Tim Allen has joined the large ensemble cast of "Redbelt," the mixed martial arts drama David Mamet ("Wag the Dog," "The Spanish Prisoner") wrote and will direct for Sony Pictures Classics reports Variety.

Emily Mortimer, Alice Braga, Joe Mantegna, Rodrigo Santoro, Ricky Jay, David Paymer, Rebecca Pidgeon and Jose Pablo Cantillo will star, along with martial artists and fighters Randy Couture, John Machado, Danny Inosanto, Enson Inoue and Ray Mancini.

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays a Jiu-jitsu master whose purity is compromised when he is drawn into the movie business and manipulated into brawling in ultimate fighting matches.

Allen plays a troubled action star with marital problems who meets the master when he is getting pummeled in a street fight. Shooting begins next month in L.A.