Credit: StudiobinderThere have been many legendary action stars that have thrilled generations of movie lovers. Iconic actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne Johnson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li and Jackie Chan have captivated audiences for years with their god-like physicality and resilience to defeat their enemies. Yet, the one superstar who paved the way for all of them came from a martial arts master who would meet an untimely end.
Before the 1970s, action sequences in movies were overly choreographed productions. They featured heavily polished, stylistic movements that often times looked like a stage performance, than a genuine conflict. An American-born, Hong Kong-raised fighter, Bruce Lee, also witnessed this lack of legitimacy. So he set out to change it by introducing Western audiences to Wing Chun, or Kung-Fu.
Lee would get his first big break as the high-kicking sidekick, Kato, on the hit series, The Green Hornet. He would then use this notoriety to popularize martial arts films with box office hits like, The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), The Way of the Dragon (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973). These films would turn Lee into a bonafide superstar who would change the action genre and become a permanent cinema icon.
Unfortunately, the action star’s career would be cut short after he suddenly passed away due to an adverse reaction to medication. His impact would go on to inspire countless martial artists, stunt performers and actors. His persona would even inspire future beloved creations such as, Marvel’s Shang-Chi, Mortal Kombat’s Liu Kang, Naruto’s Rock Lee, and One Piece’s Blue Gilly.
Bruce Lee Entertainment has now partnered with Shibuya Productions to make the martial arts legend the star of his own anime. Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, expressed that she loved Shibuya’s perspective on the story. Plus, after viewing their critically-acclaimed anime, White Rabbit, she knew the production team had an amazing group of creative, hardworking, and skilled artists that could bring this epic to life.
The new anime, House of Lee, will be an action, fantasy series in which Kung-Fu master, Bruce Lee, must recruit a squad of Dragon Warriors to prevent the world from descending into a land of darkness and shadow. The premise was inspired by a renowned Lee quote, “Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.”
Series co-creator, Emily Yang, sold the Lee family on the project by not only wanting to showcase Lee’s fighting skills, but connect the story to the integrity of Lee’s philosophies. The anime will focus on themes of harnessing one’s spirituality, fighting one’s inner demons and honoring family legacies. Yang even guaranteed final cut and ownership to Lee’s daughter, Shannon, to ensure the character’s authenticity. Here is a teaser trailer to excite fans until its release.
The official trailer for House of Lee will premiere with the upcoming 50th anniversary 4K limited theater release of Lee’s classic, Enter the Dragon, on August 13 and 16, 2023. The series is not slated to debut until 2024.