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EXCLUSIVE: Bill Paxton is in talks to direct Kung Fu, a screen adaptation of the classic 1972 TV series that starred David Carradine. Paxton, who’s coming off a run in the HBO series Big Love, gets the job after helming two solid films: Frailty and The Greatest Game Ever Played. John McLaughlin will write the script. The film’s being put together under the Legendary Entertainment banner to shoot partly in China next summer. It is possible that this will come under Legendary East, the Hong Kong-based joint venture that involves Thomas Tull’s Legendary, but insiders said that hasn’t happened to this point.
The original series tracked the adventures of a Shaolin monk as he wanders the American West. The monk wants peace but usually winds up using his spectacular martial arts skills to kick some serious tail, in between flashbacks of his early life in the monastery. Below is a reminder of the show.
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this time around i hope they have a chinese/american actor portray him..the non bruce lee , original, was a travisty..it would have been an awesome series if lee had starred and probably would have extended his life..
Yeah, Bruce Lee was the one who created the show and the idiotic racism didn’t allow it. Fast forward a few short years later and he becomes a star over seas then Hollywood wants him.
By the way, I notice on several sites that nobody listed Bruce Lee as being creator of the show when:
1. He’s the most awesome martial arts master in movie history. Even other martial artist say he is.
2. When the commentors start saying it than you know something is wrong.
He moves faster than Jet Li and hits with more power than Steven Seagal. Jackie Chen was a fight extra on a movie or two of his. Bruce Lee also trained Chuck Norris (he has Norris logged in one of his training books) and several martial arts champions. But, that wasn’t good enough for Hollywood.
Those years that Hollywood rejected Bruce Lee were the years studios did not make money. The stupidity of going none-white is not as bad as it was back then. Though it is still apparent today in Hollywood. I guess walking around Beverly Hills you don’t see to many none-white people so you can’t relate to other ethnicities. There are several examples, such as a in The Mask of Zorro when the female lead should have been played by a Hispanic but instead they chose a white: Kathryn Zeta Jones or in Starship Troopers when Rico, umm, “Rico” was played by a white guy. The list goes on and on.
The producers and people running these studios are not only racist they are stupid to. Most of the world is none-white so wouldn’t it be smart to have other races to bring in the box office?!?!
Seriously when will stupid Executives, agents and producers get it. The last Fast and Furious movie was the biggest hit for the studio in history. Yet the only time we see lots of other ethnicity of Asians, blacks and etc. is in the Fast and Furious movies. Well, watch those very few movies with none whites continue to make hundreds of millions. While other movies like The Three Musketeers make 10% and tank!
Starship Troopers was a complete waste of celluloid. Aside from poor casting choices, they gutted the main ideas from Heinlein’s thought-provoking book (Information Warfare, psyops, mechanized battle suits, politics and the military). All you had left was a war with the bugs, Nazi uniforms and a silly love-interest that flopped badly. I’d say let’s have a remake true to the novel, but Hollywood would never do it right.
Yes, let’s have, as much as possible, actors with correct ethnicities play the roles intended for them. Zeta-Jones, however for Zorro was fine. The character was a Spanish aristocrat with European heritage. A noticible percentage of Mexicans still have very European appearances – including some with blonde hair and blue eyes.
I’m post-racial. Hopefully Hollywood can learn to make worthwhile, thought-provoking movies from a variety of perspectives, whether racial, religious, political, whatever.
Just one thing. While I agree about Hollywood’s racism, your mention about Starship Troopers is off the mark. Rico was supposed to be argentinian, and that means latin more than hispanic. While Casper Van Diem is not latin by any chance, his problem wasn’t being white. An enormous percentage of argentinian population (I’m an argentinian and I live in Argentina) is white.
In RAH’s novel, “Johnny Rico” was actually Filipino, a fact not discovered until the very end of the book. He and his family did live in Buenos Aires. RAH was, as usual, describing a society of the future.
