Bloodsport | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Newt Arnold |
Screenplay by |
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Story by | Sheldon Lettich |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | David Worth |
Edited by | Carl Kress Michael J. Duthie |
Music by | Paul Hertzog Stan Bush |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Cannon Film Distributors |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
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]
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. It has been identified as a cult film and spawned a film series which includes four sequels.
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