Bruce Lee is without a doubt a cinematic and martial arts legend. Now Oscar winner Ang Lee is attached to direct a Bruce Lee biopic that will follow the Chinese American star. Furthermore, Ang Lee’s own son Mason Lee will star in the film.
This news comes from Deadline, where they noted that its currently being developed at Sony’s 3000 Pictures. They also noted that “Dan Futterman, who wrote ‘Capote’ and ‘Foxcatcher,’ is adapting the script.” Futterman’s work on the script follows after “Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung and Wells Tower wrote earlier versions of the screenplay.”
Ang Lee further shared a statement where he emphasized how Bruce Lee was “a scientist of combat and an iconic performing artist,” one he notes “revolutionized both the martial arts and action cinema.” As he explained:
“Accepted as neither fully American nor Fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese Gung Fu to the world, a scientist of combat and an iconic performing artist who revolutionized both the martial arts and action cinema,” Ang Lee began. “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.”
Additionally, it was revealed that Lawrence Grey, Shannon Lee, Ang Lee, Ben Everard, and Brian Bell will all serve as producers on the project. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva will be overseeing the project for the studio. Elizabeth Gabler also shared the following statement:
“’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,” Gabler said. “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.”
Director Ang Lee is known for such hit films as Life of Pi and Brokeback Mountain. This particular biopic, however, has been a passion project for Lee. Additionally, he’s been eager to have his son Mason Lee play the lead part of the film. His previous acting credits include The Hangover Part II and Who Killed Cock Robin. It’s been stated that he’s been training for the past three years in Asia to prepare for his role in this biopic.
It’s worth noting as well that with the film in the early stages of development, it still remains untitled. Nevertheless, now that a new team has been attached, it’s likely that production will begin sooner rather than later. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for additional updates on this upcoming Bruce Lee biopic as we have them.