Is Tony Jaa Time-Hopping Again? The First ONG BAK 3 Artwork Suggests Yes.

by Todd Brown, October 6, 2009 12:18 PM

Well, what have we here? With the American Film Market just around the corner, Sahamongkol Film have just released the first teaser art for Tony Jaa's Ong Bak 3 and while teaser art does not always bear a direct connection to finished product, if this one does then it certainly raises some interesting questions. And prime among them is that it does not appear to these eyes to be set in the same time period as Ong Bak 2. Which would mean - I presume - that the three films together represent some sort of karmic reincarnation cycle for Jaa. At the very least we can definitely say that he has considerably better hair this time out.

Beyond this it's hard to say much of anything. According to the producers, the production is in the home stretch now with a Thai release targeted for the first quarter of 2010. But specifics on story line and who's doing what are being kept quiet. Dan Chupong is said to be reprising his character from the end of Ong Bak 2 and the initial plan was to reuse some of the very large - and very expensive - standing sets created for Ong Bak 2. Who's directing? Again, hard to say. Both Jaa and mentor Panna Rittikrai were listed last time I looked but given Jaa's very public meltdown on set last time out and the fact that Rittikrai reportedly held back some Ong Bak 2 footage for use in this third installment when he took over that troubled production, the Jaa directing credit could simply be a reference back to that earlier material. Or they could be working hand in hand on this one. Only time will tell ...

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6 Comments

by wisekwai, October 6, 2009 12:57 PM

Sorry to break it to you, but that teaser art has been kicking around since late last year. Sahamongkol put it on the desk calendars they gave away last December.

I have heard nothing from the set of Ong-Bak 3, which for now I am taking as good news that things are clipping along with no incident.

Still, with Ong-Bak 2 coming out in the US and UK, you'd think they would offer something to reassure anxious audiences who are gonna be freaked out by the abrupt ending of Ong-Bak 2, unless that's been changed somehow.

by Todd Brown, October 6, 2009 1:28 PM

Oh, really? I'll have to have words with them for not giving me one of those, then! I'll have to go back through my old materials but I'm quite certain that they haven't shown any art at all yet in any of the international markets.

by wisekwai, October 6, 2009 3:03 PM

Okay, it's new to you and the rest of the world outside Thailand.

I guess this year so far the promotional efforts at international markets have all been about Ong-Bak 2. Now for AMF, the efforts to market Ong-Bak 3 are kicking in, which is encouraging.

I'm still surprised you never saw it before.

by fhoom, October 6, 2009 11:39 PM

looks like the snake in Jaa's pants is happy.

by g, October 7, 2009 10:34 PM

apparently ong bak 4 sees tony jaa reincarnated as the director and Panna Rittikrai as a lemon pancake. dan chupong is reportedly unhappy as being reincarnated as a human pong but hey thats show business. the cover art shows tony jaa shoving his four fingers at the camera. latest news reveals that they are indeed covered with his real bumhair but to be confirmed as apparently he went missing in the rainforest for a second time in a screaming rage , after he found out the production budget would only allow a freshly carved out coconut shell as his personal commode

by xino, October 22, 2009 12:55 AM

looks sick!

Idiots who were disappointed by Ong Bak 2's story, did not understood anything! It's supposed to be a cycle.

Wikipedia said something about Tien will still be alive in Ong Bak 3 and he'll fight with Crow Ghost with his broken bones from torture. Sounds sweet?

Ong Bak 2 was mindblowing, martial arts action was just too much and I love the 20min fight music:)

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