A big screen adaptation of the 70s TV series Kung Fu is set to begin shooting next year, and Bill Paxton is in talks to direct...
Bill Paxton is primarily known for his acting, but to date has directed two films: the flawed but interesting Frailty, and the golf drama The Greatest Game Ever Played.
It's been six years since his last film was released, and it now seems as though he’ll be getting behind the camera again, as he’s in talks with Legendary Entertainment to helm a big screen adaptation of the 70s TV series Kung Fu. The studio hope to begin shooting in China next summer, and have secured the talents of John McLaughlin (Black Swan) to pen the script.
The original series and lead role was reportedly originally conceived by Bruce Lee, but TV executives chose David Carradine over Lee for the lead role, which meant it had to be changed.
Carradine played Kwai Chang Caine, an orphan of an American father and a Chinese mother who was raised to be a Shaolin monk. He travels to America in search of family and peace, but soon finds that he’s not accepted and frequently has to showcase his martial arts skills.
Paxton is an interesting choice for the job, but there’s the potential for a significant amount of controversy, depending on how they cast the lead role. Should they cast a Caucasian, they’ll stay true to the TV series as it aired, but in doing so, it could be another high-profile case of a part originally conceived for an Asian actor going to a Caucasian, following the likes of The Last Airbender and the forthcoming Akira adaptation. It'll certainly be interesting to see how this pans out.
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