EXCLUSIVE: Action megastar Keanu Reeves has partnered with Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens to co-produce a documentary on the life story of Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, the iconic athlete who introduced mixed martial arts to the world.
Titled The Jet, the film is currently in production under the direction of Emmy-nominated sports documentary editor turned filmmaker Jennifer Tiexiera. Its financiers are Chris Quintos Cathcart and Tyler Boehm of the newly formed Unapologetic Projects, a company dedicated to working with underrepresented creators. Maura Anderson and Zak Kilberg of Stevens’ recently launched production company Highly Flammable will also serve as producers along with John Scalise and his FAYA Project. Nancy Weisler, Brian Maya and Chris Quintos Cathcart & Tyler Boehm of Unapologetic serve as executive producers on the project slated for release in 2025.
Nicknamed for his explosive spinning back kick, Sensei Benny “The Jet” Urquidez had a profound impact on martial arts in mainstream culture, as an actor, fight coordinator, and trainer to the stars. Known for for his exceptional skills in kickboxing and karate, he held six world titles in five weight divisions and remained undefeated over the course of his 20+ year kickboxing career.
In addition to his competitive achievements, Urquidez is renowned for his contributions to martial arts cinema, having appeared in numerous action films during the 1980s and 1990s. Notable film credits include The Octagon, Road House, and Grosse Pointe Blank. Over the years, he also trained and worked with the likes of Jackie Chan, Muhammed Ali, Elvis Presley, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Kidman, Kurt Russell, Patrick Swayze, Nicolas Cage, Michelle Pfeiffer, Duff McKagan and many others.
“Benny’s fighting career was born out of his struggles with identity, poverty, and race, but he didn’t let those things define him,” Tiexiera said. “The result is a story about how struggle and sacrifice evolved into one about love, spirituality and deeper meaning.”
Stated Reeves, “Benny is a true mentor, and has had such a profound yet underappreciated impact on both cinema and martial arts. I’m very excited to help share his story with the world.”
Most recently, Tiexiera directed the three-part series Unveiled: Surviving La Luz del Mundo for HBO, which was just nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary. Her previous film Subject, about the ethics and responsibility inherent in documentary filmmaking, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Festival. Tiexiera is also the co-founder, alongside Rita Baghdadi and Camilla Hall, of Lady & Bird, a female-run documentary production company focused on telling stories from underrepresented voices, which is also attached to the project.
Most recently directing and producing Netflix’s chart-topping docuseries on football superstar David Beckham, Stevens is also known for his work on titles like Tiger King, The Lincoln Project, The Cove, Before the Flood, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and many others. Also a well known actor, his scripted directed credits include Apple’s Palmer starring Justin Timberlake, the starry comedic thriller Stand Up Guys, and the pilot of Apple TV+’s Dear Edward.
Upcoming projects for his Highly Flammable include Matthew Henderson’s Zulu Club doc A King Like Me, with Impact Partners and Terry Douglas/Rhea Films, and the Luisa Conlon-directed Football Americano, with Exile Content and Muck Media, among others.
Previously, Reeves has produced a number of films in which he’s starred, including the Eli Roth thriller Knock Knock and the more recent John Wick: Chapter 4, on which he was an EP. Most recently seen starring in the fourth John Wick film, his dance card on the acting front includes Jonah Hill’s Outcome for Apple, Lionsgate’s female-driven John Wick spin-off Ballerina, Aziz Ansari’s comedy Good Fortune for Lionsgate, and a sequel to to 2005’s Constantine.
Reeves is repped by WME, Sugar23 and Ziffren Brittenham; Highly Flammable by WME and Gang, Tyre, Ramer; and Unapologetic by Paul Almond at Fischbach, Perlstein. WME is repping the project.