UPDATES: We have been in touch with a producer of the film since running this additional post and have some additional news and details. First, we are told that the JCVD rumors were never really more than that - a story that grew somewhat under its own power after a somewhat chance meeting between Jaa and Van Damme at one of the producers' houses. Van Damme was already committed elsewhere - he is about to shoot Swelter with Alfred Molina - and was never available for this. The key cast are Tony Jaa, Dolph Lundgren, Conan Stevens, David Ismalone and Jakkrit Kanokpodjananon, so clearly the guy in the photo I thought may have been Patrick Kazu Tang was not. Story?
The film is an action film with comedy elements set in 1950's Thailand. A local gangster terrorizes a town. When a young local man stands up to the gangster the villain brings in a group of foreign hit men who like to dress as cowboys to pacify the town. Ultimately only one man can rise up to bring them down and save the town.
So, yes, that's Dolph as a cowboy hitman. Original post follows.
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It was back in late January that rumblings began to emerge that Thai martial arts star Tony Jaa was slated to co-star with Jean Claude Van Damme in an upcoming international action film. The project at the time was titled Local Hero and we're told that project has shifted slightly with Dolph Lundgren now starring opposite Jaa and retitled A Man Will Rise. The first images from behind the scenes have arrived, tipping the fact that it is some sort of Eastern / Western with Conan Stevens (Game Of Thrones) and - I believe -
Beyond the simple fact that this means that Jaa is now sprung from the limbo that is Tom Yum Goong 2 - the release date on that has been pushed back again, and is now looking at December of this year - this would also indicate that Jaa is now clear of his exclusive contract with Sahamongkol and free to take on international projects.
Check the gallery below for images.