When it was initially announced last year that a remake of the 1989 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Kickboxer was being developed by independent production company Radar Pictures (Riddick), I think a lot of fans were understandably unenthusiastic. Let’s face it, remakes that improve on the original are pretty rare and there was no reason to assume that this would be anything more than a generic martial arts film with the Kickboxer name slapped on in order to cash in on ’80s nostalgia. Then they started casting the movie and things got a little more interesting. Earlier this year, it was announced that Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Georges St. Pierre (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) had joined the film. Now we have two more martial arts stars adding credibility to the film: Tony Jaa and Scott Adkins.

According to Screen Daily, the full cast of the upcoming Kickboxer remake has been unveiled and it now includes Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak, The Protector) and Scott Adkins (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Undisputed 2 and 3). They are claiming that there are 20 different disciplines of martial arts represented in the film and the cast will “push the boundaries of the martial arts form.” Kickboxer will be directed by Stephen Fung (Tai Chi Zero).

The main star of the film, however, is the relatively unknown martial artist / stuntman Alain Moussi. Moussi will play Kurt, the hero of the film who travels to Thailand to learn the secrets of the Kickboxer to avenge the death of his brother who was killed by Tong Po (Bautista). He has done stunts for such films as Pacific Rim, Brick Mansions and X-Men: Days of Future Past, but the producers feel that he is ready to become a breakout star. Are you looking forward to the Kickboxer remake?