Enter the Dragon (remake)

[Guest stormybman]

What a taboo. Kung fu cult cinema reports of Warners commissioning the green light for the classic ETD to be remade as a film entitled Awaken The Dragon. The plot surrounds an FBI agent sent to track down a renagade

Shaolin Monk who is a part of underground Ultimate Fighting

and the action is to be brutal, and "dark , gritty like Raging Bull."

I say, BULL@#$$!!!

The classic is a rare case of a project vehicle designed to introduce the world to a new star, of a particular genre, and lead the genre toward international profile. Lee died before it's release and the marketing, promotion and the best of laid plans went down the drain, leaving ETD to become a cult classic, and immortalizing Lee and his legacy.

Tell me people, what are your thoughts on remaking this film?

Should they leave well enough alone? Btw, they are looking for an unknown star to play the lead, "someone to lead a new generation". Ha! No mention of any existing Martial Arts filmstars, however! What a sick and disrespectful joke.

Sign up Vin Diesel for the remake of Citizen Kane while you're at it, WB.

The true Cartoon Network.>:

"I have come for the revenge of my master. This doesn't concern you, so I'll allow you to leave..."

[Guest GwaiLoMoFo]

Read about this a couple days ago as well. I wasnt really that suprised, or upset by it. Thats pretty much what Hollywood is about these last few years, Remakes. On a positive note its being released by Warner Independent Pictures. To be the directoral debut of executive producer of "The Shiled" tv series. "He hopes to create a film noir reimagining of the Bruce Lee classic with grittiness of something like Raging Bull." Do I think it needs to be or should be remade.... of course not. No matter how good or bad it turns out being it wont effect the image or cult status of the original. Might even spark more (new) interest in the original.

[Guest Daisho2004]

If its not broke than don't fix it! ETD is a Classic in every sense of the word, its fine if you want to do something similar but don't call it a remake because you can't remake it. >:

[Guest froffeecoffee]

Since I've read about the announcement a few days ago, the only connection it has with the original is nada. It seems they're not really remaking as much as associating a movie with the title, "Enter the Dragon." It's more a marketing ploy and a bad one at that. What they are doing is a similar story and in that sense just need to go the, "this is an origianl story idea inspired by ETD," and not the, "let's improve on a popular movie," idea.

Nothing will ever replace the original. Plain and simple.

[Guest Chinatown Kid]

Yes a remake is a bad idea, they need to come up with something original. There will never be another Bruce Lee, and ETD was great because of Bruce, without him the film would be nothing.

[Guest monk sante]

NNNnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!>: >: >: >: >: >: >: >: >: >:

[Guest Daisho2004]

Here is the full article:

Enter the Dragon’ remake in the works

News | Upcoming | by Mark Pollard | 2007.08.11

In an entertainment industry where revisiting past successes is commonplace, it was only a matter of time before Warner Bros. dusted off ENTER THE DRAGON for a remake.

Kurt Sutter, executive producer of the television series THE SHIELD, has been handed the task of writing and directing AWAKEN THE DRAGON, a 21st-century update to the 1973 martial arts classic starring the legendary Bruce Lee.

Producers of the original, Fred Weintraub and John Wells, will be presiding over the remake along with DOOM producer John Wells.

Sutter isn’t sticking close to the original plot. He describes AWAKEN THE DRAGON as a contemporized drama about a lone FBI agent who pursues a rogue Shaolin monk into the bloody world of underground martial arts fight clubs.

In look and tone, ENTER THE DRAGON was largely inspired by slightly camp qualities of early James Bond films. It put Lee into the role of a fighter recruited by the FBI to infiltrate a drug smuggling operation on a private island by entering a martial arts tournament hosted there.

