And through that process of training, through reading all of Bruce's material, training in the various martial arts he trained in, we were really able to hone that in. "I mean, anyone who can fight like Bruce Lee is a maniac, is a killer. Lee is responsible for popularizing Kung Fu and his own brand of martial arts Jeet Kune Do, but Mason also needed to replicate his powerful presence. Much of Mason's time was spent mastering Lee's signature fighting style on camera. "The advantage that we also had to Mason, as you pointed out, this project's been being developed closely for many years, and we were able, for five years, to train Mason and turn him from the early days where he's a very fine actor, but clearly the son of a very successful Hollywood director, to a stone-cold killer," Grey added. Image via Golden Harvest Mason Lee Trained for Five Years to Become "A Stone-Cold Killer" Like Bruce LeeĪlthough Mason was already the spitting image of Bruce Lee, it took years to truly transform him for the role. "And then, we did a worldwide search all across Asia and North America, and we didn't find anyone as compelling as Mason," Grey admits. We imitated film, Lee says of projects like these. Many recent 3-D releases, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Age of Ultron, weren’t filmed with 3-D in mind but were converted in postproduction. Although the team wanted to find someone that better fit the assignment, they kept coming back to Lee in the end. Rather than concede, Lee became convinced the problem wasn’t the medium but the approach. The bulk of his roles, however, came in overseas projects like the Taiwanese film Who Killed Cock Robin?. audiences likely knowing him from his role in The Hangover Part IIas Teddy. Mason Lee, for his part, has a solid resume to his name with most U.S. We had that in our pockets, and said, 'Okay, we don't wanna be producers who succumb to nepotism. "Early on, Ang introduced me to his son, Mason Lee, who's a very accomplished actor-particularly works a lot in China, although he's been in some very successful American films-and he is a spitting image of Bruce. When asked about striking that balance between finding a good actor and an unknown, Grey said "It's a really great question." Mason Lee immediately arose as an option, but with his father directing, the optics were a bit sticky. A great biopic casting can bring its subject back to life while a poor one can stick out like a sore thumb. The point of the biopic is for viewers to see the martial arts master in whoever portrays him. At the same time, Johnson spins a fun story that brings audiences and families together as a great holiday watch.įor more genre explorations, filmmaking tips, and advice, check out these additional articles below.Finding the right person to play Bruce Lee is no easy feat. It’s also a great example of how different holiday themes surrounding family, relationships, and inheritance be re-examined under a different genre lens as the murder mystery angle lets the audience micro-analyze the characters and their intentions - all. Starring Daniel Craig as a proficient detective alongside another great cast, including Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Christopher Plummer, this clever whodunnit combines many different genres including mystery, comedy, and drama. Rian Johnson’s breakout holiday mystery film Knives Out turned a simple premise into a surprise box office success and has even launched a sequel. And most importantly, let’s highlight some of the genre’s most classic examples to explore what makes them tick.įinally, to wrap up our list, we have perhaps the best example of how modern filmmakers can take many of the traditional tropes and values of the Thanksgiving holiday and subvert them into a different subgenre with fun writing and attentive filmmaking. So, with the holidays coming up and many families gathering to catch up and spend time together, we’d like to take a look at the particular sub-genre of holiday films centered around Thanksgiving.įor anyone interested in exploring this film genre (and perhaps even making their own one day), let’s explore what makes a Thanksgiving film a Thanksgiving film. For many, films make up a significant part of their favorite family gatherings and pastimes. Outside of solo viewing habits, movies are also great to watch together with friends and families. I have also written and directed numerous short films and marketing videos making me a. Yes, we often watch movies or shows alone in our homes (or by ourselves on our phones in bed), but even in isolation, film is a way for us to engage with each other through the shared experience of watching the same movie. Most recently, I worked with Ang Lee on his upcoming film, Gemini Man. A look at what makes the best Thanksgiving films work at a thematic level.įilm, at its core, is a visual art form that is all about bringing people together.
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