When it comes to martial arts cinema, executive producer Bill Kong is an absolute titan. He’s the legendary mind behind genre-defining masterpieces like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and House of Flying Daggers. Now, his latest film, The Furious, stormed into theaters this weekend. And it’s already creating a massive wave of buzz world-wide.
I’m referring to the balls-to-the-wall crime thriller The Furious, which we confidently crowned “the action film of the summer” in our recent review. I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Kong. We had a chat about a spectacular, high-octane feature that came to be, the grueling reality of its production, and what it takes to push modern action cinema to its absolute limit.
An Unlikely Duo
Directed by the masterful Kenji Tanigaki (interview), The Furious tracks two desperate men on a devastating, violent collision course with a ruthless criminal syndicate.
The phenomenal Xie Miao (interview) stars as Wang Wei, an ordinary tradesman whose world is completely shattered when human traffickers abduct his young daughter. When the corrupt local police department gives him the cold shoulder, he decides to handle the rescue mission himself. And he doesn’t care who he has to tear through to get her back.
Along the way, Wang Wei crosses paths with Navin, played by martial arts royalty Joe Taslim (The Raid, Mortal Kombat)(interview). Navin is a relentless journalist hunting for his own missing wife, fueled by a dangerous mix of guilt and determination.
What follows is an explosive, tag-team rescue operation that makes John Wick look like a cozy Sunday afternoon. It is an absolute, 10-out-of-10 savage affair—especially when the blunt force of a hardware store hammer gets involved.
Do yourself a favor and catch this masterclass in martial arts filmmaking on the biggest screen possible. Head to theaters now to witness the spectacular chaos of The Furious.
