Sometimes I forget Andrew Dominik (Killing Them Softly, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) not only directs, but writes his films and now he’s preparing to write a script for someone else and it’s hardly one you’d expect.
Deadline is reporting Dominik will pen the screenplay for a 3D remake of the 1982 Jet Li starrer The Shaolin Temple, with Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6) set to direct. The film tells the story of a slave worker who escapes from the cruel retainers of the emperor of the Tang dynasty. He seeks asylum at the Shaolin Temple and enters the monkhood and trains with the monks. His motivation, however, is far from saintly having promised to use the skill he learns for defense only, he seeks revenge on the man that murdered his father.
When the project was announced back in 2014, Perfect Storm Entertainment, CEO Troy Craig Poon, announced the were looking for “an A+ list Hollywood writer to tackle the story” and it seems they have found their man and, apparently, this will be a Chinese-language feature with a budget over $100 million.
“The aim is to make an unprecedented Chinese-based tentpole with story, style and scope that will resonate with global audiences as well,” Poon said.
Lin is currently set to direct the Untitled Next Bourne Chapter and Dominik is expected to begin filming his Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde with Jessica Chastain soon, so there’s no telling when Shaolin Temple will actually go into production, but it’s certainly an intriguing project.
Shaolin Temple was remade in 2011 as Shaolin, starring Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse and Jackie Chan, directed by Benny Chan. You can watch the original picture directly below.
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