Fabrice Du Welz's MESSAGE FROM THE KING Casts Natalie Martinez

Actress Natalie Martinez is currently poised to appear in NBC's forthcoming series pilot, Warrior. In the meantime, Colt 45 helmer Fabrice Du Welz's new crime thriller, Message From The King is taking off this month in Los Angeles courtesy of the kind folks over at The Ink Factory with leading man Chadwick Boseman front and center, and a new report from Deadline has since confirmed a role for the actress as well.

Scripted by producer Stephen Cornwell and co-writer Oliver Butcher, the new film is said to take its inspired tone from classic crime thrillers like Point Blank and The French Connection. Boseman, who is also executive producing, stars as Jacob King, who, upon arriving from South Africa to L.A. prior to learning of his sister's death a day later, has just six days left, $400 dollars in his pocket, and the help of his late sister's neighbor, Trish (Martinez) to find the people responsible for his sister's death. Actress Teresa Palmer and actors Luke Evans and Alfred Molina also star.

International sales agent eOne is also co-financing and co-producing the film with producers Simon Cornwell and David Lancaster and executive producer Ash Shah. 

Boseman is also expected to appear in Alex Proyas's Gods Of Egypt next February before staking his claim in the Marvel Universe between now and 2018 in the title role of Black Panther while moviegoers can expect to catch Martinez this July in the new thriller, Self/Less starring Ryan Renyolds and Ben Kingsley.

Stay tuned for more info.

Natalie Martinez To Lead NBC's WARRIOR

Perhaps we should thank the uptick in the trend of martial arts action on television so noted by various folks responsible for the recent popularity of shows like the CW series, Arrow, among a few others on local and cable networks which happen to be presenting some of the best action on television in recent history. Thankfully it's a trend that may not go away anytime soon with a number of shows being renewed or newly added this year, including NBC's latest forthcoming contribution to the martial arts action genre, Warrior, which is already underway with casting since its announcement last month.

On Friday night, word from Deadline revealed that Death Race (2008) and End Of Watch (2012), actress Natalie Martinez s added as the leading lady for the new series pilot following actor Will Yun Lee's attachment as the villain on Monday. Phillip Noyce is directing from a script by executive producer David DiGilio and scribes Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald which will focus on Martinez's role in a the new series being described as follows:

In a grounded, contemporary multicultural and sometimes magical milieu, a damaged heroine works undercover with physical and spiritual guidance from a mysterious martial arts master to bring down an international crime lord.

I suspect plenty of more names will be added to the line-up in helping to shape Warrior as the next level of martial arts television drama and storytelling. There is a major momentum here and I hope others take advantage of this exciting opportunity in action-packed entertainment. Let's keep the trend going!