Cinemax is officially moving forward with the dramatic series, Warrior. The network just announced it’s given the show a straight-to-series order, with production expected to get underway in Cape Town, South Africa this fall. Warrior was created by Jonathan Tropper (Banshee) and is inspired by an idea from martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Tropper is executive producing along with Justin Lin, Danielle Woodrow, and Bruce Lee Entertainment’s Shannon Lee.
Season one of the series will consist of 10 episodes.
“Warrior follows in the spirit of the tradition of adrenalized Cinemax dramas that we established with Strike Back and Banshee,” said Kary Antholis, president, 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,” says Tropper.
“I’ve always admired Bruce Lee for his trailblazing efforts opening doors for Asians in entertainment and beyond,” added 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.
The Plot: Warrior is 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 organized crime family).
