reboot follows the adventures of two mercenaries who participate in an extremely brutal underground Brazilian Vale Tudo tournament. The upcoming project has yet to be cast as of this writing.
Written by Sheldon Lettich and directed by Newt Arnold, the Jean-Claude Van Damme flick found the Muscles from Brussels tackling the role of Frank Dux. After the soldier receives an invitation to fight in The Kumite, he is pursued by his commanding officers.
Bloodsport was a hit for Cannon Films back in 1988. The $1.1 million action flick went on to earn a cool $11 million during its theatrical run. Since martial arts movies seem to be enjoying a resurgence in mainstream popularity, it’s not surprising that this property has been singled out for a reboot.
If the project is going to happen, then James McTeigue is certainly the right guy for the job. In addition to V for Vendetta, the filmmaker helmed Ninja Assassin and the John Cusack thriller The Raven. McTeigue definitely has a strong eye for action.
However, Bloodsport isn’t the only Jean-Claude Van Damme movie getting rebooted. Tai Chi Zero director Stephen Fung is currently putting together a remake of the 1989 flick Kickboxer. The film tells the story of a man who learns Muay Thai in order to avenge his brother.
Although his movies are now old enough to qualify for rebooting, Van Damme is still out there doing his thing. The actor’s recent credits include 6 Bullets, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Welcome to the Jungle, and Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables 2.
What do you think about Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Bloodsport getting rebooted?
[Image via Cannon Films]
