The RZA's Martial Arts Film THE MAN WITH THE IRON FIST Now Shooting In China
Though details are scarce it appears clear that The Man With The Iron Fist - the twenty million dollar martial arts film directed, written, and produced by the RZA who also stars in the lead - is now in active production in China.
Co-producer Eli Roth, who helped develop the concept with RZA, tweeted on December 22nd that he had arrived in Shanghai, saying that "the Chinese film crew are so fast and efficient I feel like I'm watching an episode of Benny Hill."
The fact that Roth is on hand and taking an active role is, I think, a good thing and the only real chance that this film has of success. And I feel that way for a very simple reason. Strip away the RZA's celebrity value and what you're left with is a man with very limited acting experience whose only previous directing experience is with self financed, self produced projects that even he doesn't consider good enough to show to anyone. And putting someone like that into such a multi-hyphenate position where he is responsible for so much on the practical end risks completely overwhelming him without a firm hand to support and guide. And that's before you even get into the pressure being placed on him to carry the film as the lead actor - a position he has never been in before. Don't get me wrong, I'd really like the film to succeed, but placing this much money and this much responsibility on a man who has never filled any of these roles in any significant way before is a simply massive gamble.
[Updated with word from those close to the production that Tarantino is NOT in China after all.]
Co-producer Eli Roth, who helped develop the concept with RZA, tweeted on December 22nd that he had arrived in Shanghai, saying that "the Chinese film crew are so fast and efficient I feel like I'm watching an episode of Benny Hill."
The fact that Roth is on hand and taking an active role is, I think, a good thing and the only real chance that this film has of success. And I feel that way for a very simple reason. Strip away the RZA's celebrity value and what you're left with is a man with very limited acting experience whose only previous directing experience is with self financed, self produced projects that even he doesn't consider good enough to show to anyone. And putting someone like that into such a multi-hyphenate position where he is responsible for so much on the practical end risks completely overwhelming him without a firm hand to support and guide. And that's before you even get into the pressure being placed on him to carry the film as the lead actor - a position he has never been in before. Don't get me wrong, I'd really like the film to succeed, but placing this much money and this much responsibility on a man who has never filled any of these roles in any significant way before is a simply massive gamble.
[Updated with word from those close to the production that Tarantino is NOT in China after all.]
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