Justin Lin’s Bruce Lee-inspired drama gets Cinemax series pickup

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

It's been two years since Justin Lin's Bruce Lee passion project drama WARRIOR was ushered into development. Now, Cinemax has granted a 10-episode order for the series from BANSHEE co-creator Jonathan Tropper, and of course, FAST & FURIOUS franchise alum Justin Lin.

WARRIOR is said to be 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).

The series was spurned by an idea from Lee and executively produced by Tropper, Lin and his Perfect Storm Entertainment headliner Danielle Woodrow. Additionally, Shannon Lee will executive produce for Bruce Lee Entertainment. As I'd mentioned earlier, the series was first put into development by Cinemax back in 2015, but lost its footing in the years since before being picked up for a pilot shoot last Summer. 

When speaking about the project, Justin Lin stated, “I’ve always admired Bruce Lee for his trailblazing efforts opening doors for Asians in entertainment and beyond. So I was intrigued when Danielle told me about the urban legend of his never-produced idea for a TV show and suggested we bring it to life. Then, when Shannon shared with us her father’s writings — rich with Lee’s unique philosophies on life, and through a point of view rarely depicted on screen — Danielle and I knew that Perfect Storm had to make it." 

Oh, hell yeah! Bring this the f*ck on! One of my favorite past times is enjoying martial arts films with my friends, particularly Bruce Lee's ENTER THE DRAGON, THE WAY OF THE DRAGON, and THE CHINESE CONNECTION. With Lin at the helm, there's no telling how kick ass this project could end up becoming. We'll be sure to keep our ears to the ground on this one, and let you know the deal as the pieces come together. 

In the meantime, there are plenty of Bruce Lee films streaming on Netflix right now! I highly recommend that you check one of the out, and see the legendary martial arts master in action!