Ultimate Dolph

In the spring 1990, French Impact magazine was stating that Joseph Zito himself was working on a script for RED SCORPION 2 but that seems to be untrue, or it either slipped his mind since or never got past the "storyline stage"...

Dolph Lundgren was not interested in doing a sequel to RED SCORPION. But way before they completely changed route, ending up in the silly "movie of the week" that was made, Gregory Cascante's August Entertainment, George Braunstein and Ron Hamady (CRYING FREEMAN, FREEWAY, the aborted MELTDOWN) had acquired the rights and they tried very hard to come up a script that would please the Swedish action star...

In the result, at least three distinct screenplays featuring Nikolaï were penned, by writers Dennis Hackin (from HEARTBREAK RIDGE and BRONCO BILLY, who later did an uncredited rewrite on SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO), Clay Walker (a young writer employee of the company trying to get his shot) who set the story in Malaysia, and Malcolm Mowbray (who mashed up the two previous stories).

It's in 1992 that they showed market buyers a promo teaser poster (see below) showing a shirtless Matt McColm with a black belt and kimono pants for RED SCORPION 2: THE SPEAR OF DESTINY. Written by William Vigil, it was then to be produced by Lance Hool (10 TO MIDNIGHT, THE EVIL THAT MEN DO, MISSING IN ACTION, STEEL DAWN) and to be helmed by director Michael Schroeder (CYBORG 2: GLASS SHADOW and CYBORG 3).

Ultimately, the Canadian production was shot by Michael Kennedy in 1993 under again another script by Troy Bolotnick, Barry Victor and Straw Weisman...

The thing I never understood about this production is why even bothering calling it RED SCORPION when it had absolutely no relation to the original. Even today, DTV sequels are produced in name only for branding purposes. But considering the original RS was not a hit in any form (theatrical and home video), why bother branding it that way? Why not just make the film and give it another more generic title?

The thing is RED SCORPION actually was a hit in its own scale, it did great in Asia and was a hit on home video worldwide. Hence keeping the title which would allow to sell the foreign distribution rights better than if it was an unknown new property. Also if they had already pre-sold some rights when they first started off the project (maybe even lying regarding Dolph's participation hoping they'd change his mind) then they would have to keep it under RED SCORPION 2, and as they say even if not the biggest hit in the world a known property is easier to sell than an original work. The production company which didn't make the first one knew going in and buying the sequel rights back, that they could make a profit from it, and they didn't need to make much like a bigger studio would.

savagesketch wrote:Even today, DTV sequels are produced in name only for branding purposes.

The CYBORG (which I think might also be from August Entertainment), KARATE TIGER (NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER) sequels and the likes were made the same. The fact that they're still doing it today shows the formula somehow works for them despite pissing off pissing hard core fans...

Personally, I think action fans will eat up the fun to be had in this unrelated except in name only sequel as McColm is another underrated action star/stuntman in the industry by far. It is also faster paced compared to the original.

From Alan Jones' ("Starburst" mag; FrightFest) personal collection of trade promo goodies




Clear image from ebay:

Ridiculous.