‘Bloodsport’ Remake is Happening Because Not Even Jean Claude Van Damme is Sacred These Days

Once upon a time, we would have turned up our noses at the thought of an impending remake of 'Bloodsport' and said something like "Is there no originality left in Hollywood these days? A Jean Claude Van Damme film? Really?" These days, the news of an impending 'Bloodsport' remake can barely get a shrug out of us. But yes, they're remaking 'Bloodsport.'

The scoop comes via Variety, who also say that 'V For Vendetta' and 'The Raven' director James McTeigue has signed on to direct and that 'Taken' writer Robert Mark Kamen's screenplay is currently being revised by Craig Rosenberg. There's no release date yet, but the film is expected to begin filming in Australia and Rio de Janeiro early next year. The original article also says that the film "...will explore the life of 21st century mercenaries as they collide with the underground world of Brazilian Vale Tudo fighting," which sounds similar in spirit if not details to the original.

Although it's not a particularly great film, the original 1988 movie has a following and it remains one of the higher points in Van Damme's frequently bottom-of-the-barrel career. It's also a movie that feels like it only works because of its extremely talented/absolutely bonkers leading man. To remake 'Bloodsport' is to risk making a rather generic action movie with a massive Belgian martial arts master shaped hole in the middle of it. McTeigue and whoever he casts certainly have their work cut out for them.