In GOD we trust Robert Kun? Kazakhstan filmmaker to direct Jackie Chan in ‘Armour of God 4: Ultimatum’
Posted on October 24, 2025 by JJ Bona
Legendary martial arts superstar Jackie Chan (The Shadow’s Edge, The Foreigner) is returning to the Armour of God franchise with Armour of God 4: Ultimatum.
The upcoming film will be directed by Kazakhstan’s Robert Kun, who is perhaps best known for his role as second unit director on Disney’s The Last Warrior franchise (2017-2021), as well as stunt/action choreography work on 2008’s Wanted, 2015’s I Am Dragon and 2024’s Major Grom: The Game (you can find out more about Kun in a recent interview below).
It should be noted that the Kazakhstan-produced Armour of God 4: Ultimatum is the first in the franchise that’s not affiliated with a Chinese production company (the previous films were produced by Golden Harvest and Emperor Motion Pictures), which can possibly change in the course of its pre-production roll out (there have been China-Kazakhstan co-productions, such as 2018’s Composer).
The franchise – regarded as “Hong Kong’s answer to Indiana Jones” – started with 1986’s Armor of God, where Asian Hawk (Chan) embarks on a quest to recover mystical relics while battling a cult gang. The 1991 sequel, Armor of God II: Operation Condor (aka Operation Condor), has Hawk hitting the desert for Nazi gold. In 2012’s Armor of God III: Chinese Zodiac (aka Chinese Zodiac), Hawk hunts the stolen heads of China’s legendary zodiac statues.
The first Armor of God is notoriously known as “the film that nearly killed Jackie”. During the filming of the opening sequence, a scene called for Jackie to jump from a wall to a tree branch. In one of the takes, the branch broke, sending Jackie 5 metres to the ground, resulting in cracked skill with a piece of bone up into his brain (all of which can be seen in the film’s end-credit sequence).
Armour of God 4: Ultimatum starts production in Spring 2026 from Salem Entertainment (Kazakhstan).
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. Until then, check out an interview with Kun followed by the Trailers to the original films:
> ## Jackie Chan’s “Armor of God 4” to be filmed in Azerbaijan
14 May 2026 21:15 (UTC+04:00)
By Alimat Aliyeva
Jackie Chan is set to film “Armor of God 4: Ultimatum” in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.
This will mark the actor’s first major project filmed in Central Asia, highlighting the region’s growing role in international cinema.
Filming is scheduled to begin in July 2026, with the global premiere planned for the second quarter of 2027. The film will be directed by Robert Kuhn, known for works such as Night Watch, Especially Dangerous, and Major Thunder.
The new installment will continue the story of Chan’s iconic character, the “Asian Hawk.” In the plot, he is once again drawn into a high-stakes race to find the ancient Tumar artifact, which carries a bounty exceeding $20 million.
The project is being developed by the Kazakh company Salem Entertainment, with support from the Alem Fund, registered at the Astana International Financial Center.
Earlier reports also suggested that Uzbekistan was considered as one of the potential filming locations during early discussions in December 2025, reflecting the broader regional interest in hosting the production.
Interestingly, industry insiders note that the film may feature a mix of real stunt work and modern CGI technology, aiming to combine Jackie Chan’s classic action style with more cinematic, large-scale adventure sequences adapted for today’s global audiences.
