Behind the Scenes of 'Bloodsport' (35 Photos)

On October 17, 1986, cameras began rolling on

Bloodsport

in Hong Kong. The low-budget action flick starring a then relatively unknown Jean-Claude Van Damme almost skipped movie theaters entirely, having to be rescued in the edit suite. To mark four decades since production began, here is a collection of photos and memories from the people who brought the martial arts classic to life.





A Role for Van Damme

Van Damme had previously played a villain in

No Retreat, No Surrender

, but now he was stepping into the lead role.

Bloodsport

was directed by Newt Arnold and shot by cinematographer David Worth, who would go on to direct

Kickboxer

.









The story of how Van Damme landed the part includes the legendary high kick thrown inches from producer Menahem Golan’s face. According to screenwriter Sheldon Lettich, Van Damme bumped into Golan on the street and pulled the stunt to get noticed. Golan happened to be casting

Bloodsport

at the time and invited the young Belgian to his office. Lettich wasn't at the meeting himself—he heard the story later from Michel Qissi, who was with Van Damme at the time.







Bloodsport

brought together an eclectic cast. Bolo Yeung, who played Chong Li, had famously co-starred alongside Bruce Lee in

Enter the Dragon

. Donald Gibb landed the role of Ray Jackson, Forest Whitaker played Agent Rawlins, and Leah Ayres played journalist Janice Kent. Frank Dux was also on set—his tall tales of a secret underground tournament served as the basis for the script.







Worth recalled that Cannon Films was pouring $20 million to $30 million into major studio projects at the time. Their Hong Kong martial arts picture received a modest budget of around $2.5 million, leaving the production largely under executive radars. Luckily, local producer Charles Wang from Salon Films stepped in on location, providing the crew with top-notch equipment and experienced Hong Kong technicians.



Behind the camera: David Worth, cinematographer for Bloodsport and future director of Kickboxer. Photo from his personal archive.





Three Cameras for the Kumite

The fight scenes were shot simultaneously using three Panavision cameras. To avoid time-consuming relighting between takes, Worth integrated lighting fixtures directly into the Kumite set itself. This allowed the crew to average over 70 camera setups per day, changing angles and positions on the fly. On one particularly intense day, they hit 93 setups—a personal record for Worth that stood for nearly a decade.







Van Damme trained relentlessly and kept to a strict diet to stay in peak shape. Worth recalled the young actor’s short temper, noting that he would occasionally snap at crew members. The cinematographer attributed this to the immense stress of his brutal physical conditioning and calorie restriction, though he deeply admired Van Damme's work ethic.











The iconic shot of Van Damme overlooking Hong Kong required a separate trip. The crew had to haul all their equipment up to Victoria Peak aboard the Peak Tram. Worth noted that capturing the scene was no easy feat. The music for the Hong Kong sequences was chosen later during post-production.







A collection of photos and original props was preserved by Rico Rossi, a family friend whom producer Mark DiSalle took under his wing as a child. Rossi couldn't join the crew in Hong Kong because he had to attend school, but DiSalle brought him back souvenirs from the set and later let him hang out in the editing room. Rossi recalls learning how to handle film stock on a spare Moviola editing machine, cutting and splicing scraps he retrieved from the trash bin.







Producer Mark DiSalle brought this sword back for Rico Rossi after filming wrapped. Rossi still treasures the gift; pictured here in a modern photograph.



The dragon prop from the Kumite judges' table—another gift from DiSalle preserved by Rossi. Modern photo of the original prop.



A signed commemorative collage featuring autographs from the cast and crew, preserved in Rico Rossi's collection.

A Movie Saved in the Edit Suite

When Menahem Golan watched the initial cut of

Bloodsport

, he declared it a failure. Sheldon Lettich agreed that the editing was atrocious. Editor Michael J. Duthie was brought in to salvage the project, completely restructuring the movie while Van Damme helped re-edit the fight choreography. Even after the recut, Golan planned to dump the film straight to video. It was French distributor Samuel Hadida who pushed for a theatrical release, prompting Cannon to test the waters with a limited run on the U.S. West Coast.











The movie was marketed as the true story of a real Kumite champion. However, a 1988 investigation by the

Los Angeles Times

into Frank Dux's claims failed to verify key details about the secret tournament. Dux's actual biography and the film's narrative diverge significantly.

The film hit American theaters on February 26, 1988. Following its immediate box office success, Lettich recalled visiting Van Damme’s house only to find his answering machine completely overflowing with messages, with no room left for new calls.



Jean-Claude Van Damme and Frank Dux sign autographs after a screening at the Del Amo Mall. The young boy handing them posters is Rico Rossi, who identified himself in this archival photo.

Behind-the-scenes sources: interviews with David Worth for Schlockmania and Bulletproof Action, and a conversation with Sheldon Lettich on/Film. Photos courtesy of a 2014 archive gallery, Rico Rossi's personal collection, and David Worth's archive via ShotOnWhat. Photographers for several archival shots were uncredited in original publications.