It’s been 13 years since CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON released in theaters, now suddenly it seems that The Weinstein Company has readied a sequel set to begin production in May.
Ang Lee will not be back to direct, and it is unclear if any of the original cast members will return. Deadline, who originally posted seems to think that some are likely to return. TWC is currently looking to Ronny Yu (FEARLESS) to direct.
The film will be based on Silver Vase, Iron Knight, the fifth book in the Crane-Iron Pentalogy by Wang Du Lu. The script comes from John Fusco, who wrote on SPIRIT, HIDALGO, and THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. This installment will follow Yu Shu Lien, the character played in the original by Michelle Yeoh. Fusco said this of the material, “This introduces a new generation of star-crossed lovers, and a new series of antagonists in a battle of good and evil. It has a Knights Errant quality. There is an alternate universe in the books, a martial forest that exists alongside the real world, full of wandering sword fighters, medicine men, defrocked priests, poets, sorcerers and Shaolin renegades. It’s so vast and rich, and I found characters from the second and third books in the series to create a most interesting stew while being as true to the source material as I could be.”
TWC and Sony have fought over the rights to the book from Wang Du Lu, who passed away in 1977. The family made little money from the original film according to the author’s son, Hong Wang, so they went looking for a better deal. Ultimately, TWC walked away with the rights and will make the film with a budget of over $20 million.
As soon as a director is signed, then casting will be underway. Fusco believes that Wo Ping Yuen, the legendary fight choreographer responsible for the high wire action work will return for the sequel.
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