Yahoo News Jean-Claude Van Damme Shoots Netflix Action-Comedy ‘The Last Mercenary’
Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme is currently shooting action-comedy “The Last Mercenary” in France for Netflix, being directed by David Charhon (“On the Other Side of the Tracks”).
In the French-language film, written by Charhon and Ismael Sy Savane (“Lascars”), Van Damme plays a mysterious former secret service agent who must urgently return to France when his estranged son is falsely accused of arms and drug trafficking by the government, following a blunder by an overzealous bureaucrat and a mafia operation.
More from Variety
The cast also includes Alban Ivanov (“Lucky”), Assa Sylla (“Mortel”) and Samir Decazza (“Valide”).
The film is produced by Jean-Charles Levy and Nicolas Manuel (Forecast Pictures); Olivier Albou and Laurence Schonberg (Other Angle Pictures); David Charhon, Jakéma Charhon and Eponine Maillet (Mony Films); and Olias Barco, Vlad Riashyn (Apple Tree).
This is the first time that the Muscles from Brussels is attempting an action-comedy and it is also his first project for the giant streamer.
“‘The Last Mercenary’ is an incredibly exciting project and allows me to take on a new genre,” said Van Damme. “I’ve always been a fan of Jean-Paul Belmondo and I hope to take up the torch of action comedy in my own way. David Charhon’s script brings all these elements together in a very successful way — a beautiful story with emotion, a lot of action and a lot of humor.”
“I’m also very happy to work alongside a new generation of talent such as Alban Ivanov, Assa Sylla and Samir Decazza,” Van Damme added.
Charhon said: “I want to return to the great tradition of action films of the ’80s and ’90s — those cult films we all love where the heroes were out of the ordinary, the stunts were all more impressive and truer than life, and all punctuated with humour. Only Jean-Claude could embody this unparalleled golden age of cinema.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
