Interest in a martial arts movie?

[azmyth]

I haven't posted here in ages. Been busy with life and other things.

I needed to get the opinions of some like minded individuals on what they thought about this idea.

I've noticed a lack of good martial arts movies being produced by Hollywood these days. I know we all grew up watching the van damme/norris movies and things like that. I'm actually a martial artist, as well as a film maker. I've produced a feature length horror film that will be out on DVD in September and am currently in production on another one. I'm not sure on the rules of posting links to those things, so if your interested in seeing that stuff or if its ok to post links, I will do so.

Anyway, to make a long story semi-short. I've been thinking really hard about making a martial arts movie. But I want to take a different direction with it than what Hollywood has been doing, and create a dramatic story based around the characters, and not make all of it revolve around the fighting. Fighting and martial arts will play a big part of it though. I've got a plot synopsis already ready to go, and am currently working on the screenplay. My question to you guys is this, is there still an audience for this kind of film to make it worth giving it a serious go?

I'd have to raise funds in order to shoot it, but what I've got planned could be done on a fairly low budget. Who would be interested in something like this? or even to go as far as say contributing to a crowd funding campaign in order to get it going? It would be sort of like a martial arts film made by martial artists. I haven't seen many indie martial arts movies, and I would love to see what I could do with it.

I just want to make sure I have an audience or otherwise there's no point!

 

[Supra Vijai]

Speaking of Indie MA flicks, I actually was looking forward to Black Dragon (starring Xin Wuku a.k.a Urban Ninja) because it looked like it would be fun. Not sure if you'd class it as "serious martial arts fighting" given it was mainly Parkour style stuff but eh, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be cool to watch. With regards to your particular story, I'd more than likely watch it if that counts for anything? One would think being made by a MA'ist, it would be a tad more believable at least in terms of fighting

 

[Steve]

You mean like Bourne Identity? Or Fighter? Or The Last Samurai? Or Million Dollar Baby? Or Redbelt? Or the Matrix? Or Unleashed? I'm pretty sure those were all Hollywood movies... except maybe Unleashed.

While there is no such thing as a perfect movie, I'd argue that every one of the above movies is better than anything starring Norris or Van Damme.

I guess maybe you and I have a different opinion about what makes a martial arts movie "good."

 

[Supra Vijai]

....Or the Matrix? ....

While there is no such thing as a perfect movie, I'd argue that every one of the above movies is better than anything starring Norris or Van Damme.

I guess maybe you and I have a different opinion about what makes a martial arts movie "good."

Which Matrix are we talking about? First one? Sure! Second, bit too camera trick heavy IMO. As for the third... As for Van Damme movies, yeah basically a movie is an excuse for him to do the splits on screen just as for Seagal it's an excuse to be an ex Navy SEAL or a Cop or a Zombie Killer or whatever who also always happens to be a Katana master Under Siege and Double Team were still good movies though (although Mickey Rourke probably made the latter)!

 

[Master Dan]

I have had many business dealing realted to technology and production one of my long time students was lead actor in on the ice that beat out Warner Brothers and many others at awards in Germany. I like the production value of any movie by Jet Li or Chow Yun Fat great music track but to get to your funding ideas I recomend you contact the prducer of the movie On the Ice due to his raising money ideas for low budget production. If its real people real action good story sure just please don't make another Foot Fis Way!!!!!

 

[azmyth]

You mean like Bourne Identity? Or Fighter? Or The Last Samurai? Or Million Dollar Baby? Or Redbelt? Or the Matrix? Or Unleashed? I'm pretty sure those were all Hollywood movies... except maybe Unleashed.

While there is no such thing as a perfect movie, I'd argue that every one of the above movies is better than anything starring Norris or Van Damme.

I guess maybe you and I have a different opinion about what makes a martial arts movie "good."

Yeah, I am not saying there aren't any.. But as a film maker I look at stats and numbers. Do the math, compared to the Norris/Van Damme era.. there are starkly less martial arts movie's being made...

