Updated! Jean-Claude Van Damme vs. a slasher in The Legend of Johnny Jones

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Update! Got this in my Inbox:

Hello I am writing from Angry Troll Studio and we need to ask you to retract Mr. Jean Claude Van Damme's name from the article stating that he is starring in our film entitled "THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY JONES"  We have not signed any official contracts with Mr. Jean Claude Van Damme or his representatives to star in this feature.  Only Mr. Danny Trejo, Tom Arnold, Clifton Powell, Michael Pare', Costas Mandylor, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., NBA star Olden Polynice and Robert Crayton are officially attached.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is set to star in THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY JONES, a horror project that will pit him against a character the filmmakers are aiming to make the next slasher icon. 

Massimiliano Cerchi will be directing the film from a screenplay by Matthew "Ghost" Clark. The synopsis: 

Set in the housing projects of New Jersey, a young Johnny Jones (Robert Crayton) has only known poverty and abuse his entire life. Pushed to the edge, Johnny Jones suffers a mental breakdown and goes on a killing spree like none other in history, leaving a wake of death and carnage wherever he goes. As tensions and murder continue to get worse, the city calls Detective Cutchin (Jean-Claude Van Damme) to take over the case and bring Johnny Jones to justice.

THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY JONES is coming to us from Angry Troll Studios, a company that was named in honor of Clark's mentor and friend, special effects legend and TROLL director John Carl Buechler. Matthew Clark and Angry Troll CEO Tesha Clark have assembled a jaw-dropping supporting cast around Van Damme and Crayton: their co-stars will include Danny Trejo, Kevin Sorbo, Michael Paré, Costas Mandylor, Tom Arnold, Clifton Powell, Siren Mistfall, and Mischa Renee.

"Van Damme vs. a slasher" is all I needed to hear to start getting hyped to see this movie, and the rest of the cast adds to the excitement. But that's not all there is to THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY JONES: this is actually one of three franchises being developed by Angry Troll. The others are a horror franchise that will begin with a film titled DETOUR 95, and an action franchise that will begin with THE STREET AVENGER. The plan is that the JOHNNY JONES, DETOUR 95, and THE STREET AVENGER franchises will each have three films, then there will be "an epic crossover film where all the characters collide."

The crossovers start in THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY JONES, as the film will feature Siren Mistfall as Candace, the lead character in DETOUR 95, and Mischa Renee will go on to be the star of THE STREET AVENGER.
 
High Octane Pictures will be presenting THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY JONES to potential buyers at the upcoming Cannes film market.