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Last year Hong Kong comedy filmmaker and Bruce Lee fanatic Stephen Chow walked away from both directing and starring in Seth Rogen’s THE GREEN HORNET redo for unspecified reasons. Now it looks like he may be taking on another Bruce Lee project.

Citing unnamed Hong Kong media reports, Channel News Asia says that Chow will begin shooting a new English-language film called TAI CHI that will feature Hollywood stars Jack Black and Anne Hathaway. The production will apparently begin shooting in the U.S. in June.

TAI CHI is based on Bruce Lee’s film WAY OF THE DRAGON. Chow’s film concerns a Chinese immigrant (Chow) working as a dishwasher in Chinatown while hiding his skills as a tai chi master. When gangsters oppress other local immigrants, the tai chi master comes to their defence. He later starts a martial arts school.

According to the reports, Chow spent close to two years refining the script for the film which repeatedly stalled production and caused Columbia Pictures to pull out of the project, to be replaced by another Hollywood backer.

It’s also stated that Chow has been extremely nervous about making his English-language debut and has been working with a language tutor.

In Bruce Lee’s WAY OF THE DRAGON, Lee played a kung fu master who defended Chinese immigrants in Rome from mobsters. The film climaxed with an unforgettable match between Lee and newcomer Chuck Norris in the Roman Colosseum.

Chow’s genuine affinity for Bruce Lee is well documented. Most of his films feature some homage to the late kung fu star. Chow parodied Lee’s FIST OF FURY in FIST OF FURY 1991.

Chow also appears to have a fondness for tai chi, an internal martial art that he has previously showcased in exaggerated fashion in SHAOLIN SOCCER.

Source: Channel News Asia

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Zelter/1352966720 Daniel Zelter

    I trust his English. I'm just hoping Hollywood won't kick him off the project because he's Asian, like they did with Andrew Lau and the Pang Bros.

  • Drunken_tai_chi_master_killer

    Wow this is excited news. Stephen Chow is redoing ‘Way of the Dragon?’ This is now on my most wanted to see list. But, if Chow is going this route you have to get another martial arts star to match Bruce Lee’s and Chuck Norris famous Roman Colosseum fight.
    it has to be a western; here are some possibilities
    Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Wesley Snipes are all too old. So No!

    Cyril Raffaelli , David Belle (guys from B13) Chiwetel Ejiofor (Red belt),
    Jason Statham , Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White. Would all be pretty good candidates.

    What they should do is take a Real Martial artist like Chuck was. Then again it’s been a while since a western was a World karate Champion. So maybe a UFC/MMA champ?

    But then that would look weird Stephen Chow versus a UFC/MMA champ?

    So after long thought it should be Michael Jai White he’s closest in age to Chow and he holds black belts Shotokan Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Okinawan Kobudo, Goju Ryu, Tang Soo Do, Wushu and Kyokushin Karate. But this is very unlikely; they’ll probably get some guy we never heard of.

    And technically Cyril Raffaelli , David Belle , Chiwetel Ejiofor,
    Jason Statham and scott adkins are all from Europe

    Michael jai white is the only true Western.

    What are your guy’s thoughts on the movie/casting?

  • http://jackiechanmovies.webs.com/ Carl

    Sounds to me like he is doing what Bruce Lee planned to do because I heard that after he was finished with Enter The Dragon and Game of Death Bruce was going to remake Way of the Dragon in America.

  • BruisedLo

    where you weirdos come from?…

    columbia pictures isn't backing him up this time? that says a lot already… like maybe the film might suck. redoing way of the dragon is stupid, and he's gonna call it tai chi? how lame is that? look at what chow did was the so-call sequel to shaolin soccer, and the japanese parody off that crap. i like stephen chow, but his concept here… get real man.. it ain't gonna work.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Zelter/1352966720 Daniel Zelter

    To be fair to Stephen, the studio also thought Jay Chou and Michael Gondry would be better replacements for him on Green Hornet, and no one's buying it.

  • choonywoony

    well im keeping an open mind to this. chow speaking english language, jack black, hathaway.could be interesting.obviously a comedy, i mean lets hope he doesnt take himself too seriously with the kung fu, but with tai chi, i think thats more his style, so he seems to be playing to his strengths. plus its been a while since shaolin soccer. kfh was okay but a not as tight as shaolin soccer.we shall see.

  • The Dragon

    Youcan't remake Lee's films. …. Period.

  • http://www.facebook.com/justin.quizon Justin Quizon

    Three words… FIST.OF.LEGEND.

  • http://www.facebook.com/justin.quizon Justin Quizon

    I'm intrigued with this. Re watching “Way of the Dragon” today, Chow can create some fun characters based on the restuarant and the staff. I have no idea how Hathaway or Jack Black will play into this (there WAS a goofy fat henchmen in the movie…)

    Interesting, we'll see how much of “Way of the Dragon” even stays in this film, but Chow is a very talented Director, so I'm sure what ever he comes up with it would inventive and fun.