©Courtesy of Stars Collective and Thailand’s Film Odyssey Co., Ltd
A multifaceted content studio Stars Collective and Thailand’s Film Odyssey Co., Ltd are partnering to finance and produce an untitled “Muay Thai” action/film trilogy of films (“Muay Thai Trilogy”) and have attached Thai martial arts / action star Tony Jaa (“Furious 7,” “xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” “Kill Zone 2”) to star.
Acclaimed director Yuthlert Sipbapak (“Friday Killer,” “February,” “Chiang Khan Story”) will direct all three of the “Muay Thay Trilogy” movies. Sipbapak founded and runs production outfit Film Odyssey and will produce the movies alongside Stars Collective founder Peter Luo (“Malignant,” “Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark,” “Crazy Rich Asians”) and Stars Collective Co-CEO, Nancy Xu. Tony Jaa is executive producing.
Stars Collective will finance and produce this trilogy as a China-Thailand co-production. The movies will shoot in Thailand and China. The trilogy reinforces Stars Collective’s commitment to financing and producing high-profile international action content for global audiences.
In the “Muay Thai Trilogy” a talented young fighter (Jaa) travels back in time to the Ayutthaya period and must learn to hone their skills and overcome their limitations in order to save the king from assassination and return to his era at the same time. As Suriya navigates the past and tries to save the kingdom, he must also contend with the potential consequences of altering the timeline.
The time travel element in the trilogy adds an additional layer of complexity and intrigue to the story. By sending the main character, Suriya, back in time to the Ayutthaya period, the film creates a unique opportunity to explore Thai history and culture in a new and exciting way. The time travel element also allows for a deeper exploration of the themes of self-discovery and personal growth. As Suriya navigates the challenges of the past, he must confront his own limitations and fears, and learn to become the fighter he was meant to be.
Stars Collective founder Peter Luo says, “This trilogy is a journey of self-discovery with powerful and relatable themes that resonate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Yuthlert has a brilliant vision that we’re looking forward to brining to life with Tony.”
Nancy Xu, Co-CEO of Stars Collective, said “Our Muay Thai trilogy checks so many boxes relating to what audiences want in big, eventized movies. Our mission is to make this trilogy an epic global phenomenon and we believe we have the optimal foundational pieces with Yuthlet and Tony and will continue to add talent in the coming weeks.”
Speaking on the project, Tony Jaa said, “As the executive producer and star of the film, I have worked closely with the director and the rest of the team to ensure that we create a film that not only showcases the physical prowess of the sport, but also the mental and emotional strength that it takes to be a true fighter. We believe that our Muay Thai trilogy has the potential to be a truly unique and inspiring film that will resonate with audiences around the world. Our goal is to create a story that is both entertaining and meaningful, and that showcases the incredible talent of the cast and crew involved.”
Tony Jaa is represented by the Gersh Agency, SC Film Films Thailand, Vault Entertainment, and law firm Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson.
Yuthlert Sipbapak is a Thai director known for his unique style and the cult following he has garnered over the years. He gained prominence for his comedic and often irreverent films that reflect various aspects of Thai society. Some of his notable works include “Killer Tattoo,” “Friday Killer,” and “Buppah Rahtree“
Tony Jass is a Muay Thai master whose formidable martial arts skills have dazzled action lovers in such films as Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong (aka The Protector). Jaa was first inspired to take up fighting when, at the age of 15, he first saw director Panna Rittikrai’s classic action film Born to Fight. A breathtaking martial arts masterpiece that proved to Jaa there were indeed opportunities for a young action star in Thailand, Born to Fight would inspire the impressionable viewer to begin training harder than ever before. Nicknamed Tony Jaa by Ong Bak director Prachya Pinkaew (the “T” in Tony stands for Thailand, and the “Jaa” is the actor’s Thai nickname), the talented martial artist is widely known in his native Thailand by the name Jaa Panom.
A native of the rural Surin province, Jaa took a cue from his Muay Thai-boxer father and began training at the age of ten. It was shortly thereafter that a Jackie Chan movie prompted young Jaa to begin a rigorous training regiment that would instill him with the deadly dexterity of his cinematic idol, with a subsequent, junior-high-school viewing of Born to Fight offering a vivid vision of a future in film.
Granted permission by his father to seek out Rittikrai and ask permission to become the filmmaker’s student, Jaa traveled to the nearby Khon Kaen province to meet the man who could make all of his dreams come true. It was over the course of the next three years that Jaa truly immersed himself in the film industry, rapidly rising through the ranks from water boy to best boy while constantly practicing martial arts during his down time.
