Welsh director Gareth Evans first rose to prominence shortly after the release of The Raid back in 2011, a pulse-pounding Indonesian martial arts flick that now stands alongside Die Hard in the genre’s pantheon. With bat-shit insane fight scenes and stunning choreography, the action movie put Evans’ name on the map, and its well-received sequel only cemented the director’s reputation as one of the most exciting new talents on the scene.
So, naturally, people are eager to learn more about The Raid 3 and when Evans will indulge in another slice of high-octane mayhem. However, a recent Tweet form the filmmaker himself revealed that the threequel is still a ways away yet, and that fans shouldn’t expect it to arrive anytime before 2018 at the earliest.
. @GundamFan4Life The Raid 3 isn’t going to be happening anytime soon. Ideas in my head. Nothing written. No set date. 2018/19 possibly.
— Gareth Evans (@ghuwevans) January 21, 2015
We’ve known that Evans has been formulating ideas for The Raid 3 even before work on the second film had wrapped up; still, without a script to call its own at this early stage, it’s unlikely that the director will begin work in earnest for some time yet. This conundrum is compounded by the fact that The Raid 2 wasn’t as financially successful as its predecessor, grossing around half of it at the worldwide box office.
Whether Gareth Evans will have the opportunity to return to the story of Rama (Iko Uwais) remains to be seen. Even still, should The Raid 3 remain on the shelf in perpetuity, the Welsh director can surely take solace in how he has helped launch the career of not only himself, but the actors around him that helped craft two of the most exhilarating action films of the 21st century.
Published: Jan 21, 2015 12:36 pm