From “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” to the Scott Adkins-led “Ninja” films and the “Undisputed” franchise, Isaac Florentine has been one of the kings of Western martial arts moviemaking for quite literally multiple generations and counting.
Isaac’s skill as an action filmmaker has taken his protagonists from every setting one can imagine, from prisons in Eastern Europe to post-apocalyptic Earth and war-torn nations populated by special forces soldiers with a unique talent for spinning kicks. Isaac’s latest actioner, the newly released “Hounds of War”, has the distinct flavor of the latter.
In “Hounds of War”, a top-secret military mission gone awry leaves only mercenary extraordinaire Ryder (Frank Grillo) as the last surviving member of his unit. Determined to avenge his fallen comrades, Ryder teams up with his equally capable ex-girlfriend Selina (Rhona Mitra), with their mission growing more complex and explosive than either could have anticipated.
Today, KFK sits down with Isaac to discuss the making of “Hounds of War”, some of the highlights of working with stars like Frank Grillo and Robert Patrick, working alongside high-level movie martial artists like Mike Moeller, Joey Ansah, and Mark Strange, with Isaac also offering a peak at his next action film, “Hellfire”!
Hello Isaac, welcome back to Kung Fu Kingdom! Hope you’re doing well!
Hi Brad, I’m doing fantastic!
Awesome! Well, let’s jump right into the making of “Hounds of War”! What can you share about how “Hounds of War” came about for you?
The producer Frank DeMartini called me, and he also worked with me on “Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear”. He told me “There’s this company in Malta, and they just lost their director and producer on this movie, would you like to come on-board?”
I told him to send me the script, and I liked it a lot and said “Okay!” A week later, I found myself arriving to Malta, and this was also when we were just coming out of COVID!
You’ve also got some pretty big stars in “Hounds of War”, such as Frank Grillo and Robert Patrick. What can you share about making the film with them?
Well, it’s always a pleasure to work in a collaborative effort. You go to a new place, find locations, kind of try to see the movie in that location, and you’re working with the actors, they see their character like this, and you have to juggle it and collaborate so everything will gel.
So, what was your favorite action scene to film in “Hounds of War”?
I think maybe the roof fight that Frank Grillo does, and I also really like the action scene that Lee Charles and Mike Moeller have in the warehouse parking lot. We had a fantastic stunt team from Germany led by Mike Moeller, and it was a pleasure to work with them and do these fights.
Yes, you’ve got a lot of high-level martial artists in “Hounds of War” like Mike Moeller, Joey Ansah, and Mark Strange. What can you share about making the movie with them?
Mike I’ve known for many years, and also Joey. I wish the script gave them bigger roles than what they were, but it was a pleasure, and what Mike gave to the movie is a lot. He was collaborating with David Wall, who was also the fight choreographer and the second unit director, and I think you can see the result of their hard work on the screen.
So, what other projects do you have coming up in the future after the release of “Hounds of War”? Any future projects with Scott Adkins?
Hopefully, I’ll do something with Scott again in the future, but right now, I’m finishing a movie called “Hellfire” with Stephen Lang and Harvey Keitel.
Yes, and on that note, what can you share about the making of “Hellfire” with “Avatar” star Stephen Lang and former Power Ranger Johnny Yong Bosch, who you worked with during your time directing episodes of “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers”?
Yes, Johnny is absolutely amazing! As far as “Hellfire”, it’s coming along very well, we’re very close to being done, and it’s kind of a contemporary Western.
Yes, you’ve spoke a lot about your affinity for spaghetti Westerns. Is “Hellfire” going for a blend of spaghetti Western and martial arts?
Yes, exactly that!
Sounds awesome Isaac, we look forward to seeing “Hellfire”. Well, as we prepare to sign off, with your lifelong experience in martial arts, what can you share about your martial arts training these days alongside your career as a filmmaker?
Well, I’ve been training in karate for almost 53 years, and I love it. I teach where I live in the adult class four times a week, totally voluntarily just for me. I think it’s the best thing I ever did, doing karate. I love it, and I think the secret of it is just to go and train and train and train. It keeps you healthy and young in mind and young in body!
Totally agree! Thank you so much for your time today, Isaac! It’s been a real pleasure, and good luck with the release of “Hounds of War” and the upcoming “Hellfire”!
Thank you Brad, great to speak to Kung Fu Kingdom again!