When Jaa graduated from senior high and Rittikrai recommended that the rising star refine his skills at the University of Physical Education in Sarakam Province; a stint studying Taekwondo, Bushido, Ju-Jitsu, gymnastics, and stick- and sword- fighting at the school provided just the kind of well-rounded education needed to expand his skills and take his career to the next level. Weekend training sessions with Rithikrai soon convinced the veteran and star that his young protégé had the skills to truly shine on the big screen, with an invitation to join Rithikrai’s skilled stunt team offering Jaa the irresistible opportunity to finally merge the artistry of film with the beauty of martial arts.
His eye-popping fusion of gymnastics and Muay Thai boxing resulted in the formation of a group that performed in various high schools in the northeastern provinces of Thailand, as well as a local sword team which eventually allowed the emerging martial artist to travel to China as an exchange student. Jaa was later named the official representative of the University of Physical Education throughout northeastern Thailand and Bangkok, and was awarded multiple medals in sword, staff, gymnastic, and track and field events.
His skills as a performer steadily expanding thanks to his role as a stunt man in the Thai television series “Golden Eagle,” Jaa would soon bring his skills to the big screen when, in 1997, he appeared as an uncredited stunt double for Robin Shou in “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.” It wasn’t until the release of “Ong Bak“ some six years later that Jaa would receive full credit for his remarkable martial arts skills, with the stripped-down brutality of Muay Thai offering a refreshing change of pace from the graceful wire-fu that saturated the international film market in the wake of “The Matrix.” The result of four years of Muay Thai training on behalf of Jaa, “Ong Bak” proved that the human body is capable of amazing things even without the aid of computer animation.
By this point Jaa had been named heir apparent to the legacies of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan by nearly every film critic from Bangkok to Hollywood, and on top of that, the emerging martial arts icon developed a whole new form of Muay Thai (dubbed “Muay Thai Cochisai” for using the movements of an elephant) with which to woo audiences.
About Stars Collective
Founded by Peter Luo, Stars Collective is a dynamic initiative committed to diversity, innovation, and empowerment and to pushing the boundaries of storytelling through the integration of breakthrough technologies. The company exists to promote the next generation of diverse voices and creative storytellers.
Through Stars Collective, filmmakers and artists are afforded the opportunity to develop content with the guidance of industry luminaries such as directors Sam Raimi, John M. Chu and Alan Taylor, actor Xiaoming Huang, and producers Donna Gigliotti, Gianni Nunnari, Chris Lee, Sanping Han, Paula Wagner, Patrick Wachsberger, Eric Heumann, Liming Ke, Rob Minkoff and Anthony McCarren.
At the inaugural Stars Summit in Los Angeles, Stars Collective, Hana Investment (China) and Starlight Media confirmed their partnership on the first projects emanating from the ambitious Stars-Hana $300 million fund established to invest in a number of verticals including film & TV, comics, games, collectibles, consumer goods, artificial intelligence and advanced entertainment technologies.
Stars Collective has been aggressive this year closing rights deals to build its movie slate. The company recently optioned the film rights to the critically acclaimed non-fiction book “Fortune Sons: The 120 Chinese Boys Who Came to America, Went to School, and Revolutionized an Ancient Civilization”, and is developing and producing a movie adaptation alongside Academy Award® winner Donna Gigliotti (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “Hidden Figures,” “Shakespear in Love,” “The Reader”).
Stars Collective also recently optioned film and TV rights of USA Today best-selling author Shawn M. Warner’s mystery/fiction/ghost story “Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons – Pierce Manor.” The mega popular book is a #1 Amazon Charts Bestseller and one of the top ranked books in the world with millions of fans who have also made it a TikTok phenomenon garnering millions of views.
Most recently, Stars Collective optioned the life rights of Chef Pam (Pichaya Soontornyanakij), the renowned Thai-Chinese-Australian chef and the owner of POTONG, a Progressive Thai-Chinese fine-dining Michelin-star restaurant in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Her remarkable journey includes being the first Thai female winner of the 2011 Asia Youth Hope Cooking at 21 and is the first ever and youngest Thai Female Chef to receive both Michelin Star and “Opening of the Year” awards from the Michelin Guide in the same year 2023 before being crowned Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024 by World’s 50 Best Restaurants.