I’ve been so excited for the release of The Furious into theaters. Following its world premiere at TIFF last year, I said that if it had opened in 2025 it would’ve been my top movie. Now we’re just days away from Lionsgate’s release of director Kenji Tanigaki’s frenzied Hong Kong action flick, so it can be my top movie of 2026!
The Furious is everything fans of The Raid and other brutally fast-paced martial arts flicks want. It stars an international ensemble led by Xie Miao, Joey Iwanaga, Yang Enyou, a breakout Brian Le, and The Raid stars Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian. Anytime you’ve got Taslim and Ruhian, you know you’re in for a goddamned wild ride.
The film centers on Wang Wei, a hard-working father who goes on a furious rampage against a criminal syndicate when they kidnap his daughter and law enforcement refuses to help. He teams with a journalist on a similar path, following the disappearance of his wife.
Trust me, I harassed Lionsgate for months to score interviews for The Furious, and I was fortunate to snag a couple of them. The first is with acclaimed director, stuntman, and choreographer Kenji Tanigaki. We talked about how much The Furious means to him, how he set out to create the ultimate Hong Kong action movie, and how he feels the best action setpieces come from a place of emotion.
The Furious opens in theaters on June 12th. Don’t miss it!
