Ang Lee's Bruce Lee Biopic Put On Hold Due to “Creativity, Funding and Copyright"

Ang Lee was working to bring his long-anticipated Bruce Lee biopic to life — a project that was set to star his son, Mason Lee, in the title role. The film has been brewing for eight years now. The reasons for the delay? A few, actually.

Speaking at an event in China, Lee admitted that his Bruce Lee project is extremely complex for a variety of reasons and has been put on hold due to “creativity, funding, and copyright” issues, though he still hopes to make the film. He added that he aims to find a new way to shoot it and achieve a “breakthrough in visual presentation.”

Screenwriter Dan Futterman, known for his work on “Capote” and “Foxcatcher,” was initially brought on to write the script. Unlike his recent ventures into 3D and high-frame-rate filmmaking, Lee indicated the film would be shot in a more traditional cinematic style. He had previously acknowledged the challenges of shooting in 3D and questioned its value, bluntly stating, “3D is bad.”

In the meantime, Lee’s next film will be “Old Gold Mountain,” which I had exclusively reported on this past summer. It was supposed to shoot in August, but Lee mentioned that production was halted four weeks before filming was scheduled to begin. The reason for the abrupt delay is that the project is currently waiting for a new film tax law in California, and he hopes to start filming next year. Emmanuel Lubezki is attached as the cinematographer on this film.

“Old Gold Mountain” is set at the twilight of the American “Gold Rush,” tackling the journey of two orphaned immigrants. This will be an adaptation of C. Pam Zhang’s acclaimed debut novel “How Much of These Hills Is Gold,” and was originally conceived as a series, but plans quickly changed, and Lee is turning the source material into a feature.

During the ’90s and 2000s, Ang Lee stood as one of cinema’s most revered directors, seemingly untouchable in his craft. Lately, however, he has wrestled with the complexities of big-budget studio filmmaking, taking on projects like “Taking Woodstock,” “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” and “Gemini Man.”

Still, this is the filmmaker behind Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, Lust, Caution, and Life of Pi. It’s been eight years since his last film, and it feels long overdue for his return.

Still, this is the filmmaker responsible for classics like “Sense and Sensibility,” “The Ice Storm,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Lust, Caution,” and “Life of Pi.” Eight years have passed since his last release, making his return to the director’s chair feel long overdue.