Jean-Claude Van Damme Returns to Martial Arts Roots in Japanese Action-Thriller “Katana”
Jean-Claude Van Damme is set to return to the martial arts genre he helped define, starring in “Katana,” a Japanese-set action-thriller from writer-director Jeremy Zag, Flickering Myth reported.
Van Damme will play a former world champion fighter, now a father, who has left behind a dark past and is forced into one more journey into combat when his daughter is taken by the yakuza in Japan. Zag, the creator of the “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” franchise, said directing Van Damme fulfills a long-held ambition: “Jean-Claude Van Damme made me want to walk into a dojo.”
Zag Pairs Van Damme’s 30 Years of Kyokushin Karate with a Father’s Mission
Zag said Van Damme has practiced Kyokushin karate at an elite level for 30 years, and that the actor’s experience is the film’s strength. “I want to bring together the power of Bloodsport, the urgency of Taken and the energy of John Wick in a deeply human story: a father entering Japan’s criminal underworld to save his daughter,” Zag said. “I want audiences to feel every impact, every breath and the love that keeps him fighting.”
Real Fighters Join the Cast Ahead of April 2027 Production
Alongside Van Damme, the cast includes Armenian MMA fighter Melsik Baghdasaryan and French Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Cyril Benzaquen. Zag said the production is bringing together “real fighters and champions from around the world, men and women from different generations,” adding that Van Damme had not wanted to return to this kind of cinema for years but placed his trust in Zag because the two “speak the same language as martial artists.”
“Together, we want to make one last great martial arts film: a celebration of everything we love about this cinema, and a tribute to an icon who inspired us all,” Zag said. Further cast additions are planned ahead of production, which is scheduled to begin in April 2027.
More on Claude Van Damme
Worth a look