As anticipation goes, Jesse Johnson’s upcoming action ensemble “Triple Threat” is sure to be among the most dissected and breathlessly awaited films on the horizon. The project officially got underway in Thailand last week, boasting a line-up worthy of “The Expendables”, including Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais , Tiger Chen, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Jeeja Yanin, Celina Jade, and UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping, with some of the world’s most legendary stunt performers coming aboard as well, including Kazu Patrick Tang, Dutch kicking machine Ron Smoorenburg, and Tim Man as action director!
When it was first announced in late 2016, the film had veteran stunt man and “John Wick: Chapter Two” auteur Chad Stahelski attached to direct, with Johnson later coming aboard as director, and the setting shifted from Mexico to the Far East. The film will follow a pair of down-on-their-luck fighters along with a vengeance-minded third, hence the title, who find themselves enlisted to help protect a billionaire’s daughter from a vicious cartel.
An exponent of Lau Gar kung fu, Johnson’s career in the realm of stunt work stretches all the way back to 1990’s “Total Recall”. Between now and then, Johnson, nephew of the legendary Vic Armstrong, has performed and coordinated stunts on such action hits as “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”, “The Thin Red Line”, “Starship Troopers”, “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”, “The Green Hornet”, “Thor”, “The Amazing Spider-Man” 1 and 2, and James Cameron’s “Avatar”. As an action filmmaker, Johnson made his first big splash with 2005’s indie MMA thriller “Pit Fighter”, whose leading man, ex-Legionnaire and Muay Thai champ Dominique Vandenberg, will also reportedly appear in “Triple Threat”.
As it is, the title “Triple Threat” would seem curiously apropos, given that it is the third such martial arts ensemble Johnson is poised to release in the immediate future. The first of the three is “Savage Dog”, which brings together Scott Adkins with his “Undisputed 3” co-star Marko Zaror, MMA legend Cung Le, and rising star Juju Chan to duke it out in the jungles of Indochina in the late 1950’s. Next up to bat will be “Accident Man”, which pulls in Scott with Michael Jai White, Ray Park, Amy Johnston and Tim Man, along with Ray Stevenson of the “Thor” films and “Twilight” alumnus Ashley Greene. Based off the eponymous character in the defunct UK comic book publisher “Toxic!”, the film, said to be in the vein of 2016’s “Deadpool”, follows the exploits of ruthless assassin Mike Fallon, known for making hits appear to be accidents, and a mission to track down the men responsible for his wife’s murder. “Triple Threat” indeed!
Stay tuned for more info on “Triple Threat”, as well as “Savage Dog” and “Accident Man”, as it arrives!