Envizion Films Kickstarts Feature Funding For THE WAY: FIGHTER'S TWITCH

Take stylish martial arts choreography inspired by the philosophical essence of Jeet Kune Do in classic Bruce Lee movies, and mingle it with characters wrapped in a paranormal and cerebral setting - That is essentially what the folks over at Envizion Films have been working toward in the evolution of their webseries, The Way with production and choreography duo, actors Khalil Barnett and director Ronny Vega, and now they need your help to achieve what they hope to through Kickstarter.

Together with series producer Jason Ronquillo, the trio have posted a new campaign video online to advance crowdfunding for a feature film expansion that encompasses both The Way and its follow-up series, The Way: Fighter's Twitch. Both series installations stand collectively as workable proof of concept for the film they now hope to make, with fresh new content, including a graphic novel franchise of their own to embody the overall crux surrounding the various characters and intertwining stories that otherwise embody this inspired Bruce Lee spiritual.

...The warriors' path is no easy journey, and losing one's way can lead to the destruction of the soul and the gratuity of violence. 

A mysterious organization with power yet unknown uses tactical manipulation, hallucinogenics and occult forces to exploit the weaknesses and insecurities of fighters, pitting them against each other in illegal battles. But they underestimated a few, and will pay for it. 

Aside from the efforts of other major studios developing content of their own dedicated to Bruce Lee philos in some capacity, The Way: Fighter's Twitch presents something also fresh and original to the niche in its own right, and hopefully you yourself have had a chance to sample some of it since I started covering it more than a year ago Otherwise, head over to Kickstarter and check out their in-depth and personal testimonial for The Way: Fighter's Twitch, and learn how you can donate and what you can benefit from the perks shared.

And, if by any chance this article lands in front of actor Keanu Reeves who himself has a vested interest in Bruce Lee-related content in the works, ...Mr. Reeves, Vega and Barnett have a personal message for you in their video as well.

*As a matter of full disclosure, apart from film and martial arts, Khalil Barnett is a guest contributor to Film Combat Syndicate under his own column, To The Hashi, and as a noteworthy mention, his previous rant on Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, is worth every word published.

BIRTH OF THE DRAGON Begins Casting For Its Lead!

Martial arts cinema fans can proudly bask in the knowledge that the time-honored memory and legacy of Jeet Kune Do founder and action cinema trailblazer Bruce Lee will never be forgotten. That said, it was back in 2013 that reports cited director George Nolfi would be at the forefront of his own biographical telling of the late film star's life in the form of Birth Of The Dragon, chronicling the events leading up to Lee's historic confrontation with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.

If you've been keeping up, you'll know how challenging it may be for any production to possibly find an actor suitable enough to take on portraying Lee let alone the younger iteration in his mid-20's. It's been done before though, although the recent production of Ip Man 3D previously intended on casting a physical performer who could host a CGI-hybrid enhancement of Lee as a result of reportedly not being able to find an actor.

Well, at least for what Nolfi has planned, there won't be any CGI here. Casting has begun for the lead role and Project Casting has the details.

From the director of The Adjustment Bureau comes BIRTH OF THE DRAGON. Produced by Groundswell Productions, the producers of The Illusionist, Milk and Sideways, and Kylin Films. Written by the Oscar nominated writers of Nixon and Ali and casting by Joanna Colbert and PoPing AuYoung. 

In San Francisco in the 1960s, a legendary fight took place between Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man. It occurred in an abandoned warehouse before twelve witnesses, no two of whom could agree on what actually happened. But it changed the history of martial arts. This story is inspired by that fight. 

‘Birth of The Dragon’ will be directed by George Nolfi. In 2004, he adapted his spec screenplay Honor Among Thieves (previously considered as a John Woo vehicle) into the sequel to Ocean’s Eleven called Ocean’s Twelve.[2] He has also written screenplays for Timeline and The Sentinel. He co-wrote The Bourne Ultimatum with Tony Gilroy, and Scott Z. Burns. Nolfi is set to direct a projected horror film entitled, XOXO, which is being produced by Darren Aronofsky and written by Black Swan writer Mark Heyman. 

Bruce Lee is known for his roles in five feature-length films: Lo Wei’s The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972); Golden Harvest’s Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and written by Lee; Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers’ Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death (1978), both directed by Robert Clouse. 

Bruce Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films. 

He trained in the art of Wing Chun and later combined his other influences from various sources, in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy, which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist). 

He died in Kowloon Tong on July 20, 1973 at the very young age of 32. 

“Birth of the Dragon” is inspired by the true story of Bruce Lee’s legendary duel with China’s most famous kung fu master, Wong Jack Man, in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Told from the perspective of one of Lee’s disciples, the film then follows Lee as he takes on a vicious band of Chinatown gangsters. Utilizing real-life events and characters, the film blends fiction with reality to create an original story that breaks the mold of the traditional biopic. 

Casting directors are looking for a young Bruce Lee between the ages of 20 to 30 years old. An experienced martial artist highly desired but not required.

So there you have it. If you or someone you know can act and screenfight while potentially bearing a resemblance to the iconic film star, click here and go to work, and good luck! Make us proud!

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

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 it to Cinemax.

The series is another meaty add-on to the forthcoming roster for Cinemax with its currently successful line-up of action-heavy shows with Banshee getting ready for new season and Strike Back premiering its forth and final season soon. The series also serves as a reminder of the prospects that await as Lee herself is getting ready to assemble what she deems as the "definitive" Bruce Lee biopic.

It's busy times indeed. There's plenty of Bruce Lee-releated material in development other than the aforementioned, so fans of the late film legend should be quite excited. In the meantime, Lin's latest producer credit on the June 26 release of American/Asian cross over road comedy, Hollywood Adventures, while his pilot for the second season of True Detective airs on June 21.

