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RZA's 'Man With The Iron Fist' Kung Fu Film Gets Picked Up!

by Alex Billington
May 7, 2010
Source: Deadline

If you're a long-time reader, you'll know that a project I've been following is Wu-Tang Clan member RZA's kung fu project that he wrote with Eli Roth called The Man With The Iron Fist (although Deadline refers to it as Fists with the extra "s"). The good news is that Universal is making a deal to finance and distribute RZA's project, which means it'll finally start shooting later this year. The bad news is that it's Universal, who will probably mess with the film and screw up the marketing. Oh well. RZA will also play the title character, a blacksmith who forges weapons for the inhabitants of a village in feudal China, and will also direct this.

Universal is giving them a budget of under $20 million which he'll use to shoot this in September in Hong Kong. It's described as a "stylized martial arts film" and RZA will produce the soundtrack as well as star in and direct this. Eli Roth explains how fully immersed RZA has been in this: "While I was away shooting Inglourious Basterds, RZA went to China to shoot test footage on his own, with all the choreography. It was very visual and I think he will bring to life a script that mixes kung fu with a spaghetti western mindset and a hip hop influence." That just sounds awesome. "RZA has imagined every tribe, every fighting style, every costume," Roth said. "He knows kung fu like I know horror." And that's why I can't wait to see this!

The Man With the Iron Fist (or Fists, if that's true) will be a "bloody R rated martial arts extravaganza" that RZA developed after studying Quentin Tarantino for a few years and working with Roth. He's really putting everything into this, not only in the script, but for his feature directing debut. "I'm going to tell you that we put a lot of time into the script, a lot of energy into it, a lot of people were supporting me on it, and if the energy comes out right, it should be a classic film to have in your library." I hope that's the case! Stay tuned for more updates and potential casting coming down the road. Anyone else just as excited to see this?

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