Logothetis Gears Up for 'Kickboxer: Armageddon' and 'Flying Shadow' Shoots

Renowned action film director Dimitri Logothetis (known for his works on Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxer: Retaliation) is preparing to step behind the camera again for his upcoming features, Kickboxer: Armageddon and Flying Shadow. The movies are set to be filmed in strategic locations across Mississippi and Malta. The scripts for both projects were penned prior to the commencement of the recent strikes, with current endeavors focusing on obtaining a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement, in hopes of pushing the production start date to January.

Kickboxer: Armageddon marks a climatic end to Logothetis's reboot of the classic Kickboxer action franchise. The legendary Jean-Claude Van Damme once graced the role of Kurt Sloane in the original series, a character’s journey rooted in vengeance and the demanding discipline of Muay Thai. With a debut back in 1989, the esteemed franchise would go through several cinematic transformations including Kickboxer: Vengeance and Kickboxer: Retaliation, both of which interestingly did not feature Van Damme in the second and fifth installments.

Alain Moussi takes up the mantle of Sloane in Logothetis's trilogy: in the conclusive film, Armageddon. Amidst a world thrown into chaos by the intended murder of his wife and child, Sloane relentlessly navigates the treacherous world of Malaysia's underground fight scene to hunt down the merciless Cesare. The script for this compelling narrative comes from the accomplished duo of Logothetis and Jim McGrath, both of whom worked on the original reboot.

Logothetis's second project, Flying Shadow, centers on an action thriller narrative with characters Travis Rawls, an ex-Black Ops secret service agent, and Ling, a commander of a Chinese private security force. Together, they must solve an almost insurmountable crisis: the theft of the ancient and legendary sword, Flying Shadow, threatening the life of the President. The creative synergy of Logothetis and McGrath extends to this exciting script as well.

With a reputation for dominating the indie martial arts film scene, Logothetis has left his mark on several significant films, namely, Gunner, an action-packed thrill ride starring Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth, and the sci-fi thriller Jiu Jitsu starring Nicolas Cage. His contributions also extend beyond the writer's room and director's chair, as he holds presidencies at Acme Rocket Fuel and Kings Road Entertainment.

Now, let's address the white glove in the room: no, make that the action-packed glove on fire: if getting these scripts ready during strikes isn't resilience at its best, then I don't know what is. There's a sense of poetic justice, though: Sloane fighting against all odds to avenge his family while Logothetis works despite industry obstacles to bring these narratives to life.

I must underline how fascinating it is to see Moussi shoulder the legacy of Van Damme's character, Sloane. Who wouldn't love to watch this man pitted against the darkest elements of an underground fight club, all the while nursing a broken heart? Brace yourselves all Van Damme and Moussi fans, Armageddon promises to be a knockout: pun intended.

The taut tension in Flying Shadow promises a cinematic edge-of-your-seat experience. As someone who could be categorized as "alarmingly curious about ancient legendary swords," the President's life hanging in the balance sounds like one hell of a thrilling ride. And hey, if said ride involves some well-choreographed martial arts and even potential sword fights? Well, count this author in.

Don't sleep on Dimtri Logothetis, folks: he's not just surviving the Hollywood Wild West, he's making it capitvating. Here's to Armageddon and Flying Shadow: may they land a solid one-two punch in the heart of cinematic entertainment in 2022.