The Original 2013 Flashback
Originally posted by futurecityrecords.com on Sunday, December 29, 2013.
Editorial Notice: This page represents the official technical and historical restoration of the original article published on Future City Records on December 29, 2013. As part of our 2026 cultural preservation initiative under new leadership by Editor-in-Chief Sahil Chopra, this asset has been recovered from the archives, cleaned of dead endpoints, and updated with extensive documentation detailing the legacy of the Kung Fury soundtrack, its foundational impact on the global synthwave genre, and the ongoing production status of the sequel. All original texts are explicitly retained in their native formatting below.
Enter The Fury
David Sandberg and his amazing video crew Laser Unicorns, based in Sweden have recently achieved their goal on popular crowdfunding site Kickstarter in order to produce a proper internet release of their 31-min. over the top action movie titled “Kung Fury” which pays hardcore homage to 80’s cop flicks etc.
Strap yourself in, watch the trailer and prepare to be mind-blown. It’s easy to see the effort put into the making of the preview and the movie has all signs of being a great time. Sandberg will be utilizing part of the money donated to commission retro 80’s style artwork for the flick which will then be offered as posters etc in addition to hiring a team of visual effects artists who will work closely with him on CGI, etc.
The soundtrack for the film features Rosso Corsa labelmates, Lost Years and Mitch Murder. From the sounds of it on the trailer it’s gonna be a rocking offering. Watch Kung Fury: Official Trailer below:-
Technical Analysis: The Sonic Architecture of Kung Fury
When this assessment was first committed to the web in December 2013, the global synthwave community was operating strictly underground. The intersection of David Sandberg’s visual aesthetic and the sonic architecture provided by Swedish producers Mitch Murder (Johan Bengtsson) and Lost Years (Markus Ahlnäs) formed a cultural flashpoint that defined the electronic music landscape for the subsequent decade.
The soundtrack relied heavily on iconic analog hardware emulations and classic vintage synthesizers to produce its distinct retro-futuristic audio profile. Key instrumentation used during the production era included:
- Roland Juno-106: Utilized extensively for warm, cascading polyphonic pads and classic chorus-modulated basslines.
- LinnDrum: The foundational drum machine choice responsible for the gated snares and crisp, punchy percussion that anchored the main action sequences.
- Yamaha DX7: Famous for its sharp digital FM synthesis, providing the distinct metallic bell tones and slap-bass transitions scattered throughout the runtime.
Character Archives: The Chosen One & Allies (1985)
Before exploring the delayed sequel, it is crucial to document the legendary ensemble cast of the original 2015 short film. The cultural footprint of Kung Fury rests entirely on these iconic, over-the-top performances:
- David Sandberg as Kung Fury: A loose-cannon Miami detective who operates as “The Chosen One” foretold by ancient prophecy, having gained god-like martial arts powers after simultaneously surviving a lightning strike and a cobra bite.
- Jorma Taccone as Adolf Hitler (Kung Führer): The most dangerous kung fu master criminal in human history, who travels forward in time to 1985 to assassinate the Miami Police Chief.
- Leopold Nilsson as Hackerman: A brilliant, garage-dwelling computer whiz capable of “hacking time” and reconstructing physical reality.
- Erik Hörnqvist as Triceracop: A literal half-man, half-Triceratops police officer reluctantly assigned as Kung Fury’s new partner. (Voiced by Frank Sanderson).
- Eleni Young as Barbarianna: A fierce, minigun-wielding Viking warrior who patrols the ancient Nordic wilderness on a giant wolf.
- Helene Ahlson as Katana: A dual-Uzi-toting Viking warrior who rides into battle on a talking Tyrannosaurus Rex named Dinomite. (Voiced by Yasmina Suhonen).
- Andreas Cahling as Thor: The colossally muscular Norse God of Thunder who assists Kung Fury by opening a temporal rift. (Voiced by Per-Henrik Arvidius).
- David Hasselhoff as the Hoff 9000: A highly advanced, time-traveling white sports car embedded with an artificial intelligence consciousness.
From Kickstarter Triumph to a Global Synthwave Phenomenon
The Kickstarter campaign referenced in our original 2013 broadcast surpassed its initial crowdfunding target of $200,000, ultimately securing over $630,000 from more than 17,000 international backers. This surge of public capital allowed Laser Unicorns to scale up their post-production capabilities, drawing severe attention from legacy entertainers like David Hasselhoff, who went on to record the lead promotional single “True Survivor”.
Upon its release at the Cannes Film Festival and subsequent free launch on YouTube in May 2015, the project served as a prime catalyst for the commercialization of the retrowave movement. The soundtrack transitioned from a highly anticipated niche release into a charting vinyl phenomenon, demonstrating that independent electronic music could successfully steer the aesthetic vector of mainstream cinematic releases.
