Following Life of Pi, released a decade ago this fall, Ang Lee dabbled in the transportive cinematic technical experiments Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk and Gemini Man that, unfortunately, failed to connect with audiences. The director is now set to return with a film that should hopefully garner some widespread attention.
Deadline reports he will direct Bruce Lee, a biopic of the legendary martial artist and actor, who will be played by Ang Lee’s own son Mason Lee. Set up at Sony Pictures and currently being scripted by Dan Futterman (Capote, Foxcatcher).
Ang Lee is no stranger to the world of martial arts with his record-breaking Oscar-winner Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. For quite some time he tried to get his 3D Muhammad Ali fight film off the ground, but it never saw the light of day, so we’ll be curious to see if any technology or planning developed for that boxing film will be utilized in this martial arts epic. Mason Lee, who has been seen in Hong Kong drama Limbo, the Taiwanese romantic comedy Stand By Me, as well as Billy Lynn and The Hangover Part II, has been training for the role for the last three years in Asia.
“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,” said Ang Lee. “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.”
As we await more details, check out some of Bruce Lee’s greatest scenes below and read our feature on Criterion Collection’s recent Bruce Lee box set here.