Ong Bak 2 is a 2008 Thai martial arts film co-directed by and starring Tony Jaa. It is a prequel to Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior.

Early press release stated that the story will be adapted from Ai Noom Saraphad Phid, a low-budget martial arts film Jaa developed with his mentor Panna Rittikrai, but was never released because it was shot on expired film stock. The action will incorporate khon, the sacred Thai masked dance. The title roughly translates to "venomous boy" and involves a character whose dark side is dormant until he's transformed by the gracious power of khon dance.

Shooting of the film began in October 2006. It was released in Thailand on December 5, 2008.^[1]

A new trailer for the movie was released in the mid 2008, showing a fictional fantasy setting where Tony Jaa's character was rescued in the jungle by a group of martial artists of various styles and trained to unify these different styles of martial arts.

Production

In July 2008, rumor surfaced that Tony Jaa has disappeared from the production set. Prachya Pinkaew commented to the press that Tony Jaa has disappeared from the set for almost two months, leaving the film unfinished, and that the delay has caused more than 250 million baht damage due to the breach of contract with the Weinstein Company who also has canceled the contract. Later in an interview with the press, Tony Jaa stated that the production was on hiatus because Sahamongkol Film could not release the obligated funding for the film. Source within Ayara Film, the subsidiary of Sahamongkol Film that handles Ong Bak 2 production stated that no more funding came from Sahamongkol after it took over budget and management role from Tony Jaa since May 2008 to July 2008. ^[2]

Tony Jaa and the owner of Sahamongkol Film had later made a joint press conference stating that the production and funding would continue after several concessions have been agreed upon between Tony Jaa and Sahamongkol. Famed Thai action choreographer and Jaa's mentor Panna Rittikrai was brought onto the project in the capacity of director to help complete the film.^[3] In addition, Rittikrai added martial artist Dan Chupong to the cast

Distribution

Worldwide distribution and sales rights to Ong Bak 2 were purchased by The Weinstein Company in March 2006. A little over a year later, Harvey Weinstein visited Bangkok and renegotiated a deal in which Sahamongkol Film International bought back most of the rights to the film, except for North America, which The Weinstein Company retains.^[4] At the 2007 Cannes Film Festival market, Sahamongkol sold some rights to Germany-based Splendid Films