After news recently broke that the relaunched film company Cannon Films Ltd. preparing a number of projects, journalists and fans began to pester officials with questions about the details of the upcoming films. The first in the film release schedule was “American Ninja: Apprentice"(American Ninja Apprentice).
There's already an official synopsis for the action movie: When a secret crime syndicate threatens to completely destroy the American energy market, an elite squad of American ninjas comes into play. However, the villains emerge victorious in the battle, and now two old ninja masters have to find their former talented student, who left the squad, in order to complete her training. Only together can they defeat the crime syndicate once and for all.
Journalists from the website whoseresponsiblethis.com were able to ask a few questions about the upcoming film Richard Albiston – current head of Cannon Films Ltd.
Will The Apprentice have any connection to the original American Ninja?
This movie will not be a prequel or a sequel to the original series. We took the films "American Ninja 1-4" as a basis. They had a complete story arc about two ninjas. Therefore, we said to ourselves: what if these guys lived peacefully for more than 20 years, and are now forced to remember their skills because of a new serious threat in the 21st century? The concept of the new film is based on this. The new ones have nothing to do with the characters from the old series. This is a new franchise, a new timeline, new heroes. We also ignore the events of the fifth film in the original series, despite the fact that there is a different character and different events.
Will the new film continue the tradition of the old one, which was aimed at an older category of viewers, having an R rating?
For some reason, the last film in the series, American Ninja 5, was made specifically for a PG-13 rating. This is something we definitely will not do. The script for The Apprentice contains all the things that make us love Ninja Mania. Therefore, the film will be filmed with an R rating.
Will two original series stars, Michael Dudikoff and David Bradley, return to their roles in the new American Ninja?
I cannot comment on this issue, much less speak for Michael and David. But we expect that well-known faces will be closely mixed with the young cast. For example, we offered the role to a very talented girl, Debbie James, who is the daughter of Steve James, the star of the first three films in the American Ninja series. I think there's no better gift for fans of old Cannon films than showing Debbie kicking baddies' ass in that inimitable "James style." In addition, she is an excellent dancer and vocalist. Her talents can be seen at www.debbijames.com. We're also hoping to have some familiar names behind the camera for action fans to give fans a truly "authentic" action experience.
Fans immediately asked on Facebook Michael Dudikoff about his role in the new film about the American Ninja, to which Michael posted a strange photo with a suspiciously sly expression on his face. Well, we'll wait and see.
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Tags: American Ninja Apprentice, Debbie James, Michael Dudikoff
Tags: American Ninja Apprentice, Debbie James, Michael Dudikoff
I agree with Timmons!
Dudikoff shot his first American Ninja in the 80s, because... the overseas inexperienced public wanted to look at “their” ninja)))
Misha Dudikov did not show any polished or beautiful blows, alas...
But his colleagues in the ninja craft are more convincing - black Steve James and David Bradley have decent technique.
After "Ninjas" Dudikoff became mired in "C" class action films...
Vladimir,
It’s just that Mishka was able to play warriors better than single heroes who master karate :) The same film “Soldiers” with him and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is not bad for a b-action movie.
Vladimir,
Come on, Steve James was a very funny dude too)
And with Bradley, the last thing that came up was this:
Ravenside,
Maybe you're right, it's just that when I was little, due to my age, I wanted Steve James to play Jax in Mortal Kombat)))
David Bradley has a decent action movie about a prison, a clone of "Death Warrant" with Van Damme, called "Brutal Justice" 1995. There Bradley shows sweeping high kicks, like a young Van Damme)))
Vladimir,
So it seems like Jax was created with James in mind, without hiding it at all.
But Bradley can whenever he wants. Well, I mean, he could.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGrQkRYLVAA
DIV,
Thanks for the video! I have been watching the work of Kingofkungfu2002 for a long time. The man consistently makes videos...
There is also a user on YouTube called Dan Chup. He also has good videos - Michiko Nishiwaki, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ngai Sing, etc. I recommend watching!
Vladimir,
Thank you for your flattering review. Dan Chup is me :)
DIV,
Ahaha))) It turned out to be tough))) My thanks to the author of the clips! I'm Vladimir - a fan of martial arts films from Yakutia.
Ravenside,
Unlike Dudikoff, James and Bradley were athletes first and foremost.
