Chee Keong Cheung
Chee Keong Cheung is a British-Chinese writer, director and producer, and is the CEO of Action Xtreme and Head of Distribution at Sovereign.
Chee is best known for a series of independent and dynamic action and horror features, including the cult military-versus-zombies thriller Redcon-1. Chee’s work has been praised by audiences and critics for its strong visual style and kinetic action choreography. Throughout his career, Chee has consistently proven his ability to take a lower budget and multiply that on-screen, delivering a visual scale, production value and scope of vision far beyond what would be expected.
First rising to prominence with the micro budget feature film Underground, Chee’s debut feature was the recipient of a prestigious Accolade Award for Best Stunts, and screened at numerous international film festivals. Underground was highly acclaimed by fans, critics and professional fighters in the UFC and Martial Arts world, who praised the film’s scale and inventive, realistic and gripping portrayal of fight competition, recognised as featuring some of the most brutal fight sequences ever seen in a British film.
Underground proved to be a launch pad for several of its cast, establishing Chee’s track record for discovering and nurturing incredible cinematic talent, including Liang Yang who went on to feature in Mission Impossible: Fall Out, as well as stunt co-ordinating on Deadpool vs Wolverine.
The success of Underground led to his follow up feature, Bodyguard: A New Beginning, starring Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Last Emperor, Mortal Kombat), an independent action drama shot in Hong Kong, featuring action by members of the legendary Jackie Chan Stunt Team. The film was released through Lionsgate in the USA, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in France, as well as screenings on HBO. It also performed strongly at festivals around the world, and was heavily praised for bringing together different generations of Hong Kong cinema stars.
Chee’s following feature which he wrote, directed and produced, was the action horror Redcon-1, a brutal mayhem packed epic visual feast of Military vs Zombies, and picked up multiple festival awards, including Best Thriller at the National Film Awards in the UK, (up against Alex Garland’s Annihilation), Best Narrative Feature at the Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards in Los Angeles, and Best Action Feature Film at the Urban Action Showcase Festival in Times Square, New York, celebrating diversity in action cinema. Redcon-1 also secured theatrical releases in the UK, Japan, Taiwan and Mexico, where it opened number 7 at the box office. The film was also picked up by Showtime in the US, and Netflix for various territories.
The production saw Chee bring on-board executive producers Carlos Gallardo, producer of the El Mariachi trilogy, Kevin Eastman, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Stephen L’Heureux (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) to support his vision. The film’s vocal supporters and fans include director Gareth Edwards (Star Wars: Rogue One, The Creator) and George C. Romero, son of the legendary George A. Romero.
Chee also wrote and executive produced the action film Every Last One of Them, starring Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws), Taryn Manning (Orange is the New Black) and Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs).
Chee is the head of Action Xtreme, a genre division of UK Production and Distribution company Sovereign (Memoria, Triangle of Sadness) founded by producer Andreas Roald. Action Xtreme is the first major action studio in the UK, a global entertainment company with a targeted focus on grassroots talent growth, training, and developing film, TV and online action content for a worldwide audience.
Chee produced and directed Action Xtreme’s upcoming sci-fi horror feature The Experiment, starring Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans) and Famke Janssen (X-Men), and the POV action thriller Bad Day at the Office, starring John Hannah (The Mummy) and Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill). Both films are currently in post-production, due for release in 2026.
Chee also produced and directed the upcoming action thriller Son of the Soil, starring Raz Adoti (Black Hawk Down), filmed on location in Nigeria. The film picked up three awards at the 2025 Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) in Accra, Ghana, including Best Overall Film, Best Director, and Best International Showcase. It was also the recipient of the Audience Choice Award at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), where it screened out of competition. Son of the Soil also won two awards at the 2025 Best of Nollywood Awards (BON), out of seven nominations.
Through his work in UK film distribution, Chee has developed close, trusted working relationships with cinema exhibitors throughout the UK, working extensively with both independent cinemas and major multiplex chains including Odeon, Vue, and Showcase.
This depth of exhibitor engagement and practical understanding of cinema operations provides Action Xtreme with a significant strategic advantage, underpinning its ability to deliver targeted theatrical releases, event cinema screenings, and sustained audience development for action-led content.
Chee has also delivered numerous masterclasses at universities and industry events across the UK, including the BFI, as well as serving on the jury of festivals such as the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge, and the Fighting Spirit Film Festival, demonstrating his commitment to fostering the next generation of filmmakers.
In 2025, Chee co-designed and launched the first ever Masters in Action Feature Filmmaking in partnership with Falmouth University in the UK, where he also lectures, and also designed the Women in Action Mentorship Programme, a ground-breaking initiative dedicated to supporting women creatives across all filmmaking disciplines within the action genre, providing them with the mentorship, resources, and opportunities needed to take their careers to the next level.
Proving his aptitude for high-octane action cinema, and riveting, character-led drama, Chee Keong Cheung is one of the most exciting action filmmakers in the business today, and continues redefining the perceptions of action cinema through evolving, ambitious projects.
Chee is best known for a series of independent and dynamic action and horror features, including the cult military-versus-zombies thriller Redcon-1. Chee’s work has been praised by audiences and critics for its strong visual style and kinetic action choreography. Throughout his career, Chee has consistently proven his ability to take a lower budget and multiply that on-screen, delivering a visual scale, production value and scope of vision far beyond what would be expected.
First rising to prominence with the micro budget feature film Underground, Chee’s debut feature was the recipient of a prestigious Accolade Award for Best Stunts, and screened at numerous international film festivals. Underground was highly acclaimed by fans, critics and professional fighters in the UFC and Martial Arts world, who praised the film’s scale and inventive, realistic and gripping portrayal of fight competition, recognised as featuring some of the most brutal fight sequences ever seen in a British film.
Underground proved to be a launch pad for several of its cast, establishing Chee’s track record for discovering and nurturing incredible cinematic talent, including Liang Yang who went on to feature in Mission Impossible: Fall Out, as well as stunt co-ordinating on Deadpool vs Wolverine.
The success of Underground led to his follow up feature, Bodyguard: A New Beginning, starring Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Last Emperor, Mortal Kombat), an independent action drama shot in Hong Kong, featuring action by members of the legendary Jackie Chan Stunt Team. The film was released through Lionsgate in the USA, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in France, as well as screenings on HBO. It also performed strongly at festivals around the world, and was heavily praised for bringing together different generations of Hong Kong cinema stars.
Chee’s following feature which he wrote, directed and produced, was the action horror Redcon-1, a brutal mayhem packed epic visual feast of Military vs Zombies, and picked up multiple festival awards, including Best Thriller at the National Film Awards in the UK, (up against Alex Garland’s Annihilation), Best Narrative Feature at the Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards in Los Angeles, and Best Action Feature Film at the Urban Action Showcase Festival in Times Square, New York, celebrating diversity in action cinema. Redcon-1 also secured theatrical releases in the UK, Japan, Taiwan and Mexico, where it opened number 7 at the box office. The film was also picked up by Showtime in the US, and Netflix for various territories.
The production saw Chee bring on-board executive producers Carlos Gallardo, producer of the El Mariachi trilogy, Kevin Eastman, co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Stephen L’Heureux (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For) to support his vision. The film’s vocal supporters and fans include director Gareth Edwards (Star Wars: Rogue One, The Creator) and George C. Romero, son of the legendary George A. Romero.
Chee also wrote and executive produced the action film Every Last One of Them, starring Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws), Taryn Manning (Orange is the New Black) and Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs).
Chee is the head of Action Xtreme, a genre division of UK Production and Distribution company Sovereign (Memoria, Triangle of Sadness) founded by producer Andreas Roald. Action Xtreme is the first major action studio in the UK, a global entertainment company with a targeted focus on grassroots talent growth, training, and developing film, TV and online action content for a worldwide audience.
Chee produced and directed Action Xtreme’s upcoming sci-fi horror feature The Experiment, starring Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans) and Famke Janssen (X-Men), and the POV action thriller Bad Day at the Office, starring John Hannah (The Mummy) and Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill). Both films are currently in post-production, due for release in 2026.
Chee also produced and directed the upcoming action thriller Son of the Soil, starring Raz Adoti (Black Hawk Down), filmed on location in Nigeria. The film picked up three awards at the 2025 Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) in Accra, Ghana, including Best Overall Film, Best Director, and Best International Showcase. It was also the recipient of the Audience Choice Award at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), where it screened out of competition. Son of the Soil also won two awards at the 2025 Best of Nollywood Awards (BON), out of seven nominations.
Through his work in UK film distribution, Chee has developed close, trusted working relationships with cinema exhibitors throughout the UK, working extensively with both independent cinemas and major multiplex chains including Odeon, Vue, and Showcase.
This depth of exhibitor engagement and practical understanding of cinema operations provides Action Xtreme with a significant strategic advantage, underpinning its ability to deliver targeted theatrical releases, event cinema screenings, and sustained audience development for action-led content.
Chee has also delivered numerous masterclasses at universities and industry events across the UK, including the BFI, as well as serving on the jury of festivals such as the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge, and the Fighting Spirit Film Festival, demonstrating his commitment to fostering the next generation of filmmakers.
In 2025, Chee co-designed and launched the first ever Masters in Action Feature Filmmaking in partnership with Falmouth University in the UK, where he also lectures, and also designed the Women in Action Mentorship Programme, a ground-breaking initiative dedicated to supporting women creatives across all filmmaking disciplines within the action genre, providing them with the mentorship, resources, and opportunities needed to take their careers to the next level.
Proving his aptitude for high-octane action cinema, and riveting, character-led drama, Chee Keong Cheung is one of the most exciting action filmmakers in the business today, and continues redefining the perceptions of action cinema through evolving, ambitious projects.