I mean, things like Never Back Down etc... that's what we have now. I'm just trying to see if there is still a large audience because I don't have the luxury of just throwing money at something and hoping it swims. I just figured I'd get input on it from a martial artists frame of mind. I'm wanting to create something that will appeal to not just martial artists (Bourne did this pretty well I think) but also get people back interested in martial arts outside of JUST MMA. Unleashed was a Jet Li movie.. so most definitely Hollywood.

 

[azmyth]

I have had many business dealing realted to technology and production one of my long time students was lead actor in on the ice that beat out Warner Brothers and many others at awards in Germany. I like the production value of any movie by Jet Li or Chow Yun Fat great music track but to get to your funding ideas I recomend you contact the prducer of the movie On the Ice due to his raising money ideas for low budget production. If its real people real action good story sure just please don't make another Foot Fis Way!!!!!

I thought foot fist way, was horrible.

I'm looking at trying to recreate what I liked about all the martial arts movies from the 80s/90s without the cheese. If that can even be done? Maybe that's why I liked them.

 

[Steve]

I thought foot fist way, was horrible.

I'm looking at trying to recreate what I liked about all the martial arts movies from the 80s/90s without the cheese. If that can even be done? Maybe that's why I liked them.

I would say that kids today see superhero movies in the same way you and I watched martial arts movies. Sort of how Samurai movies morphed into Westerns which morphed into Space Jockey movies. The stories are timeless. The genre changes according to the times.

I'd say, get a script. Without a spec script, you really have nothing to sell.

 

[azmyth]

I would say that kids today see superhero movies in the same way you and I watched martial arts movies. Sort of how Samurai movies morphed into Westerns which morphed into Space Jockey movies. The stories are timeless. The genre changes according to the times.

I'd say, get a script. Without a spec script, you really have nothing to sell.

I agree, and I'm already in the process of writing. I didn't want to disclose anything yet just because I'm not finished with it. I really like the premise, and while its not totally unique.. it sort of borrows from different aspects of all the films I loved as a kid, and puts a more serious spin on them without all the cheese (everybody knows karate!)

 

[Jenna]

do you need a female lead? After I do some uh.. stuff with Donnie Yen and a few stunt standins for sshh.. Michelle Yeoh well I am free later in the year.. I will have my people talk to your people..

 

[K-man]

Why not? Karate Kid still made it in recent times. If you can make it appeal to families you will get good audience and then get TV as well. Go for it. :asian:

 

[Balrog]

Who would be interested in something like this? or even to go as far as say contributing to a crowd funding campaign in order to get it going? It would be sort of like a martial arts film made by martial artists. I haven't seen many indie martial arts movies, and I would love to see what I could do with it.

I just want to make sure I have an audience or otherwise there's no point!

IMNSHO, the best movies using martial arts are Bad Day at Black Rock, and A History of Violence. In both of those, the martial arts are not the focus of the movie. They have tremendous impact though (no pun intended) because they are shown as functional - no wire work, no hitting the opponent 50 times and he doesn't have a scratch, etc.

I'd love to see another movie like those.

 

[Buka]

Raising funds isn't the obstacle. And from reading your original post, I'm sure you know that. Getting the word out, getting folks to see (and pay) for it, is. "Hollywood" is an animal all to itself. And it is an animal you must be present in to get anything done.

A friend of mine, who I haven't seen in a decade, wrote a script, "Judo Heart". I read it about ten years ago. It was a corker of a love story (Romeo and Juliet theme), really well written, between two young Judo players. As of back then, he had optioned it three times over the last several years. (An "option" is when a studio pays you some cash, and you agree not to show the script to anyone else for, usually, a year. The studio maintains the right to buy the script in that time frame) Options for scripts vary with the people buying it. I've optioned scripts for five thousand dollars, and others for five hundred dollars. My friend optioned Judo Heart for a hundred grand once.

Hollywood doesn't often take chances on unknowns. Getting anything produced is tough. Getting anything distributed, and more importantly, advertised, is even tougher. But It can be done. Unknowns break in all the time. But you gotta be in L.A. You have to spend a lot of time there.

I think there's an audience for just about anything. It just has to be a good story. Getting it out there is the big stumbling block.