Martial arts dramas are a bit of a rarity on American television, but it looks like AMC's Into The Badlands might soon have some competition thanks to Netflix. The streaming service is bringing their own original series with an emphasis on ass-kicking to the table, and they've just cast the star of kung fu cult classic The Raid as its leading man. Iko Uwais will soon be busting heads and flipping bodies on televisions worldwide as the sci-fi crime project Wu Assassins was given a straight to series order.
Wu Assassins is described as a martial arts sci-fi crime-fighting drama set in San Francisco's Chinatown and will center on Iko Uwais' Kai Jin. Kai Jin is the latest and last Wu assassin, and according to Deadline is tasked with rounding up the powers of the ancient triad to restore balance to the world once again. The show is said to feature some supernatural elements and will also star Altered Carbon actor Byron Mann, who will be playing the role of Uncle Six. Production on Wu Assassins will begin Wednesday, August 8.
Iko Uwais won't just be the star of Wu Assassins, but its stunt coordinator, fight choreographer, and a producer. Uwais was also the fight choreographer for The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2, which were both lauded for their action sequences. Uwais roles certainly will be an advantage for Wu Assassins which hails from 24 executive producer Tony Krantz and John Wirth. The show's script comes from Wirth who has written for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Remington Steele, and Hell on Wheels. Wirth will also be the serve as the showrunner for Wu Assassins.
There's no surefire guarantee Wu Assassins will be a masterpiece, but the inclusion of Iko Uwais will at the very least let us speculate the show will be a non-stop thrill ride. As mentioned, Uwais stunt work and fight choreography propelled a modest Indonesian action film to international acclaim and put both Uwais and director Gareth Evans on the map. The film featured a group of special tactics officers raiding the compound of a high-profile drug lord, and non-stop action scenese like this practically from start to finish:
Wu Assassins will begin production in August, so stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on the show's progress as more details are revealed. Anyone curious as to what's happening on streaming in the meantime should be sure to check out both our Netflix and Amazon premiere guides. Those more concerned with what's happening on television as a whole over these next couple of months can check out our wonderful summer premiere guide. For more on Iko Uwais, head read up on his role in Mark Wahlberg's upcoming feature Mile 22 right here.