But, since they turned everything else upside down in the adaptation of the novel to film, it ain’t exactly shocking.
I guess this proves the point that people that are involved with movies are racist:
A. Several fan boys on the movie sites say the part should be acted by someone Chinese. None of them are objecting to this except for on here.
B. The role created by Bruce Lee (Chinese-American) to be played by himself, well, you agents and Hollywood insiders want a white guy.
The role was stolen from him and given to a white guy.
Don’t go crying when the Asian rights organizations flip out. This isn’t a long time ago when such racism was tolerated. It gets worse: When you racists die the devil will be waiting for you and Bruce Lee will be there to kick your ass.
You’re sooo right. I remember that issue back in the 70′s. After Enter The Dragon conquered the US, Bruce Lee was on the rise, there was no stoppng him. Kung Fu (with Bruce Lee) would had been the greatest show in the 70′s and 80′s, I dare so say. But as fate had it, racism had is say. So this time do it right. There are many great chinese/american actors.
If they don’t hire an Asian male for the lead for this, I’m going to do some kung-fuing of my own to the people in charge.
Hopefully they actually give the lead to someone who’s actually Asian for once. Carradine over Bruce Lee for the original series was terrible, especially considering Lee actually came up with the idea for Kung Fu.
I hope they are using the Cory Goodman script from a few years back that he wrote for the Hughes Bros.
“John McLaughlin will write the script.”
Bruce Lee pitched the original idea to the studio but the producers stole the story idea from him while he was staring in the Green Hornet.
Maybe this time around the movie will avoid the obvious unaddressed mystery of why an Asian looks like a white guy.
Here is a crazy idea — actually hire a Asian for the role.
I’m not saying the lead shouldn’t be Asian this time around.
But in the television series, Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) is the orphaned son of an American man, Thomas Henry Caine, and a Chinese woman.
So… that’s why he looks Caucasian. Right there in the story.
Now, there are reasons to think that making the lead mixed is a good idea. But I think it actually rocked. When he comes to the U.S. seeking his American family after fleeing China, he is caught between worlds. Having him be of mixed race creates a tension where he *is* of a white father, but treated like shit by the whites around him because of his customs and half-Asian status. He is part of the world and not part of it. I thought it worked really well for the show.
David Carradine doesn’t look Asian/Caucasian mixed either, just so we’re clear.
Well, the minute we get into the “right” look of mixed, we’re in trouble. Sometimes one parent dominates, sometimes you get someone that people say looks like both parents, and sometimes you get someone lovely and exotic that you can’t name the source of at all.
Which makes the matter of whether someone is really of a mixed race neither here nor there.
What it’s going to come down to is the storyline (is the character of mixed parents or not) and whatever the financiers think will make the film “work” (with the definition of “work” being open to lots of interpretations.)
This is correct. However, the character was made mixed-race in development so that they could cast a white actor in the lead role. (They certainly didn’t cast a mixed-race actor or Asian who could pass as such.) This is just one of several examples of Hollywood bending over backwards in order to cast a white actor against the backdrop of a non-white setting. (i.e. “The Last Samurai”, “American Yakuza”, “Outsourced”, etc.)
One could certainly argue for how dramatically interesting it was for Kwai Chang Caine to be mixed-race. But that’s not why they made the character the way he was.
@ Wannabe: I was with you up until the point you mentioned Outsourced.
You are either a mongoloid or suffered brain damage if you do not get why a Caucasian was cast as the lead in that role.
In India, Caucasians are the ultimate outsiders due to the British occupation. Learn a little history before someone thinks you are the multi-cultural version of the KKK.
UMM, BRUCE LEE CREATED THE SHOW!! The original none-tarnished concept for the show was to involve him. It didn’t come out until after Bruce Lee’s death that he created the show, was to be the star in the show and was dissed because of his race.
Putting a none-asian in the part for a second time will cause China to declare war on the U.S. All joking aside, a serious wrong was made decades ago by racists or inconsiderate people like you. The part should go to an Asian as it was originally meant to be.
