Tak Sakaguchi to face Iko Uwais in ‘Pendekar: Warrior’
The Japanese action favorite will play Uwais’ nemesis in the Jakarta-set martial arts film, with production due to start in late 2026.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Tak Sakaguchi is stepping into the ring with Iko Uwais for “Pendekar: Warrior,” joining the martial arts feature as the Indonesian star’s on-screen nemesis, Variety reported.
The casting marks Sakaguchi’s first major film role outside Japan, according to Variety. Principal photography is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.
Sakaguchi has long had a cult following among action fans through films including “Versus” and “Re:Born.” Variety noted that he is also linked to one of the genre’s more extreme feats: the 77-minute single-take combat sequence in “Crazy Samurai Musashi,” in which he takes on roughly 400 opponents.
Uwais, meanwhile, brings his own bruising screen résumé. He is known internationally for “The Raid,” “The Raid 2,” “Headshot,” “The Night Comes for Us,” “Mile 22” and “Expend4bles.” Variety reported that “Pendekar: Warrior” will be the first time Uwais and Sakaguchi have appeared together on screen.
A Jakarta fight story
“Pendekar: Warrior” is set in Jakarta and follows a former silat master after his release from prison. According to Variety, the character wants to leave violence behind, but is drawn back into fighting after a crime syndicate tightens its grip on his old neighborhood.
The film is being built as a showcase for Indonesian silat for international audiences. Uwais and Sakaguchi are already in physical preparation, working with the action team on fight scenes designed to combine silat’s speed with Sakaguchi’s close-range combat style, Variety reported.
Director, filmmaker and cinematographer John Radel ACS told Variety that both stars bring a rare sense of purpose to screen fighting. He said their showdown is being designed to feel “visceral” and emotional, with action driven by character rather than spectacle alone.
Radel also told Variety that the production sees the pairing as more than a match-up between two action names, saying the eventual collision between the performers should feel like “two unstoppable forces meeting.”
Who is making the film
The project is produced by Asia Media Alliance Group with Indonesian producer Delon Tio of Nation Pictures, Erika North and Nick North of Yeti Entertainment, and Hong Kong-based Red Packet Media’s Mike Leeder, Variety reported.
Uwais and Ryan Santoso are executive producers through Uwais Pictures. K-Movie Entertainment is attached as co-producer and international sales agent.
Tio told Variety that bringing Uwais and Sakaguchi together is a “landmark moment for Asian action cinema,” citing both performers’ global fan bases and physical commitment to their work.
Leeder said he has admired Sakaguchi since “Versus” and has long wanted to work with him. He told Variety the film will pit Sakaguchi’s close-quarters fighting against Uwais’ silat.
Uwais is represented by Brett Norensberg at Gersh and Vault Entertainment, according to Variety.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.