Kickboxer, 80’s Iconic Action Movie Gets Game Adaptation

The 1989 martial arts film Kickboxer, which was one of the first big Jean-Claude Van Damme’s blockbusters, is being adapted into a video game for the first time. 

Force Multiplier Studios is in charge of the game is built by developers from such studios as Activision Blizzard, Sony and Respawn.

Collaborating with screenwriter Dimitri Logothetis and producer Rob Hickman, known for their work on Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016) that featured Dave Bautista and its sequel Kickboxer: Retaliation (2018), the studio aims to bring dynamic martial arts action of the “Kickboxer” franchise to the gaming world.

Force Multiplier Studios stated that the game: “will combine the rich narrative of Kickboxer with kinetic martial arts action to deliver an intense, high-octane brawler, and feature iconic characters and locations from the franchise originally starring martial arts icon Jean-Claude Van Damme.”

Kickboxer 1989 movie was the first movie that brought Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) to a global audience and grossed $50 million on a budget of $2.7 million. The film also left a mark in the video gaming industry, with Michel Qissi’s role as Tong Po providing visual inspiration for the Mortal Kombat character Goro.

Specific details about the title remain under wraps, including whether Jean-Claude Van Damme will lend his image or voice to the game.