Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee has cast his son Mason to play Bruce Lee in a biopic about the legendary martial artist for Sony’s 3000 Pictures.
The “Brokeback Mountain” director will helm a script by Dan Futterman (“Capote,” “Foxcatcher”), building on previous versions by Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung and, most recently Wells Tower.
Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee will produce the film, which is untitled for now, along with Ang Lee, Lawrence Grey of Grey Matter Productions, Ben Everard and Brian Bell. 3000 Pictures’ Elizabeth Gabler and Marisa Paiva will oversee the project on behalf of the studio. They previously collaborated on Lee’s 2012 film “Life Of Pi.”
Said Ang Lee, “Accepted as neither fully American nor Fully Chinese, Bruce Lee was a bridge between East and West who introduced Chinese Gung Fu to the world, a scientist of combat and an iconic performing artist who revolutionized both the martial arts and action cinema.”
“I feel compelled to tell the story of this brilliant, unique human being who yearned for belonging, possessed tremendous power in a 135-pound-frame, and who, through tireless hard work, made impossible dreams into reality,” his statement continued.
“’Bruce Lee’ is a longtime passion project for Ang and a deeply emotional story depicting the triumphs and conflicts of one of the foremost real life action heroes of our time,” Gabler added. “All of us at Sony and 3000 Pictures are proud to help Ang and his filmmaking team create what we believe will be an extraordinary theatrical event.”
Lee’s martial arts epic “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” won four Oscars and remains the highest-grossing film not in the English language of all time. Following “Pi,” his most recent films are 2016’s “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” and 2019’s “Gemini Man” starring Will Smith.
Mason Lee previously worked with his father on “Billy Lynn.” Other credits include “Fresh Off The Boat,” “The Hangover Part II,” and “The Missing.”
Ang Lee is repped by CAA, Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham and Slate PR. Futterman is repped by UTA and attorneys Frankfurt Kurnit. Grey Matter is represented by UTA and attorney Jamie Feldman at Lichter Grossman.
