We’ve never seen the film career of any actor quite take the trajectory of Tony Jaa‘s. He went from having the potential to become perhaps the greatest martial arts film star since Bruce Lee after incredible, jaw-dropping performances in Ong-Bak and Tom Yum Goong (The Protector) to totally losing all credibility after the muddled, nonsensical messes that Ong-Bak 2 and 3 ended up being. Couple that with a very public breakdown which landed him in a Tibetan monastery, it looked like Tony Jaa self-imploded faster than director Troy Duffy.
But in early April Alex brought us word that Tony Jaa had agreed to return to film, teaming up with Sammon Hung (who will serve as fight coordinator for the project). That alone is great news, but this week another, even more exciting announcement was made: Twitch Film is reporting that Jaa is re-teaming with director Prachya Pinkaew and fight choreographer Panna Rittikrai to make a sequel to Tom Yum Goong… AKA The Protector 2! Not only that, but the film will be shot in 3D and will also star rising female martial arts star Jeeja Yanin, who appeared in Pinkaew‘s Chocolate.
The Protector is probably best known for the so-called “staircase” scene, in which Jaa climbed a staircase through a gangster’s liar and kicked ass along the way in one nearly four-minute uninterrupted shot. If you’ve never seen it, check it out below — it’s among the best martial arts sequences ever recorded. If that doesn’t whet your appetite for more Jaa, you probably need to see your doctor about not having a pulse.
This is beyond exciting news for fans of martial arts films, so let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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