If you thought seeing Timo Tjahjanto’s “The Night Comes For Us” finally realized was proof positive of the saying “Good things come to those who wait”… you’d be right. However, you’ll soon have further validation of those words with the release of Cinemax’s upcoming series “Warrior”. Based on a concept developed by none other than Bruce Lee,“Warrior” is finally set to hit television screens next year, a whopping four and a half decades after his passing – talk about patience being a virtue! With one teaser already released online earlier this year, fans can now catch a further glimpse at what the series has in store with the newly released second teaser, which you can see below!
Bruce first conceived of the concept for “Warrior” (which he titled “The Warrior”, at the time) in the early 1970’s, but faced difficulty in getting the series greenlit due to prejudices against an Asian-leading man in an American series. Though Bruce would famously shatter cultural barriers with 1973’s “Enter the Dragon“, his death just a few weeks prior to the film’s release seemingly put the concept for the series to bed permanently. That is, until it was revived in 2015 by the series’ producer and writer, Jonathan Tropper, executive producer Justin Lin of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, and Bruce’s own daughter, Shannon.
Per the series’ official synopsis:
“Inspired by an idea from martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, this gritty, action-packed crime drama is set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. Filming in Cape Town, South Africa, it follows 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 organized crime families.”
For the modern interpretation of Bruce’s concept for “Warrior”, Andrew Koji assumes the role of the show’s nomadic protagonist, Ah Sahm, while Olivia Cheng portrays Ah Toy, a Chinatown madame who becomes an ally of our hero. Fans of “The Raid” and “The Night Comes For Us” will also see a very familiar face in the form of Joe Taslim as Li Yong, a Chinatown Tong leader. Meanwhile, Dean Jagger also appears in the role of San Francisco’s Irish community leader, Dan Leary, and in so doing, makes a return to a Bruce Lee originated project, following his appearance in 1978’s “Game of Death“.
While Bruce certainly had to battle cultural barriers to make a name for himself in Hollywood, the fact that “Warrior” is finally being realized decades after his death provides ample testimony to the incalculable impact and legacy he left on the world. Forty plus years is a fair chunk of time to see “Warrior” brought to completion, but being the brainchild of Bruce Lee, assuredly it’ll have been worth the wait!
“Warrior” is set to premiere on Cinemax in 2019. Stay tuned for more trailers and info on the series as it drops! What are your thoughts on the new teaser for “Warrior”? Excited to see Bruce Lee’s concept for the series finally coming to fruition, what are you expecting here? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Don’t be a worrier, stimulate your own inner warrior instead and…walk on…to the FUniversity – check out our Top 10 Bruce Lee Fights, get your last KFK t-shirt orders in time for Christmas and don’t forget to subscribe for videos too!)
