Deadline is reporting that action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme is set to return to his martial arts roots for Katana, a new Japanese-set action-thriller from writer-director Jeremy Zag (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir) which will see the Muscles from Brussels playing “a former world champion fighter, now a father, who has left behind a dark past. He is forced to make one more journey into combat when his daughter is taken by the yakuza in Japan.”
“Jean-Claude Van Damme made me want to walk into a dojo,” said Zag, creator of the successful Miraculous animated film and TV franchise. After 30 years of practicing Kyokushin karate at an elite level, directing him in Katana is a lifelong dream come true. I want to bring together the power of Bloodsport, the urgency of Taken and the energy of John Wick in a deeply human story: a father entering Japan’s criminal underworld to save his daughter. His experience is his strength. I want audiences to feel every impact, every breath and the love that keeps him fighting.”
“Alongside Jean-Claude, we’re bringing together real fighters and champions from around the world, men and women from different generations,” Zag continued. “For years, Jean-Claude hadn’t wanted to return to this kind of cinema. He has placed his trust in me because we speak the same language as martial artists and share a deep understanding of combat. Together, we want to make one last great martial arts film: a celebration of everything we love about this cinema, and a tribute to an icon who inspired us all.”
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In addition to Van Damme, the cast of Katana includes Armenian MMA fighter Melsik Baghdasaryan and French Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Cyril Benzaquen, with further additions planned ahead of production in April 2027.