And David is unlikely to return to an active career, since he had a serious spinal injury. So, most likely, he won't even be in the Ninja reboot.
DIV,
James looked very parodic on screen IMHO. In my opinion, even for that time it was funny. Black Rambo))
But Braley is a very murky story. Personally, I have a rather positive attitude towards him, I even have a favorite film with him (just mentioned by Vladimir below, “Cruel Justice”), I would also write about him. BUT.But. He seems to be mentioned everywhere as a titled specialist, but dig deeper and there is no supporting information. If you try to observe the technique and analyze it, then in his first fight film (which is about ninjas)) Bradley was, of course, 30 heads taller than any dudik, but at the same time he was very tense, with his eyes riveted on the point where he was hitting, or , on the contrary, those looking did not understand where he was going and resembled a ballerina who was taught to fight for the cinema. But with each new film he became more and more mature, acquiring technique, combos, rigidity, variety, and even some of his own style with his fingers outstretched)). And from an acting point of view, he was not exactly a log.
Ravenside,
I once read that James was being squeezed into a frame by filmmakers, trying to make him a new blaxploitation star, making him a cliched muscular black man who screams like a horse with every blow. The article said that James himself did not like it very much.
As for Bradley, I don’t know. At least he was showing something.
DIV,
Bradley definitely showed it, no doubt.
As for James, they succeeded. He really screamed like a horse at every convenient and inconvenient occasion)
Dudikiy had unconvincing fights in those days too. Sasha Dudikov is not Van Damme. He was just lucky. This movie(s) is sometimes overrated.
As for Walker... I don’t think I’ll open America to anyone, but in “The Life and Death of Bobby Z” there are several fights with him, including where he demonstrates his familiarity with grappling. In "Brick Mansions", in the final fight with Bell, there is a practiced transfer to the ground with a flip. They also wrote that he had a blue BJJ belt, and this, by the way, is not so bad for an amateur
Dmitriy,
Not serious, IMHO. Any professional actor in good physical shape can do this after training for filming. And it will look even more convincing.
I don’t want to offend fans of Dudikoff’s talent; even at a young age in the era of video stores, it seemed to me that there was something wrong with this guy)). In my opinion, he is the most incompetent movie fighter presented in this genre. “American Ninja” seemed to correspond to the demands of that time regarding the theme of ninja, but where SUCH GG was found and why is already a mystery to me...
Dmitriy,
The answer to the question “why was he taken” is in an interesting documentary about the Cannon studio, a link to which is in the corresponding news.
DIV, but can you briefly summarize it for those who don’t like to watch a whole video instead of reading two paragraphs of text?
Wave,
Eh... where is your curiosity? Chuck Norris was supposed to play the ninja, but he asked for too much money and refused to wear a mask, because he “sells his face” first of all. And Dudikoff hung out at the studio for a couple of years as an assistant, shooting for posters, etc. Menahem Golan noticed him and cast him in the role, despite the dissatisfaction of his colleagues.
Actually, the whole point is that he was never a fighter, but advertised clothes as a model.
Ravenside,
Well..., official sources say that Michael was involved in karate and boxing. But first of all, yes, he was a model.
DIV,
Official sources are Wikipedia, I believe. But in this matter they cannot be trusted.
Ravenside,
She's the one. However, on Dudikof’s own website it is written that he still practices martial arts, rowing and something else.
DIV,
He started doing this after he starred in films about ninjas. And what does “practice martial arts” mean? A beautiful expression on the site so as not to look like a random guest in this genre. The late Paul Walker also practiced jiu-jitsu. And Vladimir Vinokur has a red belt in karate (I'm serious). And this can be said about many others. This is all, as you understand, very relative.
Ravenside,
Yes, this is all clear. It’s just that, perhaps with the right and competent director, it would be possible to “cook porridge” with Michael. But, alas, he didn’t come across any of these on his way.
DIV,
In the BI genre? Very unlikely. In action films in general, well, maybe like Michael Paré, Brian Bosworth or Frank Zaragino and many others.
Just yesterday I uploaded all five parts of American Ninja in the author’s translations to my collection. And here Canon is preparing this. Well done!!!
And Dudikoff looks very young, I can’t believe he’s 61, apparently years don’t work on some people.
This is good news.