The enduring popularity of literary wuxia works, a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China, has seen many different adaptations over the years, from manhua (comics) and video games to movies. Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain) made the push into the Western world with the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon film in 2000, and now, Sony is looking to tread on familiar territory for a new age of audiences.
Deadline reports that the studio is currently developing a TV series adaptation of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, along with four other interlinked novels in Wang Dulu’s Crane Iron Pentalogy(鶴鐵系列). Published between 1938 and 1944, the books chronicle the struggles of four generations of youxia (a type of ancient Chinese warrior folk hero), and are told in the following chronological order: Crane Startles Kunlun (鹤惊昆仑), Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin (宝剑金釵), Sword Force, Pearl Shine (剑气珠光), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龙), and Iron Knight Silver Vase (铁骑银瓶).
Writer and producer Jason Ning (Lucifer, The Expanse) will be helming the project as part of an overall deal with Sony. No release date or cast list has been announced, and it’s unclear if its story will remain faithful to the source material. Roy Lee and Miri Yoon from Vertigo, along with Johnny Levin, are also attached to the project.
Lee’s previous adaptation of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon starred Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun-Fat and Zhang Ziyi, and featured elements from various books in the pentalogy. It released to overwhelming critical acclaim, and would go on to become the first non-English-language film to receive the most Oscars nominations until 2018’s Roma tied this record.
Yeoh later returned to the sequel in 2016, which was released on Netflix as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Directed by Yuen Woo-Ping and written by John Fusco, it sees Donnie Yen playing the lead role of Silver Wolf, and received lukewarm response from critics.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Natalie
