 HKCinemagic: It’s generally agreed that your most iconic character to date is Uri Boyka, whom you first brought to life for Undisputed 2. The character is so popular he became the protagonist for the new Undisputed 3! What do you think makes this character so appealing? |
| Scott Adkins: I think we tried to make him not such a stereotypical villain in Undisputed 2; we gave him a sense of honour. There were actually scenes cut out that showed more of that side but it still comes across. And of course it was a great opportunity for me to show off my skills as a martial artist. A lot of the important things clicked into place with Undisputed 2, we had a great cast, Ross Clarkson is a fantastic camera operator and cinematographer, JJ Perry, had a huge impact as fight choreographer, we had good sets and locations and a tight script, everything worked. |
Scott Adkins (left) |
| HKCinemagic: He was essentially the bad guy in Undisputed 2 – will we be seeing him in a different light from now on? |
| Scott Adkins: I made a point of not reducing what Boyka was in the second film. Ok, he is the hero or anti hero in 3 but he’s still the same bad ass Boyka from the second film but we let him evolve just a little bit. He’s not the indestructible fighting machine he believed himself to be, he’s lost badly to Chambers in number 2, he’s physically broken at the start of the movie, his knee is badly damaged still and he has become a bit of a recluse. It was arrogance that lead to his downfall in the previous movie so he’s not the brash confidant Boyka he once was, he’s a little bit more open because he realizes that all is left for him is to rot in this stinking prison. He is definitely not in a good state of mind at the beginning of the movie but as the story unfolds he has a chance to redeem himself. |
"Crazy Boyka
" |
| HKCinemagic: The incredible fight action and MMA physicality were central parts of Undisputed 2. How will the action compare in the new film? Will it be different? |
| Scott Adkins: Undisputed 2 was down to myself and Michael Jai White but now we have three of the best martial arts screen fighters in the world along to help, Marko Zaror, Lateef Crowder, Ilram Choi. I’m very happy that they came along to be a part of the movie, it’s not very often that we get to have this calibre of talent in a martial arts movie of this kind anymore, it happens less and less. It was important for me to let them know that I wouldn’t hold them back in terms of ability and what they get to show on screen. I wanted everyone to look their best and from what I’ve seen I think the fights may well pass expectations. It’s difficult to say until I see an edit of the movie but I have a very good feeling about it. We have over twice as much action as we did in Undisputed 2. |
| |
| HKCinemagic: The physical transformation you first made to play Boyka was incredible! You’ve now recreated this physical state for Undisputed 3. Was it any easier the second time round? |
| Scott Adkins: It was much easier because I had more time and also it’s easier to get back to a certain size if you’ve already been there before. |
Intext Links