The following was issued:
TRISH STRATUS, DAVID KOECHNER & STEVE HOWEY JOIN ACTION-COMEDY KARATE GHOST, NOW IN PRODUCTION IN TORONTO
TORONTO, ON – June 10 – Production is heating up on KARATE GHOST, the heartfelt, ’90s-inspired action-comedy from director James Mark (Control), with the addition of three comedy and fan-favorite heavyweights: WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, David Koechner (Anchorman, The Office), and Steve Howey (Shameless, True Lies). They join an already buzzworthy ensemble featuring Tim Rozon (Schitt’s Creek), Colton Gobbo (Ginny & Georgia), Jim Belushi, Cathy Kelley (WWE), Natalie Zea (Justified, La Brea), and Michael Jai White (Spawn, Black Dynamite, Tyson).
New Characters Revealed:
Trish Stratus stars as Susan Fanshawe, an overenthusiastic pageant-queen-turned-karate-mom whose obsession with martial arts puts her daughter’s dreams in a chokehold. Think a pom-pom-wielding Miss America, with a black belt.
David Koechner is Joe “Lightning” Brodsky, a washed-up karate champ turned salesman who lives off exaggerated tales of his past glory. He’s all ego, no timing, and hilarious at both.
Steve Howey plays Rick Fanshawe, a deluded ex-fighter clinging to relevance by challenging Splitsville’s new karate hotshot, Bobby Brody. What he lacks in social awareness, he makes up for in overconfidence.
Set in a town ruled by absurd karate law, KARATE GHOST follows Bobby Brody, a grieving teen who forms an unlikely bond with the ghost of his late father’s favorite action hero. What begins as a haunted mentorship spirals into a fight for identity, legacy, and redemption.
The film is directed and co-written by James Mark, from a screenplay co-written with the late Larry Bain, whose voice and emotional depth inspired the story. Producers include Bruno Marino (Gridlocked), Tony Del Rio (Fight Another Day), and executive producer David Barrett (Blue Bloods, Twisted Metal, Tracker, Arrow), Plato Fountidakis (Lost Girl), and Brent Jones (Jumper).
KARATE GHOST is currently filming in Toronto, with a festival premiere and theatrical release slated for early 2026. Distribution is being handled by Blue Fox Entertainment Canada. U.S. rights are currently available.
