Ang Lee is working to bring his long-anticipated Bruce Lee biopic to life — a project that will star his son, Mason Lee, in the title role. The film was announced several years ago.
In an interview with Deadline, Lee admits he’s been struggling with budgeting and is still seeking approval from Sony Pictures to move forward with the film he’s been developing for years.
“He’s deep in the trenches of Hollywood math—wrestling with budget numbers and chasing a green light from Sony Pictures for a long-gestating Bruce Lee biopic.”
Lee joined the project in late 2022 and is set to direct. Screenwriter Dan Futterman, known for his work on Capote and Foxcatcher, was initially brought on to write the script. The film has faced delays, mostly due to industry strikes and rewrites, and now appears to have hit another snag due to Sony’s hesitation.
In that same Deadline interview, Lee reflects on how the film industry has grown more restrictive and less welcoming to creative risks. He shares his frustration with the current climate, describing it as increasingly hostile and resistant to change.
It was hard before, but it was possible. Right now, it’s impossible. You are not allowed to take risks and find something new, but if you don’t change, you’re dead. I don’t get it. I’m going to keep fighting. And if it takes longer, then it takes longer. I think the world was more open-minded then. Today, it’s hard. The whole world has turned so hostile. I wish it was different. I miss those days. I miss the good old days.
Unlike his recent ventures into 3D and high frame rate filmmaking, Lee has indicated that Bruce Lee will follow a more traditional cinematic style. He’s previously acknowledged the challenges of shooting in 3D and questioned its value, bluntly stating, “3D is bad.”
If you experienced cinema in the ’90s and 2000s, Ang Lee was virtually untouchable — one of the most celebrated directors of that era. In recent years, however, he’s found himself mired in the challenges of large-scale studio productions, with films 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 seven years since his last film, and it feels long overdue for his return.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.