Steven Seagal’s comeback film, ‘Order of the Dragon,’ was supposed to mark a successful return for the action star. Instead, it has become the center of a messy behind-the-scenes dispute that has left the primary investor, cast members, and crew at odds with the film’s director.
In a recent interview on the Viking Samurai channel, martial arts stars Ron Smoorenburg and Dee Yoon opened up about what went wrong during production. According to both men, director Vjekoslav Katusin, allegedly orchestrated a series of moves designed to seize control of the project from its main investor, Alex, who reportedly put up around 95% of the film’s budget.
The trouble reportedly began when Vikoslav made last-minute changes to the script, inserting himself as a leading hero and adding a s3x scene that had not been approved.
“He changed the script and made himself like a big action star,” said Smoorenburg. “One week before filming.”
Things escalated from there. According to those involved, Vjekoslav allegedly began withholding the raw footage and demanding increasing sums of money for its return, starting at $60,000 and eventually rising to $300,000.
Yoon described being personally caught in the middle, with the director pressuring him to repost content online that Vjekoslav had no legal right to distribute.
“He forced me or pushed me to publish something which he actually has no rights on,” Yoon said. “He’s using people for his malicious, intriguing behavior. It’s kind of crazy.”
Perhaps most alarming were the claims that Vjekoslav wanted to cut Alex entirely out of the film, despite Alex having trained with Smoorenburg in Bangkok and appearing in sequences.
“He wants to cut the investor out so he’s not involved,” Smoorenburg said. There were also alleged threats that the footage could be deliberately destroyed if demands were not met.
Despite the turmoil, the cast remained largely positive about the film’s potential. Smoorenburg praised the cinematography, the Serbian locations, and the on-set chemistry among the cast, which includes Mark Stus, Andy Long, and Seagal himself.
Yoon noted the cast functioned as a tight unit throughout production, calling it “a great project.”
As for the release, both men believe the film will come out. The editing process is now in Alex’s hands, and the remaining cast and crew are hopeful the final cut will reflect the quality of the work they put in.
“I believe in honesty,” Yoon said. “It might take a little bit longer, but it’s going to be better.”
