It looks like Van Damme has snubbed the upcoming Street Fighter film, for artistic reason! We get the story from mtv.ca via the moviehole:
Talking to MTV.ca, the former time-traveling law-enforcer says he knocked back an offer to join Kristin Kruek and Michael Clark Duncan in the new “Street Fighter”.
”I would have been well paid but I didn’t want to do it. I’ve made enough money. I don’t want to make a movie and then come home and be unhappy about it. Life is short. I’m 47 years old. I’ve got 10 years to go where I can be the best I can be. I want those 10 years to be precious, not like before, cranking two or three movies a year. I’ve made a ton of movies in my life, but so what? It’s time for me to do things I like so I will be happy, my wife will be happy, my friends will be happy. I just want to do something I’m proud of. It’s time for me to change. I could sign with a company for 10 movies and I’m the king of video and so what?”
Well my hat is off to JCVD. I agree with him, he doesn’t need the money and with 10 years of work left – I can certainly appreciate that he wants to do films that he is excited about. With hope, he will still consider action roles, because I have no strong desire to see him in romantic comedies and supernatural thrillers. In the next decade if he does just one more kick-ass action film; I would be content.
I have always said that when an actor earns enough money, it makes sense for them to either slow down and/or retire. Time is our most valuable resource and if you can’t enjoy the fruits of your labor; what’s the point.
The best part of this news is that he said no to another Street Fighter film. I am glad he is still embarrassed from the last one, the film sucked and was an insult to the legendary video game. The emotions he feels are appropriate, and I am glad he is being true to himself.
Who knows what the future holds for JCVD; like baby birds we stretch our mouths towards the heavens, awaiting further projects.
As far as his DTV films go, they aren’t horrible. In fact, I’ll bet you a nickel that if his DTV flicks were made in the early 90’s, they would have hit theatres (especially Wake Of Death) …when he says ‘he’s the video king’ that’s not a lie. If he comes back on the big screen (his last big screen appearance was the uneeded sequel to ‘Universal Soldier’) it will not be a reminder of his past failures.
Yes, he may have been proud of ‘Street Fighter’ at one point, but most stars are like that- have high hopes for the film, liked thier work…then witness the butchering of such work (SF was re-edited mostly due to the death of Raul Julia)…it just leaves a bad memory.
Looking back on most of Van Dammes best work in films -Hard Target, Maximum Risk, Nowhere To Run and the first Universal Soldier- it makes sense that he’s taking stock, and a return to the big screen would have to be something along that caliber. The films I named there had either well known, high quality writers behind the script, well known int’l directors making a mark on American cinema, rising, promising directors or all of the three. I’d actually love to see Van Damme get a story/film like Nowhere To Run, which is his most underrated and best acted film. (Maximum Risk comes close because he played a French cop)
Why would the maker’s of the new one want to associate themselves with the last one. Bad idea.
What the future holds for Jean Claude is a comedy called “JCVD”
http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/jean-claude-van-damme-kicks-own-ass-just-a-little-bit-more-first-proper-tea/#extended
Y’know Doug, i’m sure i read once that he called ‘Streetfighter’ one of his best films. But i’m glad he turned it down too. I’m just shocked he was offered it. If this next one is going to be successful then it needs to avoid any comparison with the original film.