Following his previous directorial outing with 2018’s “Kickboxer: Retaliation”, Dimitri Logothetis is preparing to step into the director’s chair once again with the sci-fi martial-arts thriller “Jiu Jitsu”. On top of re-teaming Logothetis with veteran stunt man and “Retaliation” star Alain Moussi, “Jiu Jitsu” looks to boast quite the ensemble, with not only Nicolas Cage joining the project back in March, but also the newer additions of Tony Jaa, JuJu Chan, Frank Grillo and Rick Yune too!
Based upon the eponymous comic book title created by Logothetis and Jim McGrath, “Jiu Jitsu” sees Alain Moussi tackle the role of Jake Barnes, a combat veteran and Jiu Jitsu champion tasked with defeating an alien warrior every six years for the fate of the planet. After Barnes loses his match with his nefarious alien opponent, Brax, the now-amnesia-stricken hero must prepare to face his enemy once again with the help of a cadre of human freedom fighters led by Wylie, Keung, and Harrigan, respectively played by Cage, Jaa, and Grillo.
The premise of “Jiu Jitsu” is certainly as unique a blend of sci-fi and martial arts as we’ve seen, arguably since “Beyond Skyline”, which saw Frank Grillo battling alien invaders alongside Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian in a vast, ancient Southeast Asian Temple. In any case, “Jiu Jitsu” has a two-pronged hook to pique audience interest with its wild premise and ensemble cast of action stars.
Alain Moussi, Tony Jaa, and Nicolas Cage need no introduction to action fans, while Frank Grillo is easily recognizable for his involvement with “The Purge” and “Captain America” films, alongside the aforementioned “Beyond Skyline”. Rick Yune has also cut his teeth in action filmmaking in films such as “Ninja Assassin”, “Olympus Has Fallen”, and “Alita: Battle Angel”, while JuJu Chan counts appearances in “Savage Dog”, “Invincible Dragon”, and the upcoming “Wu Assassins” on her resume. With such an ensemble to its name, which also includes Marie Avgeropoulos of The CW post-apocalyptic series “The 100”, and what’s sure to be a mind-blowing feast of sci-fi and martial arts action, fans of both genres will definitely want to keep “Jiu Jitsu” on their radar!
