London Action Festival Announces New Events

The London Action Festival, which runs from 28th-31st July, continues to add to an impressive array of unique events to its inaugural line up with a further six not-to-be-missed events announced today:

“Con Air” a Special 25th Anniversary Screening of the classic action thriller directed by Simon West and starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich. Written by Scott Rosenberg and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun Maverick), the film centers on a prison break aboard a Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System aircraft, nicknamed “Con Air”. It features Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Colm Meaney, Mykelti Williamson, Dave Chappelle, Rachel Ticotin, Danny Trejo, and Monica Potter. A must see for all Nicolas Cage’s aficionados and devotees of action cinema as its best. The screening is followed by a Q & A with Simon West.

“The Car Chasers” is a look at key moments of action design in Film and TV from some of the best stunt performers who specialize in being both fast and furious when it comes to cars on screen. We’ll look at the Top #5 Car Chases of all time as chosen by global followers of Den of Geek, the leading news service devoted to all things genre. The panel will include stunt drivers and performers Steph Carey (No Time To Die, Morbius), Lloyd Bass (The King’s Man, F9: The Fast Saga) and Rick English (The Batman, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation) who together have over 450 Film & TV credits between them.

“Don’t Try This At Home!” – How To Become A Stunt Professional” is a free to attend bonus event from the London Action Festival presented in association with the British Stunt Register, the world’s leading and largest association of stunt professionals.

With over 45 years experience, they provide the Film & TV industry with Stunt Performers & Stunt Co-ordinators with all the necessary skills, experience, and knowledge that are demanded by stunt work in the 21st century and have established their own Career Grade Scheme. Do you have what it takes? Come along and hear from the professionals who are on and run the Register about how you can explore a career in one of the most exciting professions in the Entertainment industry.

“The World in Action” looks at Asian Cinema with Hong Kong as its traditional epicentre and the huge influence it has had on global Action Cinema. We assemble a group of experts to explore the films and filmmakers that have had the most impact and delighted audiences the world over.

Speakers include: Joey Ansah (actor, director and martial artist best known for his roles in The Old Guard, and The Bourne Ultimatum (where in the role of Desh Bouksani, his set-piece fight scene between himself and Matt Damon is regarded as one of the best ever filmed) and directing the hit YouTube short film Street Fighter: Legacy, followed by two acclaimed TV series, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist and Street Fighter: Resurrection.; Mike Fury (journalist and author of the acclaimed book series, “Life of Action” speaking to world-class actors, filmmakers and stunt people making some of the most highly regarded films of their kind); and Jude Poyer – whose passion for martial arts in cinema took him to Hong Kong aged 18 where had the chance to work with Jackie Chan & Jet Li. Back in London for more than a decade, Jude is now a sought after 2nd unit director, action designer, and stunt coordinator. In 2021 Jude worked as action designer & stunt coordinator for the forthcoming Netflix movie Havoc, starring Tom Hardy. This marked his third collaboration with noted action film director Gareth Evans (The Raid) following their acclaimed work on the SKY/HBO series Gangs of London.

“The Legend Of Drunken Master (aka Drunken Master II)” was selected by the British Film Institute (BFI) as one of the 10 best action movies of all time. This special presentation of one of Jackie Chan’s biggest hits is a rare screening of the original, uncut Hong Kong version in Cantonese with English subtitles in a new restoration from Warner Bros. The battles sequences incorporate five different fighting styles, including Shaolin Kung Fu, Taekwondo and Drunken boxing. The climactic seven-minute fight, directed by Chan himself took four months to film. This follow-up to one of his breakthrough roles set box-office records when it premiered in Asia.

Brother Gets TIFF World Premiere

TIFF has officially confirmed that Clement Virgo’s film Brother will make its festival debut with a World Premiere at the 47th edition of the Festival.

Adapted for the screen by Virgo from David Chariandy’s prize-winning novel of the same name, Brother is the story of Francis and Michael, sons of Caribbean immigrants maturing into young men amidst Toronto’s pulsing 1990′s hip-hop scene.  A mystery unfolds when escalating tensions set off a series of events which changes the course of the brothers’ lives forever.

Brother stars Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give), Aaron Pierre (Underground Railroad), Kiana Madeira (Fear Street) and Marsha Stephanie Blake (When They See Us). The film is produced by recently announced member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, Damon D’Oliveira, as well as Virgo, of Conquering Lion Pictures, along with Aeschylus Poulos and Sonya Di Rienzo of Hawkeye Pictures. Executive producers are Aaron L. Gilbert and Steven Thibault of BRON and Laurie May and Noah Segal of Elevation Pictures.The film will be distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures and BRON Releasing will manage the sale in other territories.

Knives Out Sequel Gets TIFF World Premiere

TIFF is thrilled to announce that Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will make its festival debut with a world premiere at the 47th edition of the Festival.

In the follow-up to Rian Johnson’s 2019 Knives Out, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, Detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of colorful suspects. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery stars Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline with Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista. Written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced alongside his partner Ram Bergman under their T-Street banner, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a Netflix film.

Sebastian Stan To Star In A Different Man

Sebastian Stan recently played a cannibalistic surgeon in Disney +’s Fresh and the Marvel star is now set to explore extreme medical procedures in upcoming psychological thriller A Different Man, written and directed by Aaron Schimberg.

Stan’s character Edward undergoes drastic facial reconstruction surgery in a bid for a fresh start, only to become obsessed with a man starring as him in a stage production about his former life.

BAFTA nominated The Worst Person In The World star Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson will also star in the new drama alongside Sebastian Stan.

Pearson is a prominent anti-bullying campaigner who himself has neurofibromatosis a condition which affects his appearance. He has previously worked with director Aaron Schimberg on Chained for Life, a 1950s set drama which also explicitly explored themes of appearance and acceptance.

Marvel star Stan will also be executive producing A Different Man with production due to commence next month.

Jason Schwartzman Joins Hunger Games Prequel Film

Hunger Games prequel film The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes continues to expand its cast. Following the recent addition of Euphoria star Hunter Schafer, Jason Schwartzman has also now officially joined the project.

Franchise veteran Francis Lawrence returns to directing duties with a script that delves into the world of Panem long before the time of the original movies. The new prequel focusing on a then 18 year old Coriolanus Snow, played by Tom Blyth many years prior to the character becoming Panem’s monstrously dictatorial President.

The young Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, District 12’s competitor in the 10th annual Hunger Games. Rachel Zegler plays Lucy Gray, a tribute who captures unexpected attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony. The unlikely pair unite their combined showmanship and political savvy in a desperate fight for survival.

Recently confirmed cast member Jason Schwartzman will be playing Lucretius Flickerman the so called ‘voice of Panem’ and host of the 10th annual Hunger Games. Fans of the franchise will recognise him as the ancestor of Caesar Flickerman, flamboyantly played by Stanely Tucci in the previous film series.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is due to arrive in cinemas on 17 November 2023.