The Kickboxer franchise is set to expand with a small screen spinoff entitled Operation: Kickboxer, which is described as “a martial arts-driven espionage series”.
As reported by Deadline, Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and the Furious) is set to serve as showrunner on the series, which will focus on Michael Sloane, the youngest brother of Kurt Sloane.
In the show, Michael will find himself “thrust into the world of international geopolitical intrigue [and] in order to earn his freedom, must go undercover as an MMA contender, using his clout to gain access to targets around the world, while remaining in contention for the champion title belt.”
The Kickboxer franchise launched in 1989 with one of Jean Claude Van Damme’s early breakthrough films, although the Muscles from Brussels sat out the next three instalments as the focus shifted to Kurt’s brother David Sloane (Sasha Mitchell).
Van Damme returned to the series for 2017’s reboot Kickboxer: Vengeance, taking on the role of the Master Durand to Alain Moussi’s Kurt Sloane, along with the 2018 sequel Kickboxer: Retaliation. Those were written, produced (and in the case of Retaliation, directed) by Dimitri Logothetis, who will executive produce Operation: Kickboxer alongside Todd Garner (Mortal Kombat).
SEE ALSO: Enter The Muscles from Brussels: The Jean-Claude Van Damme Tournament Fight Film
As yet, there’s no word on any casting on Operation: Kickboxer, nor the potential involvement of Van Damme.
