From what I can tell, ARENA is telling a story told many times before: It takes place in a grisly future where people fight to the death in a televised game for the amusement of the masses; one man must fight in the tournament against his will, but he ends up surprising everyone with his skills, and eventually challenges the entire system. The thing about ARENA is, it looks to be ridiculous in the extreme, even for this genre. Not only that, it also apparently features Samuel L. Jackson giving one of his more unhinged performances, as the demented mastermind behind this whole thing. With all that, I think the trailer is worth putting out there, for the discussion and dissection of you fine people. Should we let this one live, or does it deserve to perish at the hands of Derek Mears? (Who makes a cameo in this preview, by the way.)
In addition to Jackson and Mears, ARENA stars Kellan Lutz, Nina Dobrev, James Remar and Daniel Dae Kim. It was directed by former visual effects supervisor Jonah Loop (A PERFECT GETAWAY, THE TRANSPORTER 2) and co-written by Tony Giglio (DEATH RACE 2). That should tell you all you really need to know.
The action thriller Arena centers on a young man (Lutz) who is kidnapped by a sadistic mastermind (Jackson) and forced into a modern gladiator arena, where men fight to the death for the entertainment of the online masses. Kim is playing a fellow prisoner, an artist who happens to be a master of kendo (samurai-style sword fighting), a skill that comes in handy when he competes for his life and his wife’s.
We’re not exactly sure when ARENA will come out, but I have a feeling we’ve got a new camp classic on our hands here. What do you think? Check out the trailer and place your votes below!
Nina Dobrev