While some have fared better than others, there’s certainly a long tradition of sporting stars making the transition from the arena to the big-screen and a career in action cinema. The latest in that line appears to be the Dutch kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, who though still in his twenties is currently ranked No. 1 in the world and who has just signed up for the lead in action adventure The Black Lotus.
Said to be in the vein of revenge thrillers like Taken, Verhoeven – who will also co-produce – will play an ‘ex-military operative’ who goes up against the bad guys to save the life of the woman he loves. It’s still early days for the project with the film still in the writing stage and no news of who might end up in the director’s chair. Rumoured shooting locations for the project which should start lensing in early 2019 apparently include Amsterdam, London and Sofia, Poland.
Verhoeven previously appeared in Dutch series Bluf and Vechtershart and alongside Van Damme in Kickboxer: Retaliation as ‘Moss’. He also voiced Ferdinand, the lead character in the Dutch release of the animated film.
