Lionsgate Seals Worldwide Rights to Martial Arts Thriller 'The Furious'
In a deal that solidifies its position as a major player in the global action cinema market, Lionsgate has acquired worldwide rights to "The Furious," a martial arts thriller that made waves at this year's Toronto Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival.
Produced by Bill Kong, whose credits include "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero," the film aims to capture the essence of Hong Kong action cinema's golden age. With veteran action choreographer Kenji Tanigaki helming the project, the movie promises authentic martial arts and hand-to-hand combat performed by an international roster of elite fighters.
The story follows Wang Wei, a humble tradesman forced into a violent criminal underworld after his daughter is kidnapped, who teams up with Navin, a journalist with a troubled past. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to battle an international crime syndicate.
Lionsgate plans to release "The Furious" in theaters globally by 2026, with the exception of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, where it will be distributed day-and-date by Edko Films.
"I am thrilled that Lionsgate has embraced 'The Furious,'" said Kong. "I believe they are the best company to handle this picture. I am looking forward to working closely with them."
Kenji Tanigaki, who is also attached to work with Donnie Yen in a reunion of sorts, expressed his excitement about the film's global release: "There's nothing more exciting than having 'The Furious' distributed by Lionsgate — it means that great action cinema will reach audiences in the best possible way. The adventure of 'The Furious' is just about to begin, and I can't wait for audiences around the world to jump on this ride."
Lauren Bixby, executive VP and co-head of acquisitions and co-productions at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, echoed Tanigaki's sentiments: "We have had tremendous success with several films from the TIFF Midnight Madness programming – including 'Sisu' and 'The Blackening' – in recent years, and we were similarly blown away by 'The Furious.' This movie redefines martial arts action – it's incredibly entertaining and engrossing, and we can't wait to share it with audiences next year."
In a deal that solidifies its position as a major player in the global action cinema market, Lionsgate has acquired worldwide rights to "The Furious," a martial arts thriller that made waves at this year's Toronto Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival.
Produced by Bill Kong, whose credits include "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero," the film aims to capture the essence of Hong Kong action cinema's golden age. With veteran action choreographer Kenji Tanigaki helming the project, the movie promises authentic martial arts and hand-to-hand combat performed by an international roster of elite fighters.
The story follows Wang Wei, a humble tradesman forced into a violent criminal underworld after his daughter is kidnapped, who teams up with Navin, a journalist with a troubled past. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to battle an international crime syndicate.
Lionsgate plans to release "The Furious" in theaters globally by 2026, with the exception of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, where it will be distributed day-and-date by Edko Films.
"I am thrilled that Lionsgate has embraced 'The Furious,'" said Kong. "I believe they are the best company to handle this picture. I am looking forward to working closely with them."
Kenji Tanigaki, who is also attached to work with Donnie Yen in a reunion of sorts, expressed his excitement about the film's global release: "There's nothing more exciting than having 'The Furious' distributed by Lionsgate — it means that great action cinema will reach audiences in the best possible way. The adventure of 'The Furious' is just about to begin, and I can't wait for audiences around the world to jump on this ride."
Lauren Bixby, executive VP and co-head of acquisitions and co-productions at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, echoed Tanigaki's sentiments: "We have had tremendous success with several films from the TIFF Midnight Madness programming – including 'Sisu' and 'The Blackening' – in recent years, and we were similarly blown away by 'The Furious.' This movie redefines martial arts action – it's incredibly entertaining and engrossing, and we can't wait to share it with audiences next year."
. It sounds like a wild ride of epic proportions! The fact that Kenji Tanigaki is attached to work with Donnie Yen again is a major bonus - those two are action movie royalty 
. And I love how the film is aiming to capture the essence of Hong Kong's golden age - it's gonna be a game-changer for the martial arts genre! With Lionsgate behind it, I'm expecting big things for this flick in 2026 
. The fact that they're releasing it day-and-date in some markets but holding back on China is a bit confusing, though... maybe we'll get more deets soon? Fingers crossed for an amazing action movie experience! 
Lionsgate getting the rights to "The Furious" is like, a major win for martial arts fans everywhere! 
I mean, who wouldn't want to see Donnie Yen in action on the big screen again? 
Plus, the story sounds so intense and thrilling - I'm already imagining the adrenaline rush of those epic fight scenes! 
Fingers crossed it comes out in 2026, can't wait to be on the edge of my seat! 
and I'm so down for more epic action scenes. Donnie Yen's return is gonna be lit 
! the fact that it'll be released globally in 2026 can't come soon enough 
. this movie better live up to the hype or else i'll be super disappointed 
. fingers crossed we get an early trailer or something to give us a sneak peek at what's coming 
no doubt its gonna be a wild ride watching this martial arts thriller go down, kenji tanigaki's expertise in hand-to-hand combat is a major selling point, and bill kong bringing his tiger dragon cred to the table... its all good vibes for lionsgate 
the plot sounds so generic and the title is straight out of a bad 80s movie 
i mean who names their kid "Wang Wei"? that's just asking for a Wikipedia page with all the wrong info 
and don't even get me started on the "humble tradesman" protagonist - how original 
. I'll believe it when I see it – Lionsgate's gotta deliver some substance to back up all the hype 
.
. Newsflash: it's not about throwing money at a problem, it's about listening to and respecting different perspectives.
. At least that shows some commitment to global representation. But will they be able to deliver on their promises? That's the real question 
.
. Like it's going to revolutionize the industry or anything. It's just another "hero" movie with a bunch of CGI explosions and poorly choreographed fight scenes. And Donnie Yen is attached to this thing? What's next, Chris Evans playing a Taiwanese cop? 
. And don't even get me started on the lack of representation from other international markets