A24 Is Bringing Back One of Donald Trump’s Favorite Movies: ‘Bloodsport’

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It’s been too long since any of us chanted “Kumite, Kumite!” But Michaela Coel and A24 are taking moviegoers back to the Hong Kong underground in a proposed remake of the 1988 beefcake classic, Bloodsport. (Can someone check on the President?)

On March 18, A24 announced I May Destroy You‘s Michaela Coel as the writer and director of a brand new Bloodsport. Said Coel in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter): “I have long been in awe of fighters, and astounded by the discipline, intensity and isolation the sport demands of them. I am excited to explore this world, especially so with A24 as my collaborators. LET’S FUCKING GO.”

No other details about the movie were given, including its cast and expected release date.

The original Bloodsport famously starred Jean-Claude Van Damme as U.S. Army Captain and ninjutsu expert Frank Dux who enters the “Kumite,” an illegal martial arts tournament in Hong Kong. The movie was a box office success that cemented Van Damme as the era’s newest action star, spawned a series of sequels, and inadvertently created the Mortal Kombat franchise. It is also one of Donald Trump’s favorite movies, which frankly explains a lot.

Amusingly, Bloodsport was “inspired” by the real-life experiences of the real Frank Dux, who not only claimed to have served in the U.S. Marines and received the Medal of Honor, but also did missions for the CIA and trained under a Japanese ninja master since he was 16—skills he allegedly used to win a secret martial arts tournament in the Bahamas. Dux wrote about his “experiences” in his 1996 memoir The Secret Man: An American Warrior’s Uncensored Story; upon its publication, top CIA officials dismissed Dux’s stories as complete fabrications.

It’s unknown how Coel will remake Bloodsport for a new audience. To say nothing of how a defining movie in the MAGA canon will be interpreted by an acclaimed British writer and actress born to Ghanian immigrants. It begs the question why remake Bloodsport at all, given that “deadly kung fu tournament” isn’t an original idea. (See also: Enter the Dragon, Lionheart, Kickboxer, The Karate Kid, Mortal Kombat, Tekken … we can go on.)

But Trump might be happy to know that his favorite movie is coming back. Or will he? If the movie casts anyone other than a straight white guy as its utterly-shredded lead, he might react like he’s got salt in his eyes.

Yeah, like that.

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