It's over 20 years since Rob Cohen's Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story hit the big screen with an entertaining, if at times somewhat 'inaccurate', adaptation of Bruce Lee's life and times. Lee's life story has been the subject of numerous projects, many of the Bruce Lee Clone movies claimed to be telling the story of Bruce Lee but seemed focused on the sensational aspects more than any attempt at actual accuracy... although Ng See-yuen's Bruce Lee: The Man The Myth managed to be a pretty respectful and a mostly accurate representation of Lee's life (with plenty of action scenes added to the mix). Lee's life has also been the subject of various tv series including the Young Bruce Lee series which starred David Wu from Tiger Cage 2 as Bruce Lee battling everyone (including the Klu Klux Klan) as he struggled to make his mark in North America and the recent The Legend of Bruce Lee series which had some good co-stars... but the accuracy was,shall we say, random!
Now comes the news that Lee's daughter, Shannon is developing a new movie about her father in collaboration with Bruce Lee Entertainment and producer Lawrence Grey. "There have been projects out there involving my father but they've lacked a complete understanding of his philosophies and artistry," said Shannon."They haven't captured the essence of his beliefs in martial arts or storytelling. The only way to get audiences to understand the depth and uniqueness of my father is to generate our own material."
According to Grey: "In this age of an increasingly globalised culture, I can't think of a more talented and innovative individual who embodies the best of east and west and who can inspire future generations."
Shannon was only four years old when her father passed away and has taken over the mantle of the running of the Bruce Lee Estate. Recent years have seen Lee's name and image being used for a number of endorsements, some of which raised some concerns among fans in the way his image was being used: the Johnnie Walker adverts and the official Bruce Lee Tea and Coffee range are examples. While we're excited about the thought of a new Bruce Lee bio-pic with Shannon being heavily involved in its production, we are a little concerned when we remember that The Legend of Bruce Lee tv series all too frequently featured ludicrous sequences and depictions of moments from Lee's life and was also produced with the blessing and co-operation of the Bruce Lee Estate.
Fingers crossed and we hope for the best...