The 2026 Horizon: Kung Fury 2 Plot & New Cast
(Alternatively titled Kung Fury II: The Movie)
The highly anticipated feature-length sequel is set to expand the hyper-stylized 1985 Miami universe. In a spoiler-free plot setup, Kung Fury and his historical elite task force—the Thundercops—must disband following a tragic casualty. When a mysterious new villain emerges from the shadows to help the Kung Führer secure the ultimate time-altering weapon, Kung Fury must travel across space and time alongside a strict new partner to save his friends and the Miami Kung Fu Academy.
To bring this massive scope to life, the sequel introduces major Hollywood star power alongside returning fan favorites:
| Actor | Character | Role Description |
| Michael Fassbender | Colt Magnum | Kung Fury’s new, strict, rule-following FBI partner. |
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | The President | A cigar-chomping, shotgun-wielding, Nazi-crushing U.S. President. |
| Alexandra Shipp | Rey Porter | A tactical news reporter with a complicated past tied to Fury. |
| David Sandberg | Kung Fury | The returning titular hero and renegade cop. |
| Jorma Taccone | Kung Führer | The returning martial-arts master iteration of Adolf Hitler. |
Kung Fury 2 The Complicated Saga 2026 Horizon
While the original 2015 short film remains a masterclass in independent filmmaking, the journey toward its full-length feature sequel, Kung Fury 2, has been marked by complex legal battles in the industry. Shot on location in Germany and Bulgaria with an expanded A-list Hollywood cast including Arnold Schwarzenegger (playing the President), Michael Fassbender (as Colt Magnum), and Danny McBride, the production officially wrapped principal photography in late 2019.
However, theatrical and digital distribution models ground to a halt due to an aggressive multi-year legal impasse. The dispute stems from a breach-of-contract and fraud lawsuit filed by the film’s producers against its primary Chinese financing partner, Creasun Entertainment. Creasun had acquired a majority stake and agreed to fund $22.3 million of the movie’s $33.4 million budget; however, a critical $10 million visual effects payment earmarked for VFX powerhouse DNEG (Double Negative) never materialized, forcing post-production to freeze.
Why is Kung Fury 2 Delayed: The Double-Lawsuit Timeline?
The journey of Kung Fury 2 has been caught in a repeating loop of international corporate defaults rather than a single, static legal filing.
2025–2026 (L.A. Superior Court): The initial funding failure triggers secondary malpractice and fiduciary lawsuits in L.A. Superior Court.
The Legal & Production Timeline
Late 2019 (Production Wrap): Principal photography concludes across Europe featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Fassbender, and David Hasselhoff.
September 2020 (VFX Lawsuit): Producers sue financier Creasun Entertainment USA for withholding $10M intended for DNEG visual effects, stalling post-production.
Early 2022 (Defaulted Settlement): A 2022 settlement is immediately breached by Creasun, leading to further legal action.
2023–2024 (Forensic Audits): Independent forensic audits completely clear director David Sandberg of any financial mismanagement.
Was Kung Fury 2 Cancelled Due to Embezzlement? The Audit Truth
In a transparent effort to stall the litigation and deflect accountability, Creasun mounted an aggressive legal counter-defense. They leveled severe accusations against David Sandberg and the production leads, alleging financial mismanagement and claiming that funds had been improperly diverted from the film print’s active ledger. To vindicate his team, Sandberg subjected the movie’s accounting records to multiple independent forensic financial audits. The results completely cleared the filmmakers—the auditors verified a flawless paper trail, finding absolutely zero trace of stolen or mismanaged capital, proving the allegations to be completely baseless.
Malpractice & Fiduciary Lawsuits in LA Superior Court
The contractual gridlock became so severe that it triggered secondary litigation ripples across the Hollywood entertainment landscape. The systemic failure of the initial financing deal led to subsequent legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty lawsuits hitting the L.A. Superior Court system. These actions specifically targeted the prominent legal representation and transactional firms responsible for structuring the original investment agreements, transforming the feature’s delay into a massive, multi-tiered industry case study.
The 10-Minute Sizzle Leak Truth
The community’s anticipation was reignited on May 10, 2025, when an anonymous party leaked a 10-minute promo sizzle reel online. While various outlets incorrectly labeled it as a standard movie pirate leak or a full workprint, it was actually a highly restricted, internal industry pitch video utilizing incomplete placeholder visual effects (temp VFX). Even without finalized polishing from a VFX house like Double Negative, the leaked footage instantly went viral, offering undeniable proof of the scale of Michael Fassbender’s performance and confirming the masterpiece status of the unreleased print.
