British actor Andrew Koji, star of Max’s acclaimed “Warrior” series, has offered an update on a potential fourth season for the period martial arts series – just days after the third season wrapped its run.
Created by Jonathan Tropper and executive produced by Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee, the series unfolds during the Tong Wars in late-1870s San Francisco and follows martial arts prodigy Ah Sahm (Koji) who has emigrated from China in search for his sister.
The series premiered on Cinemax back in April 2019 with a second season in late 2020. It was the cabler’s final series before ceasing production of original programming, but was then picked up by HBO Max (now Max) for a third season which premiered this past June.
Speaking with Inverse prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike in an interview just published the other day, Koji opened up about the future of the series beyond the third season:
“The cast and crew, we’ve got no idea if we’re going to go back. But I think it will all be all dependent on how much of a splash this [season] can make…
We got a very good chance [for season 4]. If we did Warrior season 4, that would be next year because everyone has to become free. It might not be until the middle of next year if we did, and I’m going to be getting old… We have to do stuff very fast, very intense, minimum recovery time. It does take a toll on the body.”
The actor’s biggest roles outside of the series have been in Hollywood action tentpoles, including “Bullet Train” and the “G.I. Joe” spin-off “Snake Eyes”. Regarding the latter, he has some thoughts about that film’s box-office failure:
“After this, it could just all be downhill for me, but at least for now [my experience on Warrior] makes me go, OK, I’d like to do stuff with integrity. And G.I. Joe really wasn’t that, was it?
Hollywood is just obsessed with telling the same old thing over and again. Firstly, remakes. Secondly, it’s got to be based on IP. Third, it’s so absurd because I’m just like, hold on. People want originality. Where is it? What is going on here?
Snake Eyes didn’t do too well, which I knew it wasn’t going to. I think they’re probably going to reboot from the ground up. I’m cool. I did like Storm Shadow Tommy. I found a way to love him and I think there would’ve been something to do … there would’ve been a really cool Storm Shadow film if they did it right.”
Koji adds he’s developing a sci-fi conspiracy thriller TV series “with some action elements and hopefully some meaningful social commentary”.
The first three seasons of “Warrior” are currently available on Max and digital platforms.
