Bruce Lee Drama Warrior Ordered to Series at Cinemax

Cinemax has gone straight to series with the ten-episode drama Warrior, inspired by an idea from martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

The gritty action drama is set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. The story 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 organized crime families.

Warrior was created by Jonathan Tropper (Banshee), who will executive produce under Tropper Ink Productions. Justin Lin and Danielle Woodrow will executive produce on behalf of Perfect Storm Entertainment, and Shannon Lee will executive produce for Bruce Lee Entertainment. Production kicks off this fall in Cape Town, South Africa.

“Warrior follows in the spirit of the tradition of adrenalized Cinemax dramas that we established with Strike Back and Banshee,” said Kary Antholis, the president of HBO miniseries and Cinemax programming. “We are brimming with excitement for this unique martial arts series combining Bruce Lee’s inspired conception with the immense storytelling talents of Jonathan Tropper and Justin Lin.”

“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,” added Tropper.

“I’ve always admired Bruce Lee for his trailblazing efforts opening doors for Asians in entertainment and beyond,” said Lin. “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.”