Part of Jackie Chan's ‘Armour of God IV' to be filmed in Azerbaijan

Jackie Chan will shoot "Armour of God IV: Ultimatum" in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, the star's first production in the Central Asian region.

Directed by Robert Kun and produced by Salem Entertainment, the film is scheduled to commence principal photography in July and is targeting a worldwide release in the second quarter of 2027.

Producers Esmond Ren and Igor Tsay are attached to the project, which is backed by Alem Fund, an Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC)-registered fund created to back and raise the international profile of Kazakhstan-linked film and media projects. "Armour of God IV: Ultimatum" is the first title to go into production from the fund's current portfolio of six projects.

The film continues the story of Jackie Chan's recurring character, the Asian Hawk, who is drawn back into action when a global hunt erupts over an ancient artifact known as the Tumar, carrying a reward of more than $20 million. Filming will take place across Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Chan said: "This is my first project with Kazakh partners, but it will not be the last. We will be announcing much more soon. I have never filmed there before, and it opens up many new visual and creative ideas that we will be able to bring to audiences."

The franchise launched with "Armour of God" in 1986, in which Chan starred and directed, followed by "Armour of God II: Operation Condor" in 1991. The third installment, "Chinese Zodiac," arrived in 2012, with Chan again directing and starring. All three films centered on the globetrotting exploits of the Asian Hawk character.

Kun is an action director and actor with credits on more than 40 films, among them "Day Watch," "Wanted" and "Major Grom." Salem Entertainment is a Kazakh production company with a slate spanning films, series and digital-first projects for regional and international audiences.

"Having worked on productions around the world, I can say that this is an absolutely historic moment for Central Asian filmmaking - to host a legendary franchise starring Jackie Chan," said Tsay. "For us, it is both a great honor and a great responsibility toward the development of the region"s creative industry."