TY Christopher. Those bozos who commented before you clearly didn’t know shit about the show.
Oh, so the character is part Asian? You know who was also part Asian?
Bruce Lee. That’s right, Bruce Lee was 1/4 German on his mother’s side. No matter how you slice it, that role should have gone to Bruce Lee — who, unlike Carradine, was both an actual martial artist AND Eurasian.
It was not unaddressed, actually – in the original storyline Kwai Chang Caine’s father was supposed to have been an American – hence a) his non-Chinese family name Caine and b) his reason to be wandering around the American West. He was of racially mixed parentage which was the excuse (with a smidge of dramatic licence) for his appearance to be not-so-Asian. In many respects I don’t see this as so much worse than the endemic practice of casting actors of ANY Asian ethnicity as any other, as if Chinese / Japanese / Koreans etc are all interchangable – a ridiculous example of stereotyping. All of which pale into insignificance alongside such travesties as Mickey Rooney in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” or John Wayne as Genghis Khan…
You have to understand, what made people mad about Kung Fu is that they stolen it. You said that stereotyping a Asian person is wrong if he had that role, but not including him what so ever is 10 time worst.
So your point is illogical.
Leave the television programs alone. No more remakes ok
another trivia question for the Paxton or Pullman game – Love it!
“Frailty” was terrific. Low key, compelling, a very nice turn by Matthew McConahey. Unrated film, glad that Paxton is getting some higher profile projects. I think he’ll have some respect for the product and the audience.
“Under-rated film”
damn the pre-nightfall sugar rush
I’m not sure Bruce Lee’s acting would have worked out on a tv series like that.
Et tu, Bill? I thought you were better than this.
Paxton will be great directing this. As for the “white guy” thing, I’ll bet they address that and make it a kid abandoned or something (if they go with a white guy.) – It could be interesting culturally (as a story-point, I mean) if it’s a white guy who was raised differently.
Please don’t start flaming. I’m just saying “if” that happens.
“It could be interesting culturally (as a story-point, I mean) if it’s a white guy who was raised differently.”
Yeah, we’ve never *ever* seen that before.
What would be interesting would be to have a Chinese guy who is a Shaolin priest in the American Old West. The “white person in a strange land” thing has been done a million times and is beyond tired.
Chet, it would not be interesting. Please stop talking and hand me my high blood pressure pills.
Long live Bruce Lee!
David Carradine was fantastic! and ACTED with
grace and spirit…. not to mention doing a fantastic
job of kicking ass.
Agreed. He did a great job on the show. It’s not like he was Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
If a minority were cast in the role of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Charlie Chaplin, Kurt Cobain, or some other white character, how many people would be saying he did a “great job”… Right…
Until there’s an Asian star who can guarantee $30 million opening weekends, it’s not happening. You know we’ll be getting Channing Tatum!
Yes, Channing Tatum. Is he the guy that stars in movies that open at $30 million? He is? Can you tell me which movie? (Not GIJOE since no one watched that because of him.) Anything else?
Crickets…
I can’t believe I’m replying to someone who lives in a trailer, whatever.
-Jackie Chen did more than $30 million with the Rush Hour movies.
-Before Eddie Murphy with Beverly Hills Cop only a few years ago nobody could guarantee a black man being in a movie that made hundreds of millions of dollars. It happened!
-Oh and then there is the mixed races of Vin and The Rock in Fast Five.
You’re an idiot racist who’s to stupid to be commenting on here. Now go and sleepy sleepy with your sister.
I like it, actually. The concept always seemed like it would make a better movie than TV show. Also, there are some Asian stars who can guarantee a $30 million opening – in international markets.
Where are you people getting your ideas about who created this serics. It was Ed Spielman who created this series. Bruce Lee? Can’t you remember anyting beyond 10 year.s
you should do better research instead of getting your sources from wikipedia, Holly
Love “Frailty” – a great horror film. Glad he’s getting behind the camera again.