The first-time director has a different idea in mind for his version. "I'm a huge noir fan, and this plot lends itself to the film I want to make,†said Sutter. “I wanted to set it in these underground fight clubs where the action is really raw and expose the brutality of Shaolin kung fu. This will be more RAGING BULL than CROUCHING TIGER in its viciousness.â€

Sutter plans to discover a stunt actor for the role of the monk and use an established American actor in the role of the FBI agent.

-

Rehashing Bruce Lee’s work is usually a bad idea but it seems like Sutter has a strong vision that could move in a fresh direction without any clichéd Lee-isms present. Like Sutter, I am also a big fan of noir and the thought of a moody fight film that highlights Shaolin kung fu gives me shivers of anticipation. Without knowing any specifics I’m already imagining No BLOOD, NO TEARS meets the scene in Tsui Hark’s THE BLADE where a muscular Shaolin monk is violently attacked.

Unfortunately, the plan to cast an “established American actor†in the lead is in part acceptance that this new generation has no Bruce Lee, an exceptional martial artist with the charisma and acting skills to carry a blockbuster Hollywood movie. In previous years, Jet Li would have been the leading choice. But now, as established talents gradually steps aside, there is an intense search underway on both sides of the Pacific to find the next generation of martial arts stars.

It is an interesting choice to focus on Shaolin kung fu for a gritty fight film, even though it’s a remake of ENTER THE DRAGON. Today, mixed martial arts have become the popular trend in screen fighting and Donnie Yen’s extensive use of it in his upcoming actioner FLASH POINT is proof. I know there is debate in the martial arts community over the relevance of the forms-intensive Shaolin kung fu today, but even like contemporary wushu it contains principles that work very well in the real world.

Bruce Lee adapted what he learned as a Wing Chun student into the more fluid and practical art of Jeet Kune Do. His martial moves and philosophy became the centerpiece of ENTER THE DRAGON. It would be fantastic to see a similar transformation of traditional Shaolin arts in AWAKEN THE DRAGON but it will take a skilled action director and stunt actor to make it happen.

Source: Variety

[Guest oldeschool17]

it will fail. simple as that

[Guest ben785]

Not quite sure how to approach this. I suppose it is a loosely related title with a similar storyline; depending on who they end up using in the roles, but regardless i am going to be interested to see it.

I suppose the only advantage is that it will be a contemporary work for new generations of moviegoers to see and maybe go back and re-discover the classic actors and films of that era if they havent:rolleyes

[Guest Daisho2004]

There is really only one person to choreograph any fights scenes in MA movies and that would be Yuen Woo Ping, and I didn't even hear his name mentioned. Granted Donnie Yen is good at choreographing as well but not on the level as Yuen Woo Ping. That being said if you want to kinda go on a new storyline don't try to remake one of the Greatest MA movies of all time, I would like to see a new "Game of Death" remake since Bruce never go a chance to finish that movie and if he had I think it would've been better than Enter the Dragon, don't kill me for saying it, but Bruce was working on G.O.D. before he was giving the script for ETD, had he finished it WOW! Think about it.

It's called the Art of Fighting without Fighting.

[Guest ben785]

i definitely think that G.O.D. could have been a very powerful movie and a greater achievement for Bruce following "Enter the Dragon".

I admit i never did consider the possibility but, all the documentaries and clone remakes aside, it would be a fitting tribute to Bruce to go back to Bruce's original G.O.D. script and try to build the film from that with a cast of young actors alongside some of the established actors from the original era.

also, from what i know of the original storyline, i think it is very relevant even today; for a new generation to have a greater understanding of the background of martial arts and philosophy etc. in midst of all these remakes and interpretations of old books coming out today (some good, but most of them dont do any justice), such a movie coming out i think would have a very positive impact.

[Guest froffeecoffee]

Making a G.O.D. remake would be awesome, if the right people were to make it. Unfortunately, doing a remake today requires a director who has no respect for the original source, young actors who have never seen the original and see it as an old movie, and a producer whose sole purpose is to modernize and make it as stylistic as possible.

