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Ang Leeis taking on the life of legendary martial artistBruce Leefor his next project, and it’s going to be a family affair.
On Wednesday,Deadlinereported that theOscar-winning director has signed on to direct a biopic titledBruce Lee, centered around the actor and martial artist — whom Ang, 68, has no relation to — that will star Ang’s son, actor Mason Lee, in the titular role.
Screenwriter Dan Futterman (2005’sCapote) is currently writing a screenplay for the movie that has been written and re-written multiple times, according to Deadline.
Ang, who won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the73rd Oscarsin 2001 for the martial arts action movieCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has been “working quietly” on the project for years now, according to the outlet.
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“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 told the outlet of Bruce Lee’s legacy in a statement.
“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 director added.
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Mason Lee most recently appeared in this year’s Taiwanese dramaReclaimand previously had a role in 2011’sThe Hangover Part II.
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According to Deadline, 32-year-old Mason has been in Asia training to portray the legendary martial arts figure for the last three years.
“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,” Gabler added.
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“He comes across as an arrogant a–hole who was full of hot air,” Shannon, an actress and martial artist herself, toldThe Wrapin 2019. “Andnot someone who had to fighttriple as hard as any of those people did to accomplish what was naturally given to so many others.”
source: people.com
