The King of Fighters (movie)

King of Fighters is the upcoming live-action film for The King of Fighters series. The movie will be directed by action director Gordan Chan ("The Medallion," "Fist of Legend") and the new face screenwriter, Rita Augustine, replaces "Fearless" scriptor Chris Chow. Joseph Chou, Siew-Loong Tim Kwok, Bobby Sheng act as the movie's producers.

The film's budget is $12 million. Production is scheduled to end in mid-January and the film is expected to be released in the third quarter of 2009.

Plot
The synopsis released in 2007 is as follows:

"A stylish, high-octane, live action feature based on the highly successful video game franchise, in which the last surviving descendants of three legendary clans are continuously transported to other dimensions to test their martial arts skills against an evil force that seeks to invade and infect the real world."

These notes were added in the December 2, 2008 press release:

"As the fighters enter each new world they battle that universe’s native defenders..."

The film's story is predicted to take a sci-fi twist for the series. A recent behind the scenes video adds that the story will involve the "pursuit of three artifacts that will grant their owner unlimited power over reality." Joseph Chou, one of the listed producers, says the series's story arcs serves as inspiration for the movie's overall themes.

The plot will center around Kyo Kusanagi and his ascent into becoming a fighter. As a child, he is nearly killed by his father due to the Orochi's influence and goes into a coma. Angry and confused, he is dragged into a conflict that involves saving his own world from being conquered by Rugal Bernstein. Kyo, Iori Yagami and Mai Shiranui must band together to stop him.

Rugal, maniacal and power-hungry, believes himself to be the King of Fighters and indiscriminately kills all in his path in his own world and seeks to claim another. As part of the CIA, Terry Bogard investigates the under workings of the KOF secret society and their purpose.

Production
Initally, Production was by Axis Entertainment's Joseph Chou (who produced "Appleseed: Ex Machina") and Tim Kwok of L.A.-based Convergence Entertainment ("Wicked City".) and would have been jointly financed by Japanese production and rights management group Micott & Basara and Australian-U.S. sales agent Arclight/Easternlight.

After several setbacks, the film is now backed by Inferno Entertainment as an English language, Taiwanese co-production between Double Edge Entertainment, China’s Enlight Media, Japan’s Micott & Basara, the U.S.’ Convergence Entertainment and Axis Entertainment. Inferno will have the licensing rights for international releases. Filming was scheduled to begin in September 2008 but it began in Vancouver, Canada on November 27, 2008.

An news article posted on December 17, 2008 states that this movie is additionally backed by the US Inferno Entertainment, the U.K.'s Scion Films, and Singapore's Innoform Media. Micott has rights in Japan and South Korea, Innoform has rights in Singapore and Malaysia, and Inferno takes the rest of the world. Sony has a first-look deal with Inferno for North America.

According to Sean Faris's official website, the actor finished filming his role January 19, 2009. The movie is now currently preparing for distribution.

Cast

 * Sean Faris - Kyo Kusanagi
 * Maggie Q - Mai Shiranui
 * Will Yun Lee - Iori Yagami
 * Francoise Yip - Chizuru Kagura
 * Monique Ganderton - Mature
 * Bernice Liu - Vice
 * Ray Park - Rugal Bernstein
 * David Leitch - Terry Bogard also action choreographer
 * Hiro Kanagawa - Saisyu Kusanagi
 * Sam Hargrave - Ryo Sakazaki