Warrior has been developed based on handwritten notes from Bruce Lee that were brought to light by his daughter and it creates a gritty, action-packed crime drama.
Set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century, the series follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful tongs (Chinese organised crime family).
“As a show that proudly bears the imprimatur of Bruce Lee, it’s our intention to deliver not only explosive martial arts action – which we will – but also a powerful and complex immigration drama that is as relevant today as it was in the 1870s,” Jonathan Tropper said in a statement when the project was announced via Deadline.
“I’ve always admired Bruce Lee for his trailblazing efforts opening doors for Asians in entertainment and beyond,” Lin added. “So I was intrigued when Danielle told me about the urban legend of his never-produced idea for a TV show and suggested we bring it to life. Then when Shannon shared with us her father’s writings: rich with Lee’s unique philosophies on life, and through a point of view rarely depicted on-screen – Danielle and I knew that Perfect Storm had to make it. Partnering with Cinemax has led to a wonderful collaboration with Jonathan Tropper, who has created a fantastic series inspired by Lee’s writings. We are all honored to continue what he started.”
The series is executive produced by Lee’s daughter, Shannon, along with veteran TV and film producers Justin Lin (Fast & Furious) and Jonathan Tropper (co-creator of Banshee).
Starring Andrew Koji (The Innocents), Rich Ting (The Man In The High Castle), Jason Tobin (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), Dianne Doan (Vikings), Olivia Cheng (Deadly Class), Christian McKay (Frontier), Hoon Lee (Banshee), and Dean Jagger (Game of Thrones).
Warrior premieres April 5th at 10pm on Cinemax. The first season consists of 10 episodes.
