Yahoo Movies Ang Lee to direct his son Mason in Bruce Lee biopic
Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee is set to direct a biopic about the late martial arts icon Bruce Lee, and it's shaping up to be a family affair.
The Life of Pi director's son Mason Lee (The Hangover Part II, Stand by Me) is attached to play the title role in Bruce Lee, EW has confirmed. The project hails from Sony's 3000 Pictures and is being produced by Ang Lee, Lawrence Grey, Ben Everard, Brian Bell, and Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee. Dan Futterman, who wrote Foxcatcher and Capote, is working on the latest draft of the script.
Bruce Lee, who died in 1973 at 32, was a magnetic international star who helped popularize martial arts on screen with his films, including Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon, The Way of the Dragon, and The Big Boss.
Ashley Pon/Getty Images; Golden Harvest Company/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images Ang Lee and his son Mason Lee; Bruce Lee
"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 Lee, who previously directed the martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, said in a statement provided to EW.
He continued, "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."
Bruce Lee was recently portrayed by Mike Moh in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a depiction that was slammed by Shannon Lee. In the film, Bruce challenges stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) to a fight and, as Shannon has maintained, "comes across as an arrogant a--hole who was full of hot air." She called the portrayal disrespectful and a mockery of her father's legacy.
"I understand they want to make the Brad Pitt character this super badass who could beat up Bruce Lee," she said. "But they didn't need to treat him in the way that white Hollywood did when he was alive."
Tarantino defended his depiction and claimed that "Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy." He said during an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, "I can understand his daughter having a problem with it. It's her f---ing father. Everybody else: go suck a d---."
Deadline first reported the biopic news.
Related content:
