The Kickboxer franchise will return as a TV series. Deadline reports that a new show based on the films, dubbed Operation: Kickboxer, is now in development. Gary Scott Thompson (Fast & Furious) is the showrunner, and Todd Garner (Mortal Kombat) and Dimitri Logothetis (Jiu-Jitsu) are executive producing the series.
Jean-Claude Van Damme played a famous role in the 1989 film Kickboxer, the original installment in the film series directed by David Worth. In the film, Van Damme plays Kurt Sloane, a man who turns to martial arts to avenge his brother after being brutally attacked in a kickboxing match. Sasha Mitchell played Kurt’s brother, David Sloan, in three sequels, and in Atonement: Kickboxer 5, Mark Dacascos starred as Matt Reeves, a friend of the Sloan family. Van Damme did not appear in any of these sequels.
The series “Operation: Kickboxer” is described as a “spy show based on martial arts”, which tells the story of how Sloan’s younger brother, Michael Sloan, is drawn “into the world of international geopolitical intrigue. To earn freedom, Sloan must leave. under the guise of an MMA contender, using his influence to gain access to targets around the world while remaining in the fight for the champion’s belt.” Although the “younger brother” of the Sloan family is mentioned in its description, it is not clear in the report whether this series is connected with any of the previous films about kickboxers or if it will serve as another reimagining.
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Will Jean-Claude Van Damme Be Involved in Operation: Kickboxer?
As of now, there is no indication that Jean-Claude Van Damme will be involved in Operation Kickboxer. However, it’s worth noting that he returned to the franchise when it was rebooted in 2016. Van Damme played a key role as Master Muay Thai trainer. Duran. Moussi and Van Damme reprized their roles in the 2018 sequel Kickboxer: Retribution. There have been rumors of a third installment called Kickboxer: Armageddon, but the project’s current status is unclear after it was originally announced in 2016 and filming is scheduled for 2018.
Since Van Damme was ready to return in these reboot movies, it’s possible that he’s ready to return for Operation: Kickboxer. If the series ends up in the same timeline as the original films, that would open the door for Van Damme to return as the original Kurt Sloan. It seems that this may excite fans of the franchise much more than Kickboxer: Armageddon. Operation: Kickboxer does not yet have its own, and therefore, no set release date at this time. For now, we’ll just have to wait for more details to be announced.