The first trailer for theBruce Lee-inspired martial arts movieBirth of the Dragonhas hit the web. Described as an “affectionate nod to the classic Kung Fu films of the 1970s,“Birth of the Dragondramatizes the true life 1964 fight between Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee (though he hadn’t reached his legendary status at the time) and Shaolin MasterWong Jack Man. A hotly disputed showdown between two expert martial artists, two narratives of the fight have emerged over the decades – Bruce Lee’s version, who claimed he dominated the fight, ending it in three minutes, and Wong Jack Man’s contrasting account, which clocked the fight at over 20 minutes with no clear victor. Regardless of which version you believe, it was a seminal fight for Lee’s career, inspiring him to create his Jeet Kune Do technique.
ForBirth of the Dragon,The Adjustment BureaudirectorGeorge Nolfibrings the much-debated showdown to the big screen with a script fromChristopher WilkinsonandStephen J. Rivele; the writing duo behindAli,NixonandPawn Sacrifice.Phillip Ng,Xia Yu,Billy MagnussenandSimon Yinlead the cast.
Birth of the Dragon debuted at Toronto International Film Festival and does not yet have a US release date. Watch the first trailer below.
Here’s the official synopsis:
An affectionate nod to the classic Kung Fu films of the 1970s, BIRTH OF THE DRAGON is a dramatization of the true life but much disputed fight between Kung Fu greats Bruce Lee and Shaolin Master Wong Jack Man in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1964. Based on Michael Dorgan’s magazine article, “Bruce Lee’s Toughest Fight,” the film is written by Chris Wilkinson and Stephen J. Rivele, the Oscar-nominated screenwriters of “Ali” and “Nixon”. They wove together many conflicting accounts of the actual fight and added in fictional characters Steve McKee (based on Steve McQueen who studied with Bruce Lee in the later 60s) and female lead Xiulan, whose fates become entwined in the outcome of the fight. A tribute to the films of Bruce Lee, that inspired generations of martial arts fans, the film is directed by George Nolfi (“The Adjustment Bureau”) and stars Phillip Ng, Xia Yu and Billy Magnussen. The Chinese/American co-production is produced by Kylin and Groundswell.
