First look at wuxia western ‘The Warrior’s Way’

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News | Film News | by Mark Pollard

THE WARRIOR'S WAY (2009) A trailer has been leaked online for THE WARRIOR’S WAY (formerly LAUNDRY WARRIOR), a $45 million Korean-New Zealand co-production from producers Barrie M. Osbourne (LOTR), Lee Joo-ick (BATTLE OF WITS) and Michael Peyser (SPEED 2). This effects-heavy, English-language fantasy actioner stars Jang Dong-kun (THE PROMISE), Kate Bosworth (SUPERMAN RETURNS) and GEOFFREY RUSH (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN).

Mixing wuxia, western and anime themes with highly stylized visuals, THE WARRIOR’S WAY concerns Yang (Jang), the world’s greatest swordsman, who betrays his clan to save his final enemy. He travels from Asia to a dying gold rush town in the American Old West where he goes into hiding by working as a lowly laundryman. Yang attempts to put his past behind him while befriending a band of carnival workers, the fiery-tempered Lynne (Bosworth) and Ron (Rush), the town drunk with a secret past.

When Lynne is threatened by a gang led by a Colonel (Danny Huston), Yang comes out of hiding to protect her with his sword skills and finds himself forced to face the past he was hoping to put behind him.

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THE WARRIOR’S WAY looks to be the first ever fantasy-wuxia-western combination and will break further ground by being an international production with an Asian lead that is currently set to premiere in the U.S. in August.

The film features the fight choreography of Japanese action director Yuji Shimomura, a protégé of Donnie Yen with AD credits that include VERSUS, ARAGAMI, SHINOBI: HEART UNDER BLADE, and motion capture for several action video games including DEVIL MAY CRY 4.

Kensuke Sonomura is assistant fight choreographer and stunts have been overseen by Hollywood veteran Augie Davis (THE WATER HORSE).

Source: 24Framespersecond via Quiet Earth

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  • danmye
    Martial Arts films, in their quest for international acceptance, are starting to become a cultural indistinguishible blob of nothingness. What made Kung Fu films special were their representation of the Chinese variant of Asian culture, full of folkways, etc. The culture gives heart and meaning to a film, a genre. Without the cultural spirit, this "genre" is becoming flat and tasteless. What a shame. We will soon severely regret the loss of the works of auteurs like Lau Sifu. Jackie Chan has long since, unfortunately, abandoned the folkways fueled genre that gave him his action Kung Fu film birth. We no longer have KungFu films, just action pieces...(sigh) What a shame.
  • Darrin Kemp
    This may be a case where we will have to root for the bootleggers. It galls me that this thing that looks like a well thought out fantasy sword epic dosn't have a distributor but we get garbage like Dragonball,Chun li and junk like that.
  • Rhythm-X
    RUtube. Awesome.

    Wow, that looks worlds better than what I expected. Premiering in the US in August? I call wishful thinking on that seeing as how there's no US distributor (yet), and will believe it when I see it. Remember that awesome release that THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD got in the US? It sure was sweet seeing that on the big scre- oh, wait.

    Directed by Sngmoo Lee.
  • @Rhythm-X - Agreed. I wouldn't put much stock in specific U.S. release plans at this point. The film was originally supposed to be released late last year and nothing came of that. I'd read that film investors are pushing for a U.S. premiere but they need a distributor for that to happen.
  • Bogodile
    WOW!!! when is this movie coming(world wide)????
    Instead of waiting for Matrix 4, I'll enjoy this movie rather... this looks GREAT :)
  • Arthur
    A baby? Lone wolf and cub inspired?
  • jiujitsu77
    wow this looks great! for once im actually looking forward to a cgi wuxia....and set in the west....hell yeah!

    anyone notice that the western has made a small comeback? and i always dig the crossover of the two. even the ones that are not that good (ie john liu's dragon's blood) are still pretty decent
  • justin quizon
    Holy...where did this movie come frome! Impressive as hell :)
  • Wolf
    Cowboys vs Swordsman? I'm sold!
  • Marc
    SICK!!!!! Cant wait for that!
  • keimuri no shinobi
    awesome,all i gotta say really
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