Japanese-American actor Pat Morita finished the movie Royal Kill before he died in 2005, but only now is it being released. What took so long? The most logical explanation is that with a lack of A list stars and a significant number of Asian-American actors, such as Morita, Lalaine (a Filipina who became famous as playing Lizzie McGuire‘s best friend), James Yun (professional wrestler know as Jimmy Wang Yang), Asian-Canadian wrestler Gail Kim, and an Asian-American/British director Babar Ahmed, the movie couldn’t get financed for distribution.
So why now? With Gail Kim currently being hot right now — recently making a long awaited debut on WWE Smackdown and soon to be in Wrestlemania — a distributor probably thought that this is the best timing and opportunity to get the film released. Gail Kim plays an assassin who tries to kill an American teenager, played by Lalaine, who doesn’t know she is the last living heir to a kingdom. I’d like to see it, but I am not sure that I would pay to see it in a theater. I’ll probably wait to see some reviews.
Royal Kill is going to be released April 10, 2009 in a very limited set of venues. The venues are on the movie web site and at the end of the trailer.
