Oscar-nominated director Marjane Satrapi (Radioactive, Persepolis) will helm a UK shoot this summer for martial arts comedy, Enter The Dragons, according to Deadline‘s Tom Grater.
The film will star upcoming The King’s Man actress Gemma Arterton. Most notably cast though, is the addition of actor Jason Tobin (pictured above), best known for his series as concupiscent, knife-wielding bad boy and Hop Wei heir-apparent, Young Jun in the hit Cinemax series, Warrior, which aired for two seasons through last year. That series is currently available on Digital and Blu-Ray wherever sold, as well as on HBO Max.
Set in the small English town of Coalshaw in 1979, the film follows Gloria Grimshaw (Gemma Arterton). The most she can hope for from life is selling cosmetics and having a baby, but when the close-knit community of women come under threat, Gloria is forced to defend herself – by learning martial arts from Hao (Tobin) at the Chinese takeaway.
As Gloria begins to take control of her life, her friends notice this transformation and want to join in. Soon women of all ages are learning to fight together with Gloria and Hao, becoming the ‘Coalshaw Dragons’ and using their new skills to stand up to the men in their lives.
WestEnd is hitting the virtual EFM sales floor year to introduce the project to buyers. Satrapi will direct from a script by Joy Wilkinson (Doctor Who) with Arterton producing alongside Jessica Parker of Rebel Park Films, and next to producer Cassandra Sigsgaard of Jeva Films.
“Enter The Dragons is a truly original story, playing on so many themes I’m interested in and which are still very relevant today,” said Arterton. “It serves up a huge amount of much needed comedy, authenticity and empowerment. That Marjane is directing is a dream come true for me – she has a real connection to the story, the humour, the music, and of course, the martial arts. I can’t wait to bring Gloria Grimshaw to life (and kick some butt!).”
“Bruce Lee was my childhood hero and Enter the Dragon was the first film I saw in a cinema,” added Marjane Satrapi. “After reading the script, I immediately knew that I wanted to bring this highly original comedy to the screen. Its rebellious spirit reminded me of films like Rocky and Saturday Night Fever, but told with that unmistakably irreverent British humour shining through.”
“Enter The Dragons is an incredibly fun and modern comedy written, directed, produced and starring some of the most prominent women in the film industry today. WestEnd has been championing strong female stories and promoting female talent through our WeLove brand and this is a great example of the type of story audiences want to see more of,” added WestEnd’s Maya Amsellem.