Kenji Tanigaki's three decades of action choreography expertise shines in 'The Furious,' where martial arts styles blend seamlessly. The film's Hong Kong epic aesthetic delivers non-stop action with fluid camera work, showcasing the choreographer's meticulous attention to detail and actor integration.
Sources say Tanigaki nearly broke during production — 18 days straight on one set piece left him 'surprised' he survived. But here's the real tea: his climactic fight almost flopped entirely until he made a desperate last-minute call to bring back Brian Le, transforming a boring 2v2 into a chaotic five-way brawl.
Tanigaki spent exactly 18 days filming the police station set piece. He revealed in an interview that 'originally it was two guys versus two guys' before adding Brian Le's character. Actors rehearsed for one and a half months prior to shooting, with DP Meteor Cheung joining rehearsals a month before cameras rolled.
Tanigaki knows his sequel dreams ride on box office success — but between the grueling shoot and his admission that he 'really needed' audience support, this feels less like confidence and more like a filmmaker crossing his fingers.
When Kenji Tanigaki says he spent 18 days shooting one fight sequence, you can hear the exhaustion in his voice even through the interview. The veteran action choreographer — who has logged three decades in Hong Kong cinema — is speaking with Variety about 'The Furious,' Lionsgate's latest martial arts entry hitting American theaters today, and he's remarkably candid about how brutal this production became. 'I really wanted him to come back,' Tanigaki admits, referring to Brian Le's villain character.
Here's the thing nobody expected: that climactic 20-minute battle audiences are about to witness almost never happened as designed. According to the choreographer, the original ending was 'two guys versus two guys' — a standard brawl between protagonist Wang Wei (Xie Miao) and his ally against the child trafficking ring's muscle. Tanigaki called it 'very normal.' Coming from someone who built a career on extraordinary action design, that's practically an insult to his own film.
The fix came from Tanigaki's attachment to Le's character — described as a villain but also 'such a lovely character' in the choreographer's words. By reviving him last-minute, the ending transformed into a five-fighter melee spanning three distinct parties. It's the kind of improvisation that separates forgettable action from memorable set pieces, and Tanigaki clearly knows it.
Behind the scenes, this wasn't just about choreography — it was about camera work too. Tanigaki made DP Meteor Cheung join rehearsals a full month before shooting started, which he notes is rare in modern filmmaking. 'Many times nowadays, it's a bit unfair to the camera team because they are the department that joins at the last minute,' Tanigaki explained.
'So many times they don't know the choreography.' By integrating Cheung early, the pair ensured the rapid-fire sequences would read clearly without relying on shaky cam or blur tricks. The martial arts style clash is deliberate: Xie Miao brings Chinese Wushu to his protective father role, while Joe Taslim — cast as an antagonist — relies on Judo. Tanigaki built the choreography from that contrast first.
'Because Joe Taslim is a Judo, he tries to grab Xie Miao and throw him, right? But Xie Miao tries to keep the distance from Joe, as Joe tries to close in.' It's textbook fight design elevated by genuine martial arts credentials on both sides. Whether audiences show up will determine if Tanigaki gets his sequel. 'I want to do a sequel,' he said flatly, 'but first of all, the first one must be very successful.' No pressure — just three decades of reputation and an 18-day nightmare shoot riding on opening weekend numbers.
