TONY JAA RETIRES?!

Hello GT readers. I have some upsetting news to report today - Tony Jaa has left his filmmaking career and has become an ordained Buddhist Monk in Thailand. If anyone reading happens to be a Jaa fan, then you may be familiar with is mental breakdown while filming Ong Bak 2 a couple years ago. Long story short, Jaa was responsible for directing, writing, choreographing, and acting in the second Ong Bak film. All of his duties proved to be overwhelming and he literally fled to the jungle for 2 months to "meditate." Apparently Jaa did have a lot of moves, so to speak.

I would like to make one thing very clear - there is no mention of how long Jaa will stay at the monastery. I pray that Jaa is just taking some time to clear his mind for a short while. Once someone is ordained as a monk, the person is not necessarily a monk for the rest of their lives. It is speculated that Jaa may have fled to the monastery to escape his contract with a Thailand production company - which is for 10 more years :( One major problem is that Jaa is 34 years old and if that last rumor is true then he won't be in the best fighting shape when he steps back in front of the camera.

Ever since I saw Ong Bak I have followed Jaa's career closely and have counted the days until an American production company will sign him. He was even rumored to be in Rush Hour 3 and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at early production stages.  Maybe it's best that he continues to make movies in Thailand (if he comes back). Just look at Jackie Chan's catalogue before he came to America (The Police Story Trilogy, The Legend of Drunken Master, Armour of God I and II, etc.) Here some of Jaa's films if you are not already familiar with his genius work: Ong Bak, Ong Bak 2, and The Protector.

Have a better one

-Deckard