Starting production this week in The Raid 2: Berandal, the sequel to the Indonesian action hit The Raid: Redemption, which is one hell of a film. Kinetic, unforgiving and wildly entertaining, director Gareth Evans’ action spectacular made waves last year and due to its success, a sequel was ordered up. Picking up only a few hours after the first film, shooting on the sequel is now underway and along with a press release, we also have a few stills from the set of the film, which is undergoing a 100 day shoot.
Considering The Raid: Redemption is one of my favourite actions films ever, I couldn’t be more excited for the sequel. Some of the scenes that Evans and his team constructed for the first film still blow my mind. In a genre that has become generic and stale lately,The Raid: Redemption is damn refreshing and the expertly choreographed and perfectly executed fight scenes are sure to make a return in the sequel. I’m still not sure how they are going to outdo the first film, or how they can even attempt to outdo the first film, but I fully trust that Evans and his team have some pretty mind-blowing things in store for us.
Check out the press release and photos below and let us know in the comments if you’re excited for The Raid 2: Berandal.
Highly-anticipated Actioner “The Raid 2” Starts Production in Jakarta, Indonesia
Los Angeles, CA (January 31, 2013) – PT Merantau Films and XYZ Films announce the start of production for THE RAID 2 (Indonesian title, THE RAID 2: BERANDAL), the sequel to the wildly popular international hit THE RAID (aka THE RAID: REDEMPTION). The film reunites writer/director Gareth Huw Evans with actor Iko Uwais, who will be reprising his starring role. Ario Sagantoro is producing for PT Merantau Films, along with Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian and Todd Brown for XYZ Films. Executive producing are Rangga Maya Barack-Evans and Irwan D. Mussry.
In addition to Uwais, the international cast includes Tio Pakusadewo, Putra Arifin Scheunamann, Julie Estelle, Alex Abbad and Roy Marten. The film is currently lensing in Jakarta, Indonesia and is scheduled to shoot for over 100 days. Line producing the film is Daiwanne Ralie, with Matthew Flannery and Dimas Imam Subhono serving as directors of photography.
Picking up right where the first film ends, The Raid 2 follows Rama (Uwais) as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in his own police force.
The Raid premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, where it took home the Audience Award in the Midnight Madness section. It went on to play at Sundance and SXSW, before enjoying a theatrical release in the United States through Sony Pictures Classics. The film is approaching $15M in global box office.
XYZ and PT Mereantau Films are also in post-production on KILLERS, which is co-directed by Timo Tjahjanto and Kimo Stamboel, with Gareth Huw Evans and Rangga Maya Barack-Evans executive producing . Evans and Tjahjanto recently collaborated on SAFE HAVEN, a celebrated segment in the horror anthology film S-VHS, which just premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
XYZ Films recently premiered Calvin Lee Reeder’s THE RAMBLER at Sundance as well.
“We’re incredibly excited to start the next chapter of The Raid story,” said XYZ Films. “Gareth introduced a rich and fertile world in the first film, and we’re eager to see him expand on that vision with Berandal.”
“To all our fans thank you so much for your support. We can’t wait to come back and show you what we have been working on,” said writer/director Gareth Evans. “We’ll be there in 2014 with a film bigger, better and bloodier! Wish us luck.”
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) acquired the film for the United States, Spain, Latin America and South Africa, and Sony Pictures Classics will once again release the film theatrically in the United States.
