We've had the discussion a few times on our show, about whether The Raid star, Iko Uwais, has the goods to be an action force here in America. He's got charisma, and his silat style of martial arts is certainly unique, but that doesn't always translate here. With director Gareth Evans having planted his foot firmly in Hollywood now, it looks like Uwais is getting his shot to make an impression as well.
Keanu Reeves has cast Uwais in his directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi. The kung-fu film has Reeves in the lead, along with Tiger Hu Chen(The Matrix), and according to Variety will be set in modern Beijing. Chen will play a young martial artist on a spiritual journey, whose skills present him with both exciting opportunities and painful choices. Reeves has said in the past there would be about 40 minutes of fighting, so having somebody as talented as Uwais is going to be definite plus. Dude can throw some blows, which he'll put to good to use against Chen in one of the film's final battles. Here's hoping he's not forced to change styles for the role.
The film should get moving soon, especially since Uwais moves on to The Raid sequel, Berendal, in early 2013.
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