Is this a smart idea?
Bruce Lee, despite being the most famous martial arts star of all time, only actually starred in four completed films before he died aged just 32. His Chinese movies The Big Boss, Fists of Fury and Way of the Dragon are all fun in their own way, but his only American production, Enter The Dragon, is the one that stands out.
It has it all – the funky Lalo Schifrin score, the bad guy with the claw, Black Samurai Jim Kelly backing him up, a young Jackie Chan as an extra in the fight scenes, and at the centre, Bruce Lee at his coolest and most badass.
And now, like every classic movie more than two decades old, it is getting the reboot treatment. Deadline is reporting that Deadpool 2 director David Leitch is in talks to direct a remake.
Martial arts fans around the world have instantly reacted with shock and horror. Stop all remakes, that kind of thing.
But it could work. Wait, put down the pitchforks, and hear us out.
First up, as well as Deadpool 2, David Leitch was also responsible for John Wick and Atomic Blonde. So he can shoot a good fight scene at least.
Second, Scarface was a remake. The Thing was a remake. Not all remakes are bad.
And finally, the plot of Enter The Dragon is incredibly simple. Bruce Lee is sent by the British secret service to investigate a crime lord who is holding a secret martial arts tournament of a mysterious island. When he gets there, he kicks the shit out of a load of dudes. That’s basically it.
If you give that to an up-and-coming martial arts star, or one who hasn’t made their name in America yet, you could have a new superstar on your hands. My person pick would be Iko Uwais, from The Raid movies, or Wu Jing, who recently starred and directed in the incredible Wolf Warrior 2, and has become the highest-grossing Chinese movie ever made.
Seeing either of them make their Hollywood debut in a remake of Bruce Lee’s greatest film would be a lot of fun, and a great way to unveil them to a new audience.
And look. Even if it’s shit, we can just ignore it and go back to our DVDs of the original.
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