Renowned Life of Pi director Ang Lee has been tapped to spearhead the upcoming biopic of Bruce Lee, one of the most famous action stars of all time. The Chinese-American actor is known for his roles in Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon, and The Way of the Dragon. He died in 1973 at age 32.
The movie will be developed by Sony’s 3000 Pictures. Jean Castelli, Mabel Cheung, and Alex Law wrote the first drafts of the script, which will be adapted by Dan Futterman to screen. Ang Lee’s own son, Mason Lee, has been cast to play the titular hero.
Life of Pi Director Reveals Bruce Lee Movie Is A Life-Long Passion Project
In a statement, Ang Lee said that he felt compelled to share to the world the amazing life story of Bruce Lee. The director explained (via Deadline):
“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. I feel compelled to tell the story of this brilliant, unique human being who yearned for belonging, possessed tremendous power in a 135-pound frame, and who, through tireless hard work, made impossible dreams into reality.”
The untitled movie brings together a dream team consisting of Lawrence Grey, Shannon Lee, Ang Lee, Ben Everard, and Brian Bell as producers. Lee will reunite with Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva as they have worked before in the Oscar-winning movie Life of Pi.
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Upcoming Bruce Lee Biopic Set To Be An Emotional Retelling
Gabler said in an interview that the Bruce Lee biopic will showcase the ups and downs of the actor’s life as an artist.
“Bruce Lee is a longtime passion project for Ang and a deeply emotional story depicting the triumphs and conflicts of one of the foremost real-life action heroes of our time. All of us at Sony and 3000 Pictures are proud to help Ang and his filmmaking team create what we believe will be an extraordinary theatrical event.”
With Ang Lee at the helm, the film is quite anticipated to receive accolades given that he has proven his keen eye for details. His works on Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon have all received Academy Awards.
Mason Lee mostly stars in local dramas such as Stand By Me, Who Killed Cock Robin, and Limbo. The 32-year-old actor will have his first big break when he stars as the martial artist Bruce Lee.
Source: Deadline
