German action star Mathis Landwehr is finding new audiences in Asia and beyond. His martial arts feature “Lion Fist” has been picked up for South Korea, Latin America and the CIS, while fellow Landwehr starrer “The Last Kumite” has also found a South Korean home, sales outfit Cappu Films revealed at the Tokyo International Film Festival’s TIFFCOM market.
Mathis Landwehr in Lion Fist (Credits: Variety)
The deals break down by territory: Studio DHL has taken South Korean rights to both films, Great Movies picked up “Lion Fist” for Latin America, and Kinologistika LLC bought the title for the CIS. It is a strong showing for the retro-styled martial arts slate at this year’s Tokyo market, where independent action titles have been attracting real buyer interest.
Lion Fist and The Last Kumite: the films behind the TIFFCOM deals
“Lion Fist” (2026) stars Landwehr as Joe, a skilled martial artist who takes the fall for his wife during a drug bust and serves four years in prison. After his release, he learns his son needs an expensive operation for a life-threatening tumor — and his only shot at raising the money is entering a brutal all-styles fighting tournament with a $100,000 prize on the line.
The film was directed by German-Syrian filmmaker Taim M. Adams from a script by producer Sean David Lowe and veteran genre writer Keith W. Strandberg, and filmed in English for international audiences. The cast is stacked with genre veterans: Keith Cooke (“King of the Kickboxers”), Gary Daniels, Kurt McKinney (“No Retreat, No Surrender”) and Brice Akuesson. It released on digital, 4K UHD and Blu-ray from MPI Home Video on September 15, 2026, with genre outlets praising its physical, old-school tournament action.
“The Last Kumite” (2024) was Landwehr’s earlier breakout with the same team — directed by Ross Clarkson, steered by producer Lowe through a crowdfunding campaign aimed at fans of 1980s and 1990s martial arts films. The project was conceived as a love letter to the genre’s golden age, and its success paved the way for “Lion Fist.”
Why the Landwehr-TIFFCOM sales matter
Landwehr has been grinding in the action space for years, with earlier titles like “The Challenge” and “Lasko: The Fist of God” building a loyal genre following. These new territory deals — three regions for “Lion Fist,” a Korean home for “The Last Kumite” — signal that buyers see real commercial life left in old-school, practical martial arts filmmaking.
For Landwehr, the TIFFCOM deals could finally bring the kind of international exposure that genre critics have been saying he deserves for years. With Studio DHL, Great Movies and Kinologistika now on board, the Lion Fist wave is only getting bigger.
Also Read: TBS, Legendary and CJ ENM Plot a ‘New Global Genre of J-Content’ at TIFFCOM 2026 | Fuxi: Four Tales of Feasting Review — Qiu Jiongjiong’s Sensory Banquet Premieres at Tokyo Film Festival
Source: Variety — read the full story there.