shannon lee

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WARRIOR Is Now Streaming On Netflix. Binge It. Tell Your Friends. Binge It Again. Repeat.

The wait is over, people. It’s been nearly two months since Netflix acquired the hit Tong crime drama series, Warrior. As of today, Friday, you can now stream all three current seasons of the show to your delight. More importantly, the goal is to help guarantee that the former Cinemax and Max streaming drama has a future with more seasons. If blurbs from the cast and past reports are any hint, that means streaming the series as often as possible, and spreading the word to get those numbers up to let Netflix know this show deserves a continuation. Filled with complex characters, and brimming with crackling dialogue, powerful messaging and ballistic action and stunts, Warrior serves as the brainchild of screen legend Bruce Lee, once a concept birthed fifty years ago and revived by Shannon Lee and co-creators Justin Lin and Jonathan Tropper. Set in the late 1800s, central to […]

Bruce Lee Biopic Gets New Life At Sony Division, Ang Lee Tapped To Direct Son In The Lead Role

Lee B. Golden III

Media mogul Shannon Lee has been pursuing a biopic about her late father, actor and martial arts sensation Bruce Lee for years but now it looks like we have a solid footing over at Sony’s 3000 Pictures. What’s more is that celebrated Life Of Pi, Hulk and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon director Ang Lee is on deck to direct the film with none other than his son, Mason Lee (The Hangover II, Who Killed Cock Robin?) attached to play the part of the screen legend. The film had been in the works as of 2015 for Bruce Lee’s daughter who launched Bruce Lee Enterprises a year prior. One project would have seen the then-titled “Little Dragon” with Shekaur Kapur at the helm as of its announcement back in 2017 which unfortunately never came to pass, while other screen incarnations of her father would materialize through George Nolfi’s Birth Of The […]

WARRIOR Series Review: Ep. 1 “The Itchy Onion” Soothes The Itch With World-Building Action And Intrigue

Kyle Wong

Now I have talked about this series on end and I think it’s time to talk about each episode and character on how it all culminated to an end on December 4, 2020. Let’s go back to 1971, Bruce Lee wrote up a concept known as “The Warrior”, a story where a martial artist from China comes to the American West. Lee wanted to pitch it to Warner Bros. but they chose not to move forward with the project. And yet the concept was released with David Carradine and titled “Kung Fu”. It was also said that Bruce Lee was not given credit and was not casted because of his accent and because the American audience is not ready for a Chinese main character. In 2015, Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon was contacted by Justin Lin and his company Perfect Storm Entertainment. Now Justin Lin has been a huge advocate of […]

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

Lee B. Golden III

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 Releases An Official Teaser For The New Bruce Lee-Inspired Martial Arts Drama

Lee B. Golden III

Cinemax’s long-awaited Tong Wars period martial arts drama, WARRIOR, is coming in 2019!

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 […]

Shannon Lee’s ‘Definitive Bruce Lee Biopic’ Gets A Director, Production Date And More

Lee B. Golden III

Say what you will about the most recent pesudo-adaptatation of late legendary martial arts master Bruce Lee’s life as depicted in George Nolfi’s Birth Of The Dragon. That is still on deck for release later this year following its acquisition by BH Tilt and WWE Studios back in February, but there’s no love lost there with actress and entrepreuneur Shannon Lee having stood staunchly against the project in wake of its TIFF premiere in late 2016. As for Lee, the past few years have revealed news of her own research and inquiry into her father’s past for what has been reportedly persued as the “definitive” Bruce Lee biopic. That development now comes with an update with word on the new movie, Little Dragon, inspired by the on-screen nickname the late martial arts star took on among several during his lifetime. Shannon Lee, whose Bruce Lee Family Company shingle, Bruce Lee […]

Well Go USA To Release LEGEND OF BRUCE LEE: VOL.1 On DVD This November

Lee B. Golden III

I remember first seeing the trailer to the CCTV-1 broadcast of the Shannon Lee produced series, The Legend Of Bruce Lee a bit less than a decade ago. Having already been a fan of director Rob Cohen’s Hollywood treatment, I wasn’t too impressed and I guess because it felt a bit like excess for there to be another pseudo-fictional telling of the life and legend of the Jeet Kune Do founder and martial arts film star. I think nowadays, however, my perspective has changed a bit since then and particularly considering that lead actor Danny Chan reprised the role opposite Donnie Yen in the hit film, Ip Man 3, it’s understandable that fans would probably take a ceremonial liking to this show which casts a number of well-knowns and through a showcase of various styles of martial arts to interpret how Lee adapts to win his battles. It’s a martial […]

