Lionsgate Sets New Date for Kenji Tanigaki’s 'The Furious'

Bone-Crunching Bliss

Lionsgate has announced that the highly anticipated martial arts action film The Furious will now arrive in US theaters on Friday, June 12, 2026. Originally scheduled for a May 29 release, the film has already garnered significant momentum after being named a People’s Choice Award runner-up at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Leading this “murderers’ row” of action talent are stars Xie Miao, Joe Taslim, Yang Enyou, Brian Le, and Joey Iwanaga.

The story centers on Wang Wei (Xie Miao), a mute but expressive father whose life is upended when his daughter, Rainy (Yang Enyou), is kidnapped by a criminal organization. When the corrupt local police fail to act, Wei embarks on a relentless rampage for vengeance to recover her. He finds an unexpected ally in Navin (Joe Taslim), an investigative journalist searching for his own missing wife. While critics have noted that the plot is minimal, it still provides high stakes and characters we can truly root for as they dismantle an empire of child traffickers.

The “Unplugged” Path to Action Excellence

Director Kenji Tanigaki has described the combat in The Furious as “unplugged music,” likening it to an acoustic guitar performance that prioritizes the raw basics of choreography over the “orchestra” of heavy wirework and CGI found in his previous hits like Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. This visceral, “back-to-basics” approach is most apparent in the film’s innovative use of prop-based combat.

A central highlight is a pair of high-stakes hammer sequences. While one scene utilizes a standard hammer, it is the second, more intense sequence featuring a massive steel hammer swung against the protagonists that has already captured the attention of critics. This particular moment is being hailed as a potential career-defining turn for actor Brian Le, whose “brute presence” is said to elevate him to the legendary status of co-stars like Joe Taslim.

The film’s commitment to physical endurance culminates in an ambitious 25-minute finale. Described by Tanigaki as a “zombie fight,” the sequence features five fighters from three different parties in a grueling showdown. Producer Bill Kong specifically requested this extended climax to ensure that the audience feels as exhausted and breathless as the characters on screen.

The Mastermind: Kenji Tanigaki

Director Kenji Tanigaki is a titan of the genre, holding the distinction of being the only Japanese member of the Hong Kong Stuntmen Association. Inspired as a child by Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master, Tanigaki spent decades as a “secret weapon” for Donnie Yen, choreographing landmark hits like S.P.L., Flash Point, and Raging Fire. He is also the visionary behind the groundbreaking swordplay in the live-action Rurouni Kenshin series and recently won Best Action Choreography at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards for Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.