One of my personal favorite 1980s movies is Bloodsport, the Jean Claude Van Damme movie about Frank Dux, a martial artist who competed in a highly secretive, highly dangerous underground fighting tournament known as the Kumite. Basically MMA before anyone knew what MMA was. The movie is a quintessential ’80s action-fighting flick, and features one of the very best ’80s movie songs you’ll ever hear. What more could one ask for?

Now comes word that Relativity Media is getting ready to remake the movie, with a writer, director, premise, and filming plans already in place. And another one bites the dust.

The Bloodsport remake will be directed by V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin, and The Raven helmer James McTeigue, and was written by Robert Mark Kamen, whose writing credits include the Karate Kid movies, The Fifth Element, the Transporter movies and series, and the Taken movies. After the Sunset and The Uninvited scribe Craig Rosenberg will rewrite Kamen’s script under McTeigue’s supervision.

The movie is said to follow 21st century mercenaries and their involvement in an underground Brazilian Vale Tudo fighting tournament. It will be shot in Australia and Rio de Janeiro.

[Source: Variety]