Shannon Lee Responds To BIRTH OF THE DRAGON, Calls It A ‘Travesty’, ‘Inaccurate’ And ‘Insulting’

Lee B. Golden III

I think it’s safe to say you know your movie sucks when you not only screw the rights holders whose name and content you base your unsanctioned film on, but when said rights holders join the chorus of critics panning your movie from literally every angle of the internet. That is the level of achievement you have reached if your name is George Nolfi and you’ve directed a film called Birth Of The Dragon, long hyped to be a hopefully legendary homage to Bruce Lee, the late founder of Jeet Kune Do and patriarch of American martial arts movie fandom. Pan over to what Lee’s own daughter, actress and CEO of Bruce Lee Enterprises, Shannon Lee, had to say about the film after watching it herself. She’s busy with several people working on advancing some of her late father’s work as we speak, in addition to a forthcoming TV series, […]

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 […]

Lin To Direct Cinemax Bruce Lee-Inspired Crime Series, WARRIOR

Lee B. Golden III

Well this is fancy! Cinemax is reportedly beefing up efforts toward developing a Bruce Lee-inspired serial crime drama titled Warrior. Fast And Furious franchise helmer Justin Lin is poised to executive produce and potentially direct the pilot from a script by executive producer, Banshee co-creator Jonathan Tropper which centers on an anti-heroic, gifted fighter who is thrown into a crisis that undermines his quest for revenge. The series was the first of several projects that began conception early on as Lin pacted with Chinese media magnate Bruno Wu for the launch of TV enterprise, Perfect Storm Entertainment a few years ago. The project is based on Lee’s earlier writings which never saw the light of day after his death in 1973, until they were discovered by Shannon Lee, daughter of the iconic film legend and CEO of Bruce Lee Enterprises, prior to jumping aboard with Lin and Wu and introducing […]

IP MAN 3D Production In Trouble With Bruce Lee's Estate

Lee B. Golden III

Production is only in its ninth day for director Wilson Yip’s fifth outing with actor and action star Donnie Yen with the new film, Ip Man 3D after years of sitting in development limbo. The news was joyful, to say the least, as filming commenced well over a week ago with Pegasus Motion Pictures announcing plans to star former world heavyweight champion boxer-cum-actor Mike Tyson with Yen in addition to a CG-enhanced young rendition of martial icon, Bruce Lee, as reportedly approved by his brother, Robert Lee. Well, it turns out we’ve hit our first snag, and it can’t be good either. THR has news that Bruce Lee Enterprises is reportedly trying to stop what it claims is the completely unauthorized use of the late Jeet Kune Do founder’s face and voice. BLE, of which daughter Shannon Lee is the CEO, has stated it has “undisputed ownership of all intellectual […]

Shannon Lee & Co. To Produce The 'Definitive' Bruce Lee Biopic

Lee B. Golden III

It will be forty three years this July since the untimely death of martial arts legend and superstar Bruce Lee, the man whose short-lived career in film and television spawned a legacy that cultivated generations of martial arts sports and entertainment fans alike. Lee’s life and legacy has always been an intriguing subject embraced through television and film via documentaries and fictional action packed dramas, and all these are subject to debate regarding whether or not how we all should feel about them. That said, several more films have been in development for some time now, including actor and Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen’s upcoming return to the fray as Lee’s Wing Chun Grandmaster in Ip Man 3D, and in a new movie titled Birth Of The Dragon with George Nolfi tapped to direct. Updates on either of these projects are still pending so its best not to hold […]

Shannon Lee Keeps Bruce Lee Fans On Weekend Alert

Lee B. Golden III

Actress, producer, singer, daughter to her late father and brother, Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee, and that of living mother Linda Lee Cadwell, and acting president of the Bruce Lee Foundation, Shannon Lee, took to Facebook to share Brazil’s latest Rolling Stone Magazine’s cover for the month of July, in light of the 40th anniversary since her legendary father’s passing. Her caption read the following: One of our community members sent this to me – Rolling Stone Brazil, July 2013 Issue commemorating 40 years since my father’s passing. We have some posts planned for you for the 40th Anniversary. Stay Tuned. The upcoming anniversary marked the start of a year in which plans were kicked off to promote the iconic martial artist, actor, cinematic action hero and legend in various venues between here and in Hong Kong. Back in February, Groundswell Productions announced the start of a new film production […]