This is what is wrong with Hollywood today, making movies off ideas and loading it with a hip-hop soundtrack, stupid humor, wire-works, and CGI. The ETD remake doesn't appear to be going in this direction, but still calling it a ETD remake is goin' get fans of the original angry.

[Guest ben785]

That is correct, I agree. As they always say, nothing beats the original, but at the same time, alot of these remakes that are surfacing could have been alot stronger and generally more credible if the people behind it were inspired through the original storyline, rather than remaking it just for the sake of marketing, like "wow this was a cult classic, kids would think this is really cool" or "ok, 30 years has passed; let's remake xxx movie" or whatever. And as the previous poster stated, a big mistake also is that in remakes, they usually put too much of a contemporary touch with it, making it as slick and polished as they can, and also bring in too much technology, hence any remaining traces of credibility and justice to the original are destroyed. Just because the technology is there, it definitely doesn't mean it needs to be used.

A 'serious' G.O.D. remake / 'revision' could be great, but it is very delicate, it needs to be backed by a crew that are genuine fans, who are interested in the original story as it was, and have respect for the classic actors or writers involved, in this case, Bruce Lee, and not just in it to win over audiences and fill the bank.

P.S. Now that i think about it, the reason why a G.O.D. remake couldn't be on the cards could be because of issues with Golden Harvest, with the rights etc? But then again what am i saying; the 'original' G.O.D. that came out was a remake itself lol (or rather, pissing all over Bruce Lee's original concept and direction for the film)

[Guest Daisho2004]

I would love to see ETD back in theathers for the new fans to see for the 1st. time or for the older fans to see the Hundredth time. Just to see Bruce back on the big screen would be awesome. And in surround sound WOW the battle in the basement.

You have offended my Family and you have offended a Shaolin Temple!

[Guest jmungus]

theres already been a ETD 'remake' of sorts, in case u forgot and its name is mortal kombat.

[Guest DragonMa55]

I thought it was called 'Bloodsport'

A G.O.D remake would be awesome, having the writers etc go back to Lee's original idea (which was pretty cool) would make for a pretty kickass film.

[Guest killer meteor]

I thought it was Jaguar Lives!

[Guest Chinatown Kid]

True, there have been many films shamelessly pirating a plot similar to ETD.

[Guest Jesse Smooth]

Force: Five:rollin

[Guest Chinatown Kid]

Kill and Kill Again, we could probably keep right on going Jesse! :lol

[Guest edher08]

I'm agree with most people here that they shouldn't do a E.T.D. remake. Why? its not necesary. The original film is still seen by many people, who needs a remake??

Now a G.O.D. remake, well maybe THAT can be posible since the original is Crap. The 30 last minutes of the film we saw in the documentary Bruce Lee a Warrior's Journey was great and the original idea of the script was pure gold.

IF a G.O.D. remake happends, I don't think Woo Ping is the right man for the coreography, i think Sammo Hung is. He understand Bruce Lee coreography much better and he have the films to prove it. I'm not talking about mimic Bruce Lee, Im talking about the use of practical kung fu moves instead of wires, fast editing and acrobatics, do you see my point?

That remake would be posible if they get the right people, keep faithfull to the original idea of the script and coreography style (stay away of chinese opera, wires, cgi, etc..)

[The Dragon]

Yeah and cast Danny Chan in Lee's role.

[mpm74]

I'm cool for remakes. I mean, they're all gonna suck. But, it's kinda like watching a train wreck in action...

I would be just curious to see how they'd pull it off.

Besides, we always have the originals to go back to. Not like they're banning them or anything.

[daisho2004]

Yeah and cast Danny Chan in Lee's role.

The Dragon: Why cast Danny Chan in this role for? I honestly would like to see Donnie Yen, I think at this stage of his career he is at the top of the Martial Arts World. Yes you could have the storyline similar to the original but you definitely need it to be updated and you got to have Bolo Yeung back in the movie he is still a bad ass.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

He said Danny Chan....