” Jet Li ” to play the lead, ask him to shave his head for the monk role…..I have never seen anyone else besides Bruce Lee can do Kung Fu that naturally believable….Jet Li is best in Kung Fu after Bruce Lee and he has the perfect, quiet demeanor , with humility that a real life monk has….absolutely JET LI, if you want the audience to believe in your story and characters…..the way Jet Li can kick butts so brilliantly and believable and look very second nature to him…..
Agree-Jet Li, Yes, I second that emotion.
“No,casting`s not 50% of a film, (takes sip of his Bushmills) it`s 90%” John Huston
This project is going to bomb no matter the race of the lead.
This is a 40 year old idea whose racist memes & the racist hypocrisies used to substantiate them, however ironic & sad given who Warner Bros et al stole them from, no longer have resonance.
Tell an original story that reflects today’s bigotries & hypocrisies.
You might get some traction.
if you want to cast the character with an actor of the exact same racial mix, then you HAVE to cast a half caucasian and half chinese person. To cast an asian-only would be just as racist as casting a white to play the mixed part. that’s if you presume that EVERY role must be cast by an actor of the EXACT race in order to not be racist. Was/is Cleopatra racist? Gladiator? J.Edgar? Braveheart? All because the lead actor wasn’t the same nationality of the role they were ACTING in? fools.
Wow, all the racist guys are getting pulled apart on this site for being neanderthals.
Actually the part was not written for a Chinese male. It was created by Bruce Lee for Bruce Lee. I don’t think anyone would mind if they brought in a half Chinese man to play the part. As long as he has Chinese in him.
Bruce Lee’s son: Brandon Lee was in a Kung-Fu TV that showed after the series was canceled.
Your point about other Caucasian actors playing other European nationalities is in this CASE/CONTEXT is flawed. According to your logic a white man can play Martin Luther King.
I sure hope that you are not apart of the movie making community because you don’t come off to smart my friend.
“To cast an asian-only would be just as racist as casting a white to play the mixed part. that’s if you presume that EVERY role must be cast by an actor of the EXACT race in order to not be racist.”
Yes, because let’s say if they did a Harriet Tubman movie and cast Jessica Beal as the lead role whould that be wrong?
“Was/is Cleopatra racist?”
Yes, Lena Horne was shafted in favor of Liz Tyler. Mind you they used her complexion for the part. Some say the she is Greek, but they have mingled with the Egyptians
Gladiator?
At the Time Spain, Rome and other parts of Europe was under the Roman Rule, So yeah they might look alike.
J.Edgar?
White guy playing White guy…They do it all the time
Braveheart?
(Insert Mel Gibson rant)
All because the lead actor wasn’t the same nationality of the role they were ACTING in? fools.
If you are white or European you can blend in. If you are someone say, Black, Native American, Middle Eastern, Asian. yes that role should go to that Actor that matches that Ethinic Background.
Again. Whould you have Jackie Chan play as George Washington?
Taylor Lautner, Justin Timberlake, Russell Brand, Shia Labeouf or Jaden Smith would all be perfect for the part. NOT!
As a practitioner of the Chinese martial arts, it would be cool to see an Asian actor in the role as meant for Bruce Lee.
But at the same time, despite Bruce Lee’s original contribution to its creation, the character became well-established as a man that is half-American, half-Chinese. I think the mixed heritage makes for a very contemporary story and allows for more plot complication than what could easily be reduced to an “East vs. West” story. So I vote for the continuation of the character played by Carradine.
I would like to add though: historically, having a half-white/half Chinese train at the Shaolin Temple in the mid-19th century is quite historically inaccurate. Shaolin kung fu was not taught to outsiders until the Cultural Revolution, when Shaolin monks fled the country and taught elsewhere. So merely being half-white would have disqualified him from studying at the temple.
Game over, man. Game over.