There's already a lot of noise from the Martial Arts fan-base about Awaken the Dragon. As I knew there would be. I'm sort of used to it after the ass-drilling my script got from pissed off Punisher fans. (At least that seems to have settled down with the latest developments on that project. Until the movie comes out and people start looking for a head to spike.) Anyway. Here's the deal, I believe that no one should REMAKE Enter the Dragon. Period. Yes, you could beef up the narrative, improve the production value, but what's the point? It will never be the original. No one will ever fill Bruce Lee's mocs. The guy wasn't ****ing human. He was deadly poetry (not quite sure what that means, but it sounds cool).
That said, I do believe that we are allowed to be "inspired by" classis films. As a writer/director, it's my job to use my creative instincts to invent, imagine, re-invent and re-imagine. All artists from Rembrandt to Hockney have been inspired by the work of other artists and have re-imagined great works. Picasso's variations on Velazquez's Las Meninas comes to mind. Relax; I'm not comparing myself to the masters, just making a ****ing point. It's what we do. It's what I get paid to do. It's what I love to do.
Re-invention is Hollywood speak for -- let's do something completely different yet still capitalize on the name of the original project. That's not a bad thing, that's just the reality. Warners owns the title so they are going to use it to market the movie. Suits gotta put asses in seats if creatives wanna keep making movies. Basic economics, baby. You wanna keep buying those Golden Era Captain Americas on E-bay, you gotta put in some overtime at the office.
With this Dragon re-invention, I hope to pay homage to the original with some story parallels and yes, hopefully, some cameos. But it is not a prequel, sequel, trequel, or a ****ing equal. It's a new movie, inspired by the old. Using Noir devices allows me to tell a different story and create a totally different visual experience. It will not feel like a typical martial arts film. It will be a distinct movie experience. People will either dig it and clamor for more, or hunt me down and numchuk my white-ass bloody. Right now, both sound exhilarating. More to come.
-Kurt Sutter
