Edgar Ramirez and Melissa Leo find 'Joy'; 'Kickboxer' Adds Gina Carano

 David O. Russell's biopic on single mother-turned-entrepreneur Joy Mangano is beginning to round into shape. Not only has the previously-rumored Bradley Cooper been confirmed to rejoin Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro in the film, but also Edgar Ramirez (Deliver Us from Evil) is joining the cast. Not only that, but Melissa Leo is in talks to play Mangano's mother.  Lawrence stars as Mangano, a single mother of three who struck it big by inventing the "Miracle Mop", selling it and other inventions on Home Shopping Network. Ramirez will play Mangano's ex-husband, Tony Miranne. Leo won an Oscar the last time she worked with Russell, winning for her supporting role in The Fighter. Joy begins filming in February.

Gina Carano in the Kickboxer remake? Makes perfect sense. Gina Carano not kicking ass, though, is just plain stupid. The Fast Six and Haywire actress will join original star Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dave Bautista, Georges St. Pierre, Sara Malakul Lane, and Alain Moussi in the film about an American who enters the brutal world of Muay Thai kickboxing to avenge his brother's murder at the hands of champion, Tong Po. Carano will play a fight promoter described by producers as "a sneaky and dangerous temptress".

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Jean-Claude Van Damme is back for 'Kickboxer' Remake as Tony Jaa Exits

For awhile there it looked as if two Jean-Claude Van Damme classics were going to be remade without the Muscles from Brussels' involvement. While the Bloodsport film keeps kicking along, the Kickboxer remake has come up against an enemy that only Van Damme can beat into submission.

Scheduling conflicts have forced Tony Jaa to drop out, but that has left the door open for Van Damme to take his place. Only now he'll be the master rather than the student as he was in the original 1989 film. Van Damme will play an updated version of Master Chow, who trains an American fighter in the ways of kickboxing so he can defeat brutal Muay Thai champ Tong Po (Dave Bautista) and avenge his brother's death. Alain Moussi stars, with UFC champ Georges St. Pierre also a part of the lineup.

Unfortunately, the loss of Tony Jaa isn't the only major problem the film has to overcome. Director Stephen Fung (Tai Chi Zero) has dropped out and been replaced by John Stockwell, who last helmed the forgettable Gina Carano flick, In the Blood.  [THR]

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Tony Jaa and Scott Adkins Join the 'Kickboxer' Remake

When people talk about the greatest martial artist in the world of cinema, and the world in general, one name that is always in the mix is Tony Jaa. The muay thai master has been killing it for years in The Protector and Ong-Bak films, busting jaws with a combination of sharp elbows and knee strikes. He's set to become a bigger name in the U.S. as part of Fast & Furious 7, but after that he's moving on to a proper fight flick in the remake of Kickboxer.

Jaa, along with The Expendables 2's Scott Adkins, are joining Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Georges St. Pierre (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and Alain Moussi (X-men: Days of Future Past) in the remake of Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1989 actioner. They'll be part of a whopping 20 martial arts in the story of Kurt Sloan (Moussi), who travels to Thailand to learn kickboxing and avenge the death of his brother. Bautista will be taking on the role of the evil kickboxking champ, Tong Po.

Stephen Fung, who directed Tai Chi 0 and its sequel Tai Chi Hero, will be at the helm when production begins.

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Dave Bautista and Georges St-Pierre to Star in 'Kickboxer' Remake

While Jean Claude Van Damme had a ton of notable films in the '80s, the two he's best known for are Bloodsport and Kickboxer. They aren't all that different in that JCVD wasn't asked to do much perform the occasional split kick, but still they hold a place in many fans' hearts, including my own. Around the same time James McTeigue's Bloodsport remake began to take shape, word also came that Stephen Fung (Tai Chi Zero) was set to bring Kickboxer back to theaters, and now we know who will be starring in it.

Guardians of the Galaxy star and current WWE superstar Dave Bautista will team with another Marvel-ite, Captain America: The Winter Soldier's Georges St-Pierre. St-Pierre played Batroc in the Captain America sequel, but the current welterweight UFC champ won't be in the lead for Kickboxer. That role will go to newcomer Alain Moussi, a stunt man who has done work in X-men: Days of Future Past, Immortals, and more.

Jim McGrath and Dimitri Logothetis co-wrote the screenplay which isn't straying too far from the original film, which centered on a muay thai expert heading to Thailand to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of brutal fighter, Tong Po. It would make the most sense for Bautista to play the new bad guy, with St-Pierre possibly as the deceased brother.

Here's the remake's synopsis followed by my favorite Kickboxer clip. The film will be sold at Cannes

David and Kurt Sloan are the descendants of a well-known Venice, California dynasty of champions. Both are top-notch fighters and athletes in the prime of their lives. When David wins the Karate World Championship, a promoter lures him to Hong Kong despite Kurt's protests that the man is a crook. Not soon after, Kurt receives a letter from David and heads to Thailand to meet him. When he arrives, he discovers his brother is dead. The man responsible is the viscous Tong Po. Desperate to seek revenge, Kurt turns to Xian Chow, his brother's former mentor. To defeat the man who killed his brother, Kurt must look within himself to find the strength and courage of a champion.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme's 'Kickboxer' Next to Get a Remake

So there are basically two camps when it comes to the cinematic canon of the Mussels from Brussels, Jean-Claude Van Damme. You're either a fan of Bloodsport, in which he jumpkicks a lot of random foreign dudes on the way to victory. Or you're a fan of Kickboxer, in which he jumpkicks a lot of random foreign dudes on the way to victory. Well, the debate as to which film is actually better has just been given a modern twist, because now both films are receiving remakes.

Yesterday we learned that the Bloodsport remake was moving forward with James McTeigue at the helm, and now it'll be Stephen Fung (Tai Chi Zero) directing a Kickboxer update. The original 1989 film had Van Damme as an American in Bangkok who takes up kickboxing to seek revenge against brutal champion Tong Po for paralyzing his brother in a fight. The film was one of Van Damme's biggest hits, and spawned a series of terrible sequels, most of which starred Sasha Mitchell. The remake will be written by TV vets Jim McGrath and Dimitri Logothetis, and as of now there's no word if Van Damme will be associated. Interesting, this is the the third Van Damme film to be slated for a remake this year, along with the sci-fi flick Timecop, and none of them have the actor involved in any way.

Filming on Kickboxer is set to begin later this year or early next, with casting already underway. Here's hoping a Double Impact remake is next, and that if they're going to really remake Kickboxer, they don't leave out this scene....

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