jonathan tropper

WARRIOR Season Two Launch: The Battlefield Gets A Little Bigger, As Does The Bodycount

The first season of Cinemax’s hit series, Warrior, premiered last April to the benefit of a highly thrilled viewing audience, introducing martial arts fans to a contemporary vision of a kung fu Western once birthed in the mind of film legend, Bruce Lee. Host to an epic, layered world of triads, corrupt politicians and police caught in the middle in the battleground of 1870s San Francisco, that legacy continued with the second season premiere reintroducing Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), brought back into the throes of the Hop Wei gang after redeeming himself post-defeat at the hands of Long Zii enforcer, Li Yong (Joe Taslim). Pit fighting at the Barbary Coast where he befriends ringleader Rosalita Vega (Maria Elena Laas), Ah Sahm is left coming to terms with his defeat on his own accord. In addition, there’s also the betrayal and abandonment of being ostracized earlier on by Hop Wei boss, […]

WARRIOR Official Season One Trailer: ‘Somebody Has To Fight Back!’

Lee B. Golden III

As it stands, the future couldn’t be brighter for the fate of martial arts cinema on television. With Into The Badlands making its exit from AMC in a few weeks, Cinemax is officially next in line with its own roster led by breakout actor Andrew Koji in the new series, Warrior, born and bread from the mind of the late Bruce Lee and re-birthed through the auspices of daughter Shannon Lee, and creators Justin Lin’s Perfect Storm and Jonathan Tropper’s Tropper Ink. Warrior is a gritty, action-packed crime drama set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. The series follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful tongs (Chinese organized crime family). Also starring are Kieran Bew, Olivia Cheng, Dianne […]

WARRIOR: Cinemax’s Bruce Lee-Inspired Drama Premieres April 5. Watch The New Teaser!

Lee B. Golden III

That Cinemax’s latest martial arts drama, Warrior, is already working the kinks out for its second season could be telling about what promise the first may hold. Bruce Lee fans and folks keen on this inspired period drama from Shannon Lee, Justin Lin (Fast franchise) and Jonathan Tropper (Banshee) will get just the insight they’re looking for when it premieres on April 5, as stated in the official teaser trailer above. Inspired by an idea from martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, this gritty, action-packed crime drama is set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. Filming in Cape Town, South Africa, it follows a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful organized crime families. The new footage comes along with exclusive photos over at […]

Cinemax’s New Martial Arts Series Drama, WARRIOR, Sets Its Cast!

Lee B. Golden III

Among many of the film, TV and independent projects I’ve followed up on, one stood out as something worth following in its early days as I had known of the folks working on its action for its director, Charlie Dennis. Fast forward three Winters later and we were introduced to the world of gritty martial arts short, Deep Pan Fury, with UK actor Andrew Koji, whose extensive TV and film acting and stunt credits include 2007 Muay Thai flick, Fighting Beat, Justin Lin’s Furious 6 and as the voice of Hien in Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood. Conclusively, I couldn’t be more proud of Koji this week, and that brings us to the longstanding developments of Cinemax’s upcoming ten-episode martial arts drama, Warrior which is set to go before cameras in South Africa on October 22. Netflix series Fauda helmer Assaf Bernstein is directing from a script by Banshee creator Jonathan […]

Bruce Lee-Inspired Martial Arts Drama, WARRIOR, Gets A Straight-To-Series Order At Cinemax

Lee B. Golden III

Warner Bros. Pictures President of HBO Miniseries and Cinemax Programming Kary Antholis believes Cinemax has a perfect platform for its strategy in producing mutliple “fun, high-octane, action, pulpy” series dramas at cost-effective rates as it has for several years now. One of those shows includes Strike Back which has a reboot presently in production, with another titled Banshee which sadly ended after four seasons last year. At best though, it has proven more opportune for viewers and especially Banshee co-creator Jonathan Tropper who had already been long in development for a new Cinemax series with Justin Lin and Shannon Lee, daughter of the late film legend who since left a legacy of unfinished materials now being absorbed by Lee’s own Bruce Lee Enterprises. Separately, this includes a feature film based on her father’s life poised to shoot this summer, while her current efforts with Tropper and Lin for the new […]

Bruce Lee-Inspired Martial Arts Crime Drama, WARRIOR, Gets A Pilot Order For Cinemax

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re not subscribed to Cinemax and you love martial arts action and Bruce Lee, then take heed to this latest bit of news as a sign that you should. Following updates last May, the word now is that a pilot order has been given for Warrior, the latest effort hailing from Star Trek: Beyond helmer Justin Lin who is executive producing the pilot and may well direct. From a script by executive producer, hit action series Banshee co-creator, Tropper Ink’s own Jonathan Tropper, the pilot will kick off the potential series set in the aftermath of the Civil War when a young martial artist from China arrives in San Francisco, only to find himself swept into the bloody war between rival Tong factions in Chinatown. The series was the first of several projects that began conception early on as Lin pacted with Chinese media magnate Bruno Wu for the […]