Major news has arrived as it pertains to the upcoming Bruce Lee biopic Birth of the Dragon. Hong Kong-born and Chicago-raised Philip Ng, a seasoned veteran of martial arts and action cinema, will make his Hollywood debut as Lee himself.
Entertainment Weekly made the announcement on their website. Ng’s co-star from the 2005 film Dragon Squad, Xia Yu, has been cast as Northern Shaolin master Wong Jack Man, who famously challenged Lee to a contest in 1960’s Chinatown. The film also stars Billy Magnussen as a martial artist who is friends with both, thus making it tough for him to take sides.
Production begins tomorrow in Vancouver, Canada under the direction of George Nolfi with a script by Ali and Nixon scripters Christopher Wilkinson and Stephen J. Rivele.
November 27 will mark what would have been the 75th birthday of Lee and in the meantime, Bruce’s family are planning a separate biopic about the Dragon.
Birth of the Dragon is set for a 2016 release date.
WorldFilmGeek 