Fast & Furious Director Takes Inspiration From Bruce Lee in New Series
Jakarta. "Fast & Furious" director Justin Lin is working with the creator of Cinemax's breakout drama "Banshee," Jonathan Tropper, to make a new series called "Warrior" inspired by martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
HBO announced on Thursday (15/06) the series will start production on a ten-episode debut season of Warrior this fall in Cape Town, South Africa.
Lee's daughter, Shannon, is an executive producer in the project.
Set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century, the series follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco.
Under mysterious circumstances, Sahm becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown's most powerful organized crime families.
Lin, who helmed "Star Trek Beyond" and Fast & Furious 3-6, said he has always admired Lee and was excited to collaborate with Tropper and producer Danielle Woodrow to make the stories come alive.
"I’ve always admired Bruce Lee for his trailblazing efforts opening doors for Asians in entertainment and beyond. I was intrigued when Danielle [Woodrow] told me about the urban legend of his never-produced idea for a TV show and suggested we bring it to life," the Taiwanese-American director said.
"When Shannon shared with us her father’s writings – rich with Lee’s unique philosophies on life, and through a point of view rarely depicted on screen – Danielle and I knew that we had to make it," Lin said.
Tropper said the show will not be all action only, but also reach the heights of a complex television drama.
"As a show that proudly bears the imprimatur of Bruce Lee, it’s our intention to deliver not only explosive martial arts action, which we will, but also a powerful and complex immigration drama that is as relevant today as it would have been in the 1870s," Tropper said.
Warrior will premiere on Cinemax Asia.
Tags: Keywords: