Action cinema has long been shaped by the contributions of filmmakers and stars from across Asia. With The Furious, the filmmakers and cast drew from many of those iconic films and talents to bring together one explosive package; the ultimate action film.
Directed by Kenji Tanigaki and produced by legendary producer Bill Kong, The Furious follows Wang Wei (Xie Miao), a father who embarks on a relentless mission to rescue his kidnapped daughter from a criminal trafficking network. Alongside him is Navin (Joe Taslim), a journalist searching for answers about his missing wife. Together, they find themselves facing overwhelming odds in a story packed with brutal action and emotional stakes.
Ahead of the film’s release, POC Culture spoke with producer Bill Kong, director Kenji Tanigaki, stars Joe Taslim and Xie Miao about the film’s global ambitions, the martial arts influences behind its action and what makes The Furious stand out from other genre films.
Joe Taslim Found A Character He Could Share With His Children
Taslim, who has enjoyed quite the run of action projects in Hollywood over the last few years with Warrior and Mortal Kombat, talked about playing a hero in this film. “This is personal for me. That’s this a role I dedicate to my kids,” Taslim said about his character Navin, a journalist determined to save his loved one.
While more and more audiences have grown to appreciate Taslim’s incredible martial arts talents, he’s largely played villainous roles in western productions. With The Furious, Taslim finally had the chance to play the hero who others can look up to. “I want my kids to have Naven’s empathy,” Taslim added.
Producer Bill Kong Set Out To Make An Action Film For The World
The origin story of this film began with producer Bill Kong, who has worked on some of the most iconic martial arts epics like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers and Fearless. Kong had stepped away from large scale films in recent years but was drawn back with the goal to make the “ultimate action film.” This time, Kong’s goal was to make a Hong Kong style action film for everyone to enjoy.
“”[I]t’s deliberately made for the world, you know, and not for a particular Hong Kong or anything like that.” Kong said.
Director Kenji Tanigaki Wanted Action To Tell The Story
One element of the film that is clearly intended to be more accessible to international audiences is the use of English as the film’s primary language. Director Kenji Tanigaki, who is one of the most acclaimed action directors from his work on the live-action Rurouni Kenshin films, talked about wanting to use English so that audiences can focus on the action on screen instead of reading the subtitles.
“In this movie I don’t want to use many dialogue to cover the drama, so I must rely on their body language and their martial arts to express something,” Tanigaki said.
Xie Miao Appreciated the Balanced Approach
Star Xie Miao praised Tanigaki’s approach, saying that “he has a very strong sense of control and balance. When there’s something we don’t understand, he absolutely won’t give it to us,” Miao said. “There’s a Chinese saying, ‘If you want to lift something heavy, you have to learn to lift something light.'”
Miao spoke about how he appreciated the way the film integrates different fight styles, different martial arts backgrounds, and is able to tell a layered story through unique visuals.
The Furious releases June 12th in theaters.
About The Furious:
After the daughter of Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself. His only ally is Navin (Joe Taslim) – a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown.
Lionsgate presents, an Edko Films and Zhejiang Hengdian Film production, in association with XYZ Films.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
