Bloodsport (film)

Bloodsport
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNewt Arnold
Screenplay by
Story bySheldon Lettich
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDavid Worth
Edited byCarl Kress
Michael J. Duthie
Music byPaul Hertzog
Stan Bush
Production
company
Distributed byCannon Film Distributors
Release date
  • February 26, 1988 (1988-02-26)
Running time
92 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.5–2.3 million[2][3]
Box office$50 million[4]

Bloodsport is a 1988 American martial arts film directed by Newt Arnold. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, with a supporting cast of Leah Ayres, Forest Whitaker, Donald Gibb, Roy Chiao, and Bolo Yeung. The film centers on Frank Dux (Van Damme), a United States Army Captain and ninjutsu practitioner who competes in an underground full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong. Based on Dux's real-life claims, the film was marketed as a true story. It was one of Van Damme's first lead roles and showcased his abilities, launching his career as a mainstream action star.

The screenplay is based on many of Dux's claims first covered in the November 1980 issue of Black Belt magazine.[5] The real Dux served as the action choreographer and technical advisor. After its release, many of Dux's claims were disputed, including by co-screenwriter Sheldon Lettich, who claimed Dux fabricated his fight record and the existence of the Kumite.[6][7][8]

Bloodsport was produced and released by Cannon Films on February 26, 1988. Despite negative critical reviews, it was a considerable box office success, grossing $50 million on a budget of $1.5–2.3 million. The success of the film helped the resurgence of the martial arts film genre in America.[9] It has also been identified as a cult film and spawned a film series which includes four sequels.

  1. ^ "Bloodsport (18)". British Board of Film Classification. June 12, 1988. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  2. ^ "Bloodsport". The Numbers. Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference latimes box office was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Thompson, Anne (August 27, 1989). "Punch Lineage". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  5. ^ John, Stewart (November 1980). "Kumite: A Learning Experience". Black Belt. Active Interest Media, Inc. pp. 28–34. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019.
  6. ^ Johnson, John (May 1, 1988). "NINJA: Hero or Master Fake? : Others Kick Holes in Fabled Past of Woodland Hills Martial Arts Teacher". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  7. ^ Richards, David (September 4, 1994). "FILM; Jean-Claude Van Damme, the, uh, Actor?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  8. ^ Cater, Dave (May 1987). "Bloodsport – The Ultimate Martial Arts Movie". Inside Kung Fu Presents the Complete Guide to Ninja Training: 38–47.
  9. ^ "AFI|Catalog".