AceShowbiz - Bloodsport is set for a fresh reinvention as Michaela Coel, the BAFTA-winning creator of I May Destroy You, takes on the project with A24. Coel will write and direct the new version of the iconic 1988 martial arts film that originally starred Jean-Claude Van Damme.

The original Bloodsport launched nearly four decades ago, establishing Van Damme as a martial arts action star with its story of a U.S. Army captain competing in a secretive underground fighting tournament in Hong Kong. Despite its cult status and an $11.8 million box office return, the 1988 film was not without controversy. The source material, based on martial artist Frank Dux’s accounts, was later challenged by co-writer Sheldon Lettich, who claimed many of the stories were fabricated. Van Damme himself stated in 2019 that he had to oversee a revised cut because the initial version was unwatchable. The film also spawned three sequels that did not feature Van Damme, and a remake was rumored back in 2011.

Michaela Coel expressed her enthusiasm for the project, stating, "I have long been in awe of fighters, and astounded by the discipline, intensity and isolation the sport demands of them. I am excited to explore this world, especially so with A24 as my collaborators. LET'S FUCKING GO."

The new Bloodsport project will be produced by Marc Toberoff, with Stuart Manashil and Peggy DiSalle serving as executive producers. Toberoff highlighted the original film’s pioneering depiction of mixed martial arts, saying, "In 1988, the now-iconic Bloodsport introduced audiences to the gritty aesthetic of mixed martial arts, and I look forward to bringing back that high-energy tournament format to the big screen again."

The original film was directed by Newt Arnold and became a significant entry in the martial arts genre despite its modest financial success and behind-the-scenes disputes. The upcoming remake aims to revisit that intense, tournament-driven atmosphere with a modern perspective under Coel’s direction.

Michaela Coel is already well-established as a favorite collaborator of A24. She is currently filming the miniseries First Day on Earth for A24, HBO, and the BBC, a project she wrote, executive produces, co-directs, and stars in. Additionally, she will soon appear in A24’s Mother Mary alongside Anne Hathaway.

Represented by UTA and Maison Two, Coel’s involvement in the Bloodsport remake marks another significant step in her expanding career as a writer, director, and actor.