Credit: Enter the Dragon
Bruce Lee is forever iconic in the world of cinema. While the famed martial arts isn’t a Golden Globe or Academy Award winner, Lee helped popularize martial arts in media before names like Jackie Chan or Steven Seagal even popped up. Unfortunately, the legendary actor died at a very young age; however, he left a legacy that will never be forgotten. Lee’s name has continuously popped up in movies and television. Perhaps the most recent and infamous was Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, where actor Mike Moh portrayed him. However, the Oscar nominee didn’t exactly paint him in the best light, notably making Lee an arrogant douchebag. Still, Lee has already cemented his name in Tinseltown, and now, Sony has confirmed another biography about the life of the martial arts legend.
According to Deadline, the upcoming feature is developing at Sony’s 3000 Picture with Dan Futterman adapting the script from Jean Castelli, Alex Law, Mabel Cheung, and Wells Tower’s earlier screenplays. Futterman is a notable writer nominated for an Academy Award for both Capote and Fox Catcher. Of course, Ang Lee, a more prominent name who has won two Academy Awards – for Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi – is attached to direct the feature.
Credit: Enter the Dragon
“Accepted as neither fully American nor Fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese Kung Fu to the world, a scientist of combat and an iconic performing artist who revolutionized both the martial arts and action cinema,” Ang Lee said in a statement. “I feel I compelled to tell the story of this brilliant, unique human being who yearned for belonging, possessed tremendous power in a 135-pound frame, and, through tireless hard work, made impossible dreams into reality.”
Perhaps the most exciting news to come to light is that Ang Lee’s son, Mason Lee, is set to star as Bruce Lee himself. Now, this screams your classic nepotism in Hollywood, and to be accurate, it is; however, Mason Lee has a lengthy resume that showcases his talent as an actor. Mason hasn’t mainly made the mainstream jump into Hollywood yet, though the 32-year-old does have minor supporting role credits in The Hangover Part II, Lucy, and Dead Pigs; however, his more established work is in films such as Limbo and Mu ji zhe, two films where he received a nomination for the Golden Horse Award as Best Supporting Actor. The Golden Horse Award is the Academy Awards held in Taiwan. Given the physical demands that will have to be displayed by Mason, it’s doubtful that Sony would say yes to Mason if they didn’t think he was a good fit for the role. However, Hollywood is a business first and foremost. Though there’s been plenty of business mistakes documented in Tinseltown, it does appear that Mason has the credentials to play the lead role of such as iconic character.
Credit: Enter the Dragon
This isn’t the first time that a Bruce Lee biography has been made: Bruce Lee, My Brother, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Bruce, The King of Kung Fu, Bruce Lee: His Last Days, His Last Nights, and Birth of The Dragon all documented the life of the actor. However, each film differs from the next, with some recounting his early days before fame to others highlighting a specific moment or time in Bruce Lee’s career. As of this writing, there’s no word on the plot for the upcoming Ang Lee biopic. It will detail Bruce Lee’s life, though it’s unclear if there’s a specific period that the Oscar winner will settle on or if it starts from him as a young boy to the time of his death. We’ll keep you updated when more news comes out about the feature.Bruce Lee
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