Donnie Yen just recently got his first truly substantial role in an American production where he and Keanu Reeves tear up baddies and each other in the freshly released John Wick: Chapter 4. Yen plays an assassin so skilled that even his blindness doesn’t hinder him. That movie is a love letter to Hong Kong action cinema and features a cute reference to a sub-genre of martial arts films, Wuxia. Yen starred in these Wuxia films that often blend fantasy and reality, and his newest non-John Wick film is a return to the genre. Sakra is a period piece action drama fantasy that will have Yen not only star but he steps behind the camera on this one. Blu-ray.com has just dropped a trailer for the U.S. release.
The official synopsis reads,
Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by his pen name Jin Yong), Sakra stars Donnie Yen as Qiao Feng, the respected leader of a roving band of martial artists. After he is wrongfully accused of murder and subsequently exiled, Qiao Feng goes on the run in search of answers about his own mysterious origin story—and the unknown enemies working to destroy him from the shadows.
Sakra stars Donnie Yen, Yuqi Chen, Kara Wai, Yue Wu, and Eddie Cheung.
This will be the sixth directorial effort by Yen after such films as Shanghai Affairs and Ballistic Kiss. The import movie distributor Well Go USA is working in association with the martial arts streaming channel, Hi-Yah!, for a domestic release of this film. In John Wick: Chapter 4, Yen has proven that even at almost 60, he has not slowed down one bit. And this trailer for Sakra equally showcases his thriving athleticism and speed. We get small tastes of the insane sequences choreographed by Kenji Tanagaki.
The trailer even includes a pull quote that reads, “Makes Ip Man look like a schoolyard scuffle.” And if you’re a fan of the Ip Man movies, you know how those films go all out on the action.
The film is slated to hit theaters across the nation on April 14.
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