Posted on 12/03/2018 3:06:33 PM PST by EdnaMode
Marvel Studios is fast-tracking Shang-Chi to be its first superhero movie tentpole franchise with an Asian protagonist. The studio has set Chinese-American scribe Dave Callaham to write the screenplay, and Deadline hears Marvel is already looking at a number of Asian and Asian-American directors who want to do something as potentially monumental as was accomplished in Marvel’s first viable Best Picture candidate, Black Panther. That film tied into African and African American cultures and the sensibilities of its nearly all-black cast, with a black director in Ryan Coogler and writer in Joe Robert Cole. The goal here is to do a similar thing: introduce a new hero who blends Asian and Asian American themes, crafted by Asian and Asian American filmmakers.
After Marvel Studios’ unparalleled decade of success following Iron Man, many have wondered how Kevin Feige’s next iterations of superhero franchises will distinguish themselves. Clearly an important theme will be ethnic diversity and inclusion, in front of and behind the camera.
Callaham has strong credentials in the superhero and franchise-building realms and his own experiences as a Chinese-American will inform the Shang-Chi movie mythology, sources said. His recent work includes co-writing with Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns the upcoming DC Warner Bros sequel Wonder Woman 1984, and he is writing Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2. He also wrote initial drafts of Zombieland 2, which begins production in January, and created and produced Amazon’s recent action comedy series Jean-Claude Van Johnson, starring Jean- Claude Van Damme. Callaham also created the Expendables franchise as well as the story for the Legendary’s Godzilla reboot.
He’s got two comedies at Netflix: Callaham wrote the Black List-ed dark comedy caper script Jackpot, which Will Gluck will direct; and he wrote and is producing with Channing Tatum, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, and Archer’s Adam Reed and Matt Thompson, the animated comedy America: The Motion Picture. Thompson is directing.
Shang-Chi first appeared in Special Marvel Edition #15 in December 1973, hatched by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin. The script will modernize the hero to avoid stereotypes that many comic characters of that era were saddled with. The comic launched around the time that Enter the Dragon became a global sensation and martial arts films raged. In the comics, Shang-Chi is the son of China-based globalist who raised and educated his progeny in his reclusive China compound, closed off to the outside world. The son trained in the martial arts and developed unsurpassed skills. He is eventually introduced to the outside world to do his father’s bidding, and then has to come to grips with the fact his revered father might not be the humanitarian he has claimed to be and is closer to what others call him: The Devil’s Doctor. He also might be centuries old. The deceit makes them bitter enemies.
Marvel Studios