Bruce Lee will forever be one of the most iconic presences in film. Not just because of his unique martial arts abilities but because of the rise from poverty all the way to Hollywood success and ultimate tragic death. His story has already been filmed once before as DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY, but another version of his life is coming soon.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Christopher Wilkinson and Stephen Rivele have been selected to write the screenplay. They have previously written the screenplays for Oliver Stone‘s NIXON and Michael Mann‘s ALI. Their screenplay about the life of Freddie Mercury is currently in the works with Sacha Baron Cohen in the title role.
This Bruce Lee movie, titled BIRTH OF THE DRAGON will have a more focused story, centering on a major event in the young martial artist’s life, before he became a movie star.
According to QED and Groundswell, is inspired by the true-life duel between Lee and Wong Jack Man, who was China’s most famous Kung Fu Master. The no-rules fight took place in San Francisco in 1965, when the city’s Chinatown was controlled by Hong Kong Triads.
As a Bruce Lee buff, I am not sure how an entire movie can focus on single fight and overlook everything else about his life. DRAGON was a good movie featuring a decent performance from Jason Scott Lee in the title role. There are not many known actors who could replicate Bruce Lee‘s abilities on screen. I will be cautiously optimistic about this until I see some footage.