SML elevates ‘Kickboxer’ remake from meh to must-see

By Coconuts Bangkok

Dec 8, 2014 | 12:43pm Bangkok time

A former lakorn princess who left Bangkok to sizzle in Los Angeles has been cast in a remake of a cult martial arts film from the 1980s set in Thailand.

None other than the inimitable Sara Malakul Lane, who Coconuts objectively deems the finest talent to transition from Thailand to Hollywood, will appear in the forthcoming remake of 1989’s “Kickboxer.”

READ: Sara Malakul Lane talks leaving Thailand to find her sexy self

Sara will play a detective-slash-love interest in the remake, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Let’s hope the character is a departure from the original film’s meek Mylee (Rochelle Ashana), and Sara will be spared further raping.

The original’s infamous ‘You bleed like Mylee’ scene.

Otherwise the film seems likely to follow the original’s contours.

Twenty-five years after Jean-Claude made “Van Dammage” an international sensation and helped create legions of Muay Thai devotees around the world, the student will become the master. 54-year-old Van Damme will will appear in the remake as master to the next-gen Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi).

Van Damme replaces Thailand’s Tony Jaa, who recently dropped out of the production. Meanwhile baddie Tong Po will be reimagined by Dave Bautista, most famously seen as the big dude in this past summer’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Kickboxer is in production and is expected to be released next year.