The sequel to director Ang Lee’s martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will reportedly begin filming this May.
Young Guns and Hidalgo scribe John Fusco has already turned in a script for the sequel. According to Worst Previews , veteran Chinese director Ronny Yu ( The Bride with the White Hair , Freddy vs. Jason ) will handle directing duties on the follow-up.
Although Ang Lee was instrumental in the success of the first feature, the filmmaker will not be involved with the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel.
Deadline explains that the story for the follow-up is taken from Silver Vase, Iron Knight , the fifth book in the series by author Wang Du Lu. The plot will follow the continuing adventures of Michelle Yeoh’s character, though it’s unclear if she will reprise her role in the film.
Fusco said of the sequel’s story:
“This introduces a new generation of star-crossed lovers, and a new series of antagonists in a battle of good and evil. There is an alternate universe in the books, a martial forest that exists alongside the real world, full of wandering sword fighters, medicine men, defrocked priests, poets, sorcerers and Shaolin renegades. It’s so vast and rich, and I found characters from the second and third books in the series to create a most interesting stew while being as true to the source material as I could be.”
Casting for the $20 million sequel is reportedly underway. The filmmakers are hoping that fight choreographer and Chinese cinema veteran Wo Ping Yuen ( The Matrix ) will return for the sequel. His impressive use of wires in the original feature helped create a number of memorable fight sequences.
It’s currently unclear when the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon follow-up will find its way into theaters here in the US. Are you looking forward to the upcoming sequel?