Jean-Claude Van Damme Is Kicking His Way Back Into the Ring With Yakuza Thriller 'Katana'

Few action stars have a legacy as closely tied to martial arts as Jean-Claude Van Damme. He broke out with ‘Bloodsport’ in 1988, a film that gave him his first leading role and went on to become a cult favorite. He followed it with hits like ‘Kickboxer’ and ‘Double Impact’, and the genre has defined his career ever since.

In recent years, the Belgian star has stayed busy with films, voice work and even a special character skin in ‘Mortal Kombat 1’. Still, fans have waited a long time for something that feels like a return to the fighting that made him famous.

That wait now appears to be over. Van Damme is set to star in ‘Katana‘, a Japan-set martial arts thriller that is being launched for sales by The Veterans ahead of the American Film Market.

The story follows a former world champion fighter who is now a father and has left a dark past behind him. When the yakuza take his daughter in Japan, he is forced to make one more journey into combat.

Jeremy Zag, the French producer, writer and director who created the ‘Miraculous’ franchise, wrote the screenplay and will direct. Production comes from Zag’s company Division Z, in partnership with Japan-based Wowow Bridge, whose credits include the series ‘Tokyo Vice’.

Zag is a longtime karate practitioner, and his enthusiasm for the project is obvious. In a statement to Deadline, Zag said that “Jean-Claude Van Damme made me want to walk into a dojo.”

Van Damme will not be alone in the ring. Armenian MMA fighter Melsik Baghdasaryan and French Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Cyril Benzaquen are among the champions joining the cast.

Zag has said that more real fighters are being assembled, including men and women from different generations. He has also said that Van Damme resisted returning to this kind of cinema for years, and that the actor trusted him because the two share a martial arts background and a deep understanding of combat.

The director has described a clear creative target. He wants to combine the power of ‘Bloodsport’ with the urgency of ‘Taken’ and the energy of ‘John Wick’, all within a human story about a father entering Japan’s criminal underworld.

Zag has also said that Japan’s beauty, darkness and martial traditions are central to the film, and that the samurai code of honor and the intensity of sword combat sit at the heart of his vision. After 30 years of practicing Kyokushin karate at an elite level, he has called directing Van Damme a lifelong dream.

Zag and Van Damme have been working toward a collaboration for some time. Their project ‘What’s My Name?’ was announced in 2022, and Deadline notes that it seems to have evolved into ‘Katana’.

Zag has framed the new movie as a tribute. He has said that the goal is to make one last great martial arts film that celebrates everything fans love about the genre and honors the actor who inspired a generation of fighters and filmmakers.

For now, ‘Katana’ does not have an official release date. Filming is reportedly scheduled for April through June 2027 across Japan, France and Los Angeles, so audiences will likely wait a while to see it.

Van Damme’s martial arts legacy is also getting attention elsewhere. A24 is moving forward with a remake of ‘Bloodsport’ that Michaela Coel is writing and directing, which means the 1988 classic is about to get a fresh look.

At 66, Van Damme is stepping back into a role that plays to his strengths. The movie pairs his screen presence with real fighting champions, a Japanese setting and a rescue mission, a combination that sounds tailor-made for longtime fans of the genre.

Whether ‘Katana’ can deliver the same energy as the films that made him a star remains to be seen. But the idea of Van Damme returning to the fight, with a samurai-inspired backdrop and a family at stake, is already generating plenty of excitement.