Shekhar Kapur will direct authorised Bruce Lee biopic next

Shekhar Kapur is heading back to Hollywood with his directorial venture, an authorised biopic of the martial arts legend Bruce Lee. The upcoming film will be a personal look into the life of the iconic movie star, including a glimpse into his formative years growing up in 1950s Hong Kong.

The film, tentatively titled Little Dragon, will begin shooting this July in China and Malaysia. Reportedly, American casting director Mary Vernieu is looking to cast the actor who will play the young Bruce Lee.

It will be the first film produced by Bruce Lee Entertainment which is run by his daughter, Shannon Lee. She will be co-scripting the film with director Shekhar Kapur.

The filmmaker said in a statement, “The film will be a contemporary take on Bruce Lee who, aside from being considered the most gifted and famous martial artist of all time, is now accepted as a major philosopher in his own right. It is important that audiences today can relate their own lives to the journey of Bruce Lee, who manages to tap into his inner wisdom and harness his true destiny before it’s too late."

Bruce Lee died at the young age of 32 in Hong Kong, but his influential martial arts films like Fist of Fury (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973) and philosophical approach to life has inspired millions since the late 1950s.

Little Dragon is US-Chinese co-production and Kapur is also set to serve as executive producer, alongside his roles as co-writer and director.