Last week we learned the joyous news that Jean-Claude Van Damme had been cast in the Kickboxer remake.  The movie has quite a cast, many of them drawn from the world of martial arts.  Stunt man/martial artist Alain Moussi (X-Men: Days of Future Past) is playing the lead (Van Damme is playing more of a mentor this time out) alongside George St. Pierre (Bartoc from Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Dave Bautista (Riddick, Guardians of the Galaxy).

And now we've got word that MMA fighter and Haywire star Gina Carano has joined the film.  Hit the jump for more details on her role, which is something of a break from the archetype one might expect her to play.  The Kickboxer remake is currently shooting in New Orleans before moving onto Thailand.  John Stockwell is directing. 

In what's being called a "gender-bender twist from the original", Carano is playing a fight promoter in the film.  Lest we think she won't be doing any actual fighting in the film, producer Ted Field offered the following assurance:

"It will be fun to watch Gina as the sneaky and dangerous temptress, a boa constrictor of this fighting jungle.  Watch out kickboxers!"

Okay.  Here's the official synopsis for the Kickboxer remake:

KICKBOXER follows Kurt Sloan (Moussi), a talented martial artist who travels to Thailand where he must learn the secrets of the kickboxer to avenge his brother's death at the hands of Tong Po (Bautista).

Still looking forward to this one even though martial arts movies traditionally aren't my bag.