Lin is also directing Star Trek 3 which has a July 8, 2016 release.

In seperate TV-related news, NBC has reportedly dropped the pilot for its own series similarly-titled Warrior, which may see its new home at Fox instead.

Stay tuned.

IP MAN 3D Commences Filming, Casts Mike Tyson And A CGI Bruce Lee

It was only a few years ago as action star Donnie Yen was promting the 2013 cop thriller, Special ID, while pitching the idea of possibly casting former boxer Mike Tyson in a hopeful sequel at the time. You least expected that sort of thing would happen even as Tyson himself was bolstering his own acting career in TV and film, namely with Todd Phillips in the first two Hangover movies, and an appearance in Jean-Marc Mineo's Gates Of The Sun to name a few.

Alas, consider yourself surprised (or not) at the notion that Yen would finally be getting his wish featuring the former world heavyweight champion in the forthcoming production of Ip Man 3D, according to THR. Filming has begun today in Shanghai with Pegasus Motion Pictures and producer Raymond Wong behind the new film which will see Tyson in the role of a property developer as well as a street fighter, therein partaking in the cinematic universe via screenwriter Edmond Wong's script which will principally center on the title character's relationship to his most famous student, Bruce Lee.

THR also reports that the performer portraying Lee will undergo computer-generated enhancements since the production couldn't find an actor able enough to duplicate Lee's on-screen intensity - a lesson long learned since the days of Bruceploitation no doubt, but we're bound to see how this one will hold up, for better or worse.

The first film in 2008 was a critical and commercial hit, a fourth in line of films between Yen and director Wilson Yip leading to a fifth with actor and martial arts legend Darren Shahlavi long prior to his passing earlier this year. There have been other iterations of the character, including Tony Leung's performance in the elongated production of Wong Kar-Wai's The Grandmaster, as well as Herman Yau's television series with actor Dennis To and actor Anthony Wong's most recent role in Yau's Ip Man: The Final Fight with actor Eric Tsang. Production on a third with Yen initially saw a series of stops and starts in the last several while Yen kept things moving with other titles, including the two part remake, Iceman 3D which is still pending the release of its second part.

Other titles with Yen are stil pending, including his long-awaited Hollywood debut, Noodle Man. At any rate though, Ip Man 3D is finally happening, so no more speculation...except for all the fanboys now in an uproar over who would beat Ip Man (or Yen) in a fair fight.

Facebook arguments begin in 3...2...

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

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 out too long as these things always take time. As such, we can now add at least one more biopic to that list courtesy from the late legend's daughter herself, Shannon Lee.

Deadline reports the new film from Lee's own Bruce Lee Entertainment which launched in 2014, will joined by Grey Matter Productions's own Lawrence Grey and Ben Everard, and veteran producer Janet Yang to produce and self-finance the film in an effort to construct the definitive biographical film about Lee's late father. The film will aim its focus on many of the uncovered areas of her father's life that Lee feels has yet to be observed in order to obtain a complete understanding of Lee's philosophies and artistry.

The film is just one of several in-house projects that have been underway at BLE for sometime now, including a TV show based on Bruce Lee's original ideas with Fast & Furious 6 helmer Justin Lin, a reality show to be produced by Keanu Reeves and Stephen Hamel, and a slate of novels, comic books and a mobile game. There's no word yet on who will direct the new film although the production is seeking a world-class filmmaker to take the lead and spearhead this ambitious production to its full realization.

Not that there's anything wrong with one more Bruce Lee-releated movie in the works - the man principally catapulted the martial arts action genre into the phenomenon it has since been. So, it'll be refreshing to see what Lee's own daughter and her team does with this immersive new venture.

Stay frosty.

Want A Bruceploitation Documentary? A Celebrity Stage Event? Nickolas Nielsen Is Making Either Of These Happen!

You can certainly imagine the challenges faced by studios more than forty years ago who were desperate to find the "next Bruce Lee"... literally. The search for lookalikes who could echo the famed martial arts action star's image became top priority for filmmakers and producers following the 32-year old actor's and Jeet Kune Do founder's untimely death in 1973, and it has spawned many films resulting in an era dubbled notably as "Bruceploitation".

The era still remains as a cult phenomenon among fans alike with a multitude of performers, (a few of whom have passed away in the years since) who've become famous for their portrayals of the actor in some iteration, including Bruce Li, Bruce Le, and Dragon Lee (a.k.a. Moon Kyong-seok) and despite previous documentaries, it's a phenomenon that still drives questions from those curious to hear the real stories and answers. Well, as of just a few days ago, filmmaker Nickolas Nielsen began spearheading those efforts in the form of a new Kickstarter campaign for his own documentary, now aiming for a December 2015 release, according to CityOnFire.com.

Nielsen's campaign is just under two months away from its end, so hopefully this will grant him plenty of time to meet his current goal of $96,000. However, Nielsen also offers a possible star-studded stage gathering of Bruceploitation actors along with noted actors and directors, including Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Quentin Tarantino, Sonny Chiba The Last Dragon star Taimak, famed producer Raymond Chow, as well as Lee's daughter Shannon Lee and MANY more, provided that the fundraiser meets stretch goal potential.

The director has already gotten a headstart in making his documentary happen, having already interviewed Game Of Death actor Mel Novak (pictured above, right of Nielsen), of which you can catch a small segment in the campaign video over at Kickstarter. Feel free to check out at the page and learn more about what else Nielsen has in store for the film, as well as the perks listed in exchange for your contributions. 

H/T: City On Fire