Due to aggressive DMCA takedowns by the studio, active downloads or mirrors of the leak no longer exist on the public internet. However, the footage revealed the following core plot points:
Detailed Scene-by-Scene Breakdown of the Leaked Footage
Rey Porter’s Investigation: Alexandra Shipp features in several dramatic sequences as Rey Porter, a fast-talking reporter trying to uncover the supernatural criminal conspiracy ripping Miami apart.
Act 1: The New Golden Age of Miami (1985)
The Intro: The footage opens with a heavy retro synth track playing over static tracking lines. A dusty VHS tape flies through the air, hit by a sudden strike of pink neon lightning.
The Thunder Cops: We are introduced to Miami’s ultra-elite crime-fighting unit, the “Thunder Cops”. This chaotic roster expands heavily on the original short, featuring human detectives, full dinosaurs patrolling the streets, and a mutant, gun-wielding, half-dinosaur officer named Triceracop.
Enter Colt Magnum: Michael Fassbender’s character, Colt Magnum (advertised as “the world’s greatest FBI agent”), makes his grand entrance sporting an extreme 1980s mullet and a leather jacket. Fassbender delivers intentionally hammy, deadpan macho monologues. In one scene, he pulls his service pistol to rhythmically type text onto a terminal keyboard, subsequently using the heated gun barrel to light a cigar.
Act 2: Tragedy Strikes & A New Threat Emerges
The President’s Command: The scene cuts to the Oval Office, introducing Arnold Schwarzenegger as the cigar-chomping, shotgun-toting President of the United States. He gives a fiery speech demanding that the cops protect Miami and explicitly states he is out to “kick some Nazi ass.”
The Death of a Thunder Cop: A key spoiler sequence depicts a major crisis where a core member of the Thunder Cops team is abruptly killed. The death breaks up the team and triggers widespread institutional chaos across Miami.
Hitler’s Return: The main antagonist, “Kung Führer” Adolf Hitler (played by Jorma Taccone), emerges from a temporal rift alongside legions of cybernetic Nazi soldiers.
Act 3: The Hasselhoff Sequence & Time Distortions
The Red Jumpsuit Gag: David Hasselhoff appears on screen in a bright, neon-red leather jumpsuit, absurdly cradling a bundle of small puppies. Moments later, his consciousness transforms into the AI system of Kung Fury’s sports car, the Hoff 9000.
The Multiverse Battle: Kung Fury (David Sandberg) travels across space and history to assemble a final resistance network. The reel showcases a rapid montage of unfinished visual effects sequences, including laser-firing raptors, Viking warriors, and a brief shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger riding a dinosaur directly into a Nazi battlefield.
2026 Production Status
Despite the legal hurdles keeping the film hostage in distribution court blocks, insider updates and Sandberg himself have confirmed that the movie is technically 100% complete. Principal photography, editing, and the accompanying electronic musical score are finalized and sitting securely on a hard drive. The project remains entirely poised for a massive global theatrical rollout the exact second the legal systems resolve the outstanding fiduciary knots.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who composed the official soundtrack for Kung Fury?
The original soundtrack was primarily composed by synthwave pioneers Mitch Murder and Lost Years. Additional high-profile musical tracks were contributed by David Hasselhoff, Patrik Öberg, Christoffer Sandberg, and Highway Superstar, finalizing a historic compilation album.
Why is the Kung Fury feature-length sequel delayed?
Kung Fury 2 faces severe delays because of a double-lawsuit cycle between director David Sandberg’s production arm and corporate financier Creasun Entertainment over a missing $10 million payment intended for visual effects production. This legal deadlock has kept the completed film locked in distribution limbo.
Who is joining the cast of Kung Fury 2?
The sequel expands the original cast with major Hollywood talent, including Michael Fassbender as Colt Magnum, Arnold Schwarzenegger as The President, and Alexandra Shipp as Rey Porter.
Was Kung Fury 2 canceled due to embezzlement?
No. While the Chinese financing firm Creasun Entertainment counter-claimed that the production stole money, multiple exhaustive independent financial audits found absolutely no proof of stolen funds, clearing David Sandberg and his team of any wrongdoing.
Is the original Kung Fury short film still available to watch online?
Yes. The original 31-minute short film is permanently preserved and available to view for free on YouTube via the official Laser Unicorns channel. It has amassed tens of millions of views and remains an essential piece of modern retro cinema history.
Watch the Full Official Movie (31 Mins)
How was the original 2013 content retrieved for this page?
This page uses verified text extractions from the historical Wayback Machine Internet Archive data captures of futurecityrecords.com dating to December 2013. It has been systematically restored to preserve the domain’s editorial legacy while aligning with modern web standards and clean user experience design.
