Hollywood loves a ghost story, especially when it involves a guy who could punch a hole through a brick wall. People have been obsessed with the idea of a new movie with Bruce Lee basically since 1973. It makes sense. He wasn't just an actor; he was a shift in the tectonic plates of pop culture. But right now, in early 2026, the situation with the highly anticipated Ang Lee biopic is... well, it’s complicated.
If you’ve been scrolling through social media and seeing "official trailers" of Bruce Lee fighting Jackie Chan in a neon-lit cyberpunk city, I hate to break it to you: those are fake. Pure AI fan-bait. Most of them use a mix of deepfake tech and clips from Ip Man or Enter the Dragon to farm clicks. The real story of the upcoming biopic is much more grounded, a bit frustrating, and honestly, way more interesting than a CGI slugfest.
The Ang Lee Biopic: Where Is It?
So, here’s the deal. Ang Lee—the visionary behind Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Life of Pi—has been trying to get this thing off the ground for the better part of a decade. He’s notoriously meticulous. We’re talking about a director who once spent years obsessing over the physics of a digital tiger. For this film, he’s cast his own son, Mason Lee, to play the Little Dragon.
Mason hasn't just been "going to the gym." He reportedly spent over five years in intensive martial arts training to mimic Bruce’s specific, twitchy, high-tension Jeet Kune Do style. That’s commitment. You don't see that often in modern Hollywood where actors usually get a three-month "superhero boot camp" and a lot of stunt doubles.
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But as of late 2025 and moving into 2026, production has hit a massive speed bump. Ang Lee recently confirmed at an event in Taipei that the project is officially on hold. He cited a "perfect storm" of issues:
- Funding: Big-budget biopics are risky, especially when they aren't about a superhero.
- Copyright: Navigating the Bruce Lee Estate (run by his daughter, Shannon Lee) is a delicate dance.
- Creative Direction: Ang Lee wants a "breakthrough in visual presentation," but he’s also stepped away from his recent 120fps 3D experiments because, in his own words, "3D is bad."
He’s currently pivoted to a different project called Old Gold Mountain, a story about Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush. This means the new movie with Bruce Lee is currently sitting in a sort of cinematic purgatory. It's not dead, but it’s definitely napping.
What Is the Movie Actually About?
Unlike the 1993 film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, which was basically a tall tale with mystical demons, this new film is rumored to be much more focused. The script, penned by Dan Futterman (Capote, Foxcatcher), reportedly centers on the making of Enter the Dragon.
Think about that specific window in 1973. Bruce was at his absolute peak but also under immense pressure. He was bridge-building between the East and West while dealing with health issues, industry racism, and the weight of becoming a global icon. Producer Lawrence Grey has described it as a "kaleidoscopic journey" rather than a birth-to-death narrative. It’s a character study of a man who was, quite literally, vibrating with energy and frustration.
The Realism Factor
One of the biggest hurdles is the "uncanny valley." We’ve all seen the Bruce Lee deepfakes in commercials or those "resurrected" versions in movies like Ip Man 3. They always look a bit... off. Ang Lee is reportedly determined to avoid that. By using Mason Lee, he’s betting on performance over pixels. He wants to capture the thought behind the punch, not just the punch itself.
Bruce was a philosopher first. If the movie doesn't capture his "Be like water" mindset, it’s just another karate flick. And let's be real, we have enough of those.
Why We Still Care in 2026
You might wonder why we're still talking about a guy who passed away over fifty years ago. It’s because the "Bruce Lee effect" hasn't faded; it’s expanded. From the UFC—which Dana White calls Bruce the "father of"—to the way Asian leads are finally getting their due in films like Everything Everywhere All At Once, the DNA is everywhere.
The search for a new movie with Bruce Lee is really a search for that same spark of authenticity. We’re tired of the "Legend of" or "Secret Life of" tropes. We want to see the human being who had a temper, who struggled with his identity, and who worked until his body literally gave out.
Other Projects on the Horizon
While the biopic is stalled, it's not the only Bruce Lee content in the works.
- House of Lee: This is an upcoming animated series that’s been teased for a while. It’s more of a fantasy/action take, endorsed by the family.
- The "Kung Fu" Movie: Donnie Yen is reportedly attached to a big-screen adaptation of the Kung Fu TV series—the very show Bruce Lee originally pitched and was famously passed over for. There’s a poetic justice there that fans are loving.
- Documentaries: Enter the Clones of Bruce recently did a deep dive into the "Bruceploitation" era of the 70s, which is a great watch if you want to see how the industry tried (and failed) to replace him.
Separating Fact From TikTok Fiction
If you see a headline saying "Bruce Lee Movie Starring Mike Moh Coming Next Month," check the source. Mike Moh did an incredible job playing Bruce in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but that was a specific (and controversial) cameo. There is no secret sequel to Game of Death being found in a vault.
The reality is that high-quality cinema takes time. We’re looking at a 2027 or 2028 release date at the earliest if Sony Pictures finally greenlights the budget.
Actionable Steps for the True Fan
Don't just wait for a trailer that might not come this year. If you want to dive deeper into what this movie might cover, here is how to get ahead of the curve:
- Read the Source Material: Pick up Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly. It’s widely considered the definitive biography and likely serves as a major reference for the new screenplay. It de-mythologizes him in a way that makes him even more impressive.
- Watch the Remasters: Warner Bros. recently put out a 50th-anniversary 4K cut of Enter the Dragon. If you haven't seen it on a modern OLED screen, you haven't really seen it. The sweat, the tension, the speed—it’s all there.
- Follow the Estate: The Bruce Lee Foundation is the only place for "official" news. Anything else is usually just rumors from the "film bro" corners of the internet.
- Support Mason Lee: Check out his performance in Limbo (2021). It shows he has the acting chops to carry a heavy, atmospheric film, which is exactly what his father’s story deserves.
We’ve waited fifty years for a definitive biopic. A few more years of delay is probably a good thing if it means we get a masterpiece instead of a cash-grab.