Jean-Claude Van Damme is an unstoppable force and he is about to show everyone what he has really been up to all these years in Hollywood in a brand new, original action-comedy series. Amazon ordered the pilot for "Jean-Claude Van Johnson," a series where Van Damme pretty much plays himself, except that he is also secretly an undercover private contractor.
Van Damme is no longer focused on his cinematic kill count but on resurrecting his acting career in order to continue he truly craves: the danger that comes with work as an operative. He can do the splits, kicks and punches- albeit not as powerful as before- and he has also starred in all the films he made but he is not who everyone thinks he is.
Confused? Here is the simple explanation.
Van Damme will be playing the titular role of Jean-Claude Van Johnson. Van Johnson's real career is a private contractor who goes on dangerous missions- something along the lines of "The Expendables." Van Damme, the action star who appeared in a lot of martial arts films, is a persona that Van Johnson created and he really made all the movies that Van Damme made as his cover.
In the series, we find Van Damme coming out of his retirement and resume his Van Johnson persona to make an action version of "Huckleberry Finn." Why? Because he is also thrown into another mission but it's alright because he has always craved for the danger that comes with his secret career. Being pulled out of retirement to get back in action also brings back fellow operative, Vanessa, or "the one that got away" for Van Johnson.
He is not the only one. Apparently, in Van Johnson's version of Hollywood, there are other famous celebrities who are undercover operatives as well. One of them is David Schwimmer and he happens to be Van Johnson's rival. Schwimmer is, however, not confirmed as part of the cast and we're hoping there's a "yet" to that.
The story is written by "The Expendables" writer Dave Callaham and will be directed by Peter Atencio.
Hopefully all goes well for the pilot so it can be a full series and we can watch just how well "Jean-Claude Van Johnson" can parody the Hollywood film industry.
