Actor and martial artist Lewis Tan is currently developing a biopic about his father, actor and stunt professional Philip Tan (Lethal Weapon 4, Speed Racer). News of the project broke last week in an interview with Tan shepherded by reporter Lisa Cam for South China Morning Post’s STYLE magazine.
Tan spoke about his upbringing, and the role martial arts and movies played in the bond he shares with his father. He also dove in plentily about the project to Cam, delineating the history of Asian casting in entertainment and the progress that’s been made in recent years, among other points in the interview.
“I wrote it like a coming-of-age tale that tells his story in three segments,” says Tan. “One is as a child in China, then about him growing up in London dealing with racism, abandonment issues, anger and pain. Then the last segment is set in the 70s when he started to build a name for himself. That’s what we need – we need to be able to tell original stories.”
Casting and crewing details are in the air as the project is in early days with more news to come.
Singaporean-born Tan Sr. grew up in the UK, seasoned in specialities of gymnastics and martial arts all which launched his career in 1980 with The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu, starring Peter Sellers. Now a vetted stunt coordinator and action director on nearly a hundred titles, Tan has amassed a career juxtaposing him with a bevy of celebrated directors including and not limited to Tim Burton, Michael Bay, the Wachowskis, Steven Spielberg and David Leitch.
The younger Tan, whose credits partly include AMC’s “Into The Badlands,” Netflix’s “Wu Assassins” and spin-off movie Fistful Of Vengeance, and fantasy series “Shadow And Bone,” and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Mortal Kombat, is currently in production with an upcoming sequel to the latter from director Simon McQuoid.
Feel free to take a stab at a sample of Philip Tan’s craft in a NSFW clip from Philippe Martinez’s 2004 JCVD-starrer, Wake Of Death, and stay tuned for more info.
Read more at SCMP STYLE.
Lead photo: New Line/Warner Bros. Pictures