Filipino-led action film to feature John Rhys-Davies, Elya Baskin
Filipino athlete and actor One Carlos Eleazar stars in “8Rx.”
As Hollywood continues to embrace inclusivity, an upcoming film with a Filipino lead is set to bring local talent to the global stage, with a narrative centered around Filipino martial arts that will be boasted with the participation of John Rhys-Davies, known for his work in “Indiana Jones” and “Lord of the Rings” as well as Elya Baskin, known for his portrayal of Mr. Ditkovitch in “Spider-Man.”
One Carlos Eleazar, a Filipino fight choreographer based in Los Angeles, California, who is set to star in “8Rx,” recently spoke with INQUIRER.net for an exclusive interview, as he shared how the project came to be and how Filipinos can help bring it to the big screen.
“The more you look into Hollywood, the more you learn about fight scenes and how they make movies, the more you realize Filipino martial arts is actually super common in the movies that are made in Hollywood. But what I was also thinking of is why don’t we have that awareness or why don’t we have that kind of strong claim to our own martial art? So I thought to myself, why isn’t there necessarily a movie that’s Filipino martial arts centered? Hence the project that we are working on now,” he said.
Eleazar, who started training martial arts in the Philippines under the mentorship of Grandmaster Ruel Gatbonton of PARAK, shared that he got discovered by a director when he migrated to America for his first movie “Puffing Iron.”
One Carlos Eleazar with the film’s director Grant Rosado
“When I was at a park just training in lightsabers, that’s when I got picked up. That’s when one of my directors found me there training. And then they saw what I could do, they asked if I could play a samurai and help develop a fight scene. And so I accepted. And then I got into that film. That film was Puffing Iron, which was accepted into the Miami Film Festival,” he shared.
“And then later on, that’s when my director came back to me and asked if I would like to be a part of the second film this time as the lead character and the main fight choreographer for multiple fights. That’s sort of what brings me to where I am now,” he added.
Given that the film is in the early stages of development with a script already in place and a Latinx director, Grant Rosado, ready to board, the 23-year-old actor emphasized the need to help raise the budget for the continuation of the project.
“We’re trying to raise awareness for this film and for the Kickstarter, of course, in America to get investors on board. But especially in the Philippines, I was hoping if I could also reach out to my Kababayans to help out, see the project that we’re working on, and to at least spread the word that we are making a film like this, an action film that is explicitly Filipino martial arts centered,” he stated.
“In fact, I believe the video I showed you, though it’s not yet for public viewing, is something that we are working towards. And that is sort of the proof of concept, the test product to help get people interested in what we’re doing. And the story behind that is also a story worth telling on its own,” continued the actor.
“8Rx” is set to mark Rosado’s third movie after he was featured by the Golden Globes.
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When asked what advice he can give to fellow athletes and actors vying for the American dream, Eleazar stressed that willingness to just go for it regardless of the challenges is the way to go.
“That’s an interesting image of Hollywood, we think of big budgets, we think of very elaborate plans. But everyone who started in Hollywood came from very bootstrap operations, as people would say, they barely had any money. All they had was the desire, the passion to do what they do. And as many filmmakers say nowadays, you just have to just start doing it,” he said.
“Whether or not you go to an acting school or a stunt school, just start experimenting, […] take every opportunity to research what you do. Because no matter what, even if you’re at the top of your career point, this is a type of trade and craft that you never stop learning from. You always have to evolve […] You just have to commit to the path that you wanted to take,” he added.
As of writing, the role of Rhys-Davies and Baskin is currently under wraps. But the film’s trailer is expected to drop today, March 11 with the Kickstarter to be launched on March 18.
