Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Chen, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, And Michael Bisping Are Making A Movie Together

Cinematic face-breakers Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Tiger Chen have been trying to work on a film together for a while now. They had Makeshift Squad, billed as an “Asian Expendables,” lined up, but that has yet to materialize. After that, we heard reports of Triple Threat, to be directed by John Wick: Chapter 2 helmer Chad Stahelski. That also failed to get off the starting blocks. But the trio of preeminent movie martial artists are back at it again, reportedly attached to a new project, also titled Triple Threat, and they’re bringing reinforcements in the form of Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, and UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping. Yeah, It’s like they asked me what I want in a movie and did exactly what I said. It almost brings a tear to my eye it’s so beautiful.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this Triple Threat is a reworked rendition of the Triple Threat we reported on last year. The bare-bones plot details for each do sound rather reminiscent of one another. The first version followed a Chinese martial artist who travels to Mexico after a vicious cartel kidnaps his ex-wife and son. Version two-point-oh revolves around a billionaire’s daughter, kidnapped by a vicious cartel and “[h]er only protection are two down-on-their-luck fighters and a third who has vowed revenge against the others.” The second, admittedly, sounds like way more fun.

Though it was rolling last year, Triple Threat apparently crumbled along the way and had to be rejiggered. This includes new financiers, a new script, which reportedly scraps the Mexico setting, and a new director. Chad Stahelski is moving on to direct the Highlander reboot, so low-budget action vet Jesse Johnson, another stunt-performer-turned-director, will take the helm.

And because, what the hell, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and Tiger Chen aren’t enough, Triple Threat decided to stack the cast even more by brining in Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, and Michael Bisping. Yeah, this is pretty much everything good in one place. In Joey O’Bryan’s (Fulltime Killer) script, Jaa, Uwais, and Chen are the protagonists, while Adkins, MJW, and Bisping take villainous roles.

Talking about the cast, Jaa said, “I cannot tell you how excited I am about this film, it is unique. I don’t think that anyone has seen a cast like this in a generation.”

I wholeheartedly agree.

There are a ton of connections running back and forth through this team. Tony Jaa and Michael Bisping recently worked together on xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. Scott Adkins worked with Jesse Johnson on the upcoming Savage Dog. Michael Jai White tussled with Jaa in Skin Trade and the Ong-Bak star showed up in Never Back Down: No Surrender. MJW has also hooked up with Adkins on Undisputed 2 and Metal Hurlant Chronicles. Though he’s most know for The Raid movies (and now Headshot, holy shit, Headshot), Iko Uwais appears, albeit briefly, in the Tiger Chen-starring (and Keanu Reeves-directed) Man of Tai Chi.

Triple Threat has its eye on an April start in Bangkok. If you need me, I’ll just be over here in the corner twitching with glee.