Bill Paxton is looking to make a return to movie directing after wrapping up a successful run on HBO’s Big Love, and is heading into some legendary territory as he’s planning to make a film adaptation of the old “Kung Fu” TV show.
Source: /Film
Kung Fu is being developed by Legendary East, who is also producing Ed Zwick’s The Great Wall. The company is a fairly new off-shoot of the popular Legendary Pictures, which produces such massive hits as The Dark Knight and The Hangover. They hope to have the project ready to film in China during Summer 2012.
Deadline first broke the news of Paxton’s involvement and Variety revealed the screenwriter. The show itself was about a Shaolin Monk who traveled the American West in search of his brother. However, along the way, he would get into crazy adventures interspersed with flashbacks to his upbringing. It ran for three seasons between 1972 and 1975 and made a star of Carradine.
It’s an interesting enough story to want to remake for film, and can easily be introduced to a new audience if they’re not familiar with the 70’s or 90’s shows on which this is based. I’m not familiar enough with Paxton’s directorial work but the man is respected enough to get my attention and I’m willing to at least hear him out on what he might have in mind as far as a movie is concerned on a property that might still seem “too soon” for some fans of David Carradine. I wonder what his motivation is for even wanting to do this project? It’s just seems so “left field” for the guy at this point in his career.
Hope it more resembles the 70’s show and not the 90s show. The 90s show was pretty weak, loved the 70s show and was a favorite of mine as a teenager.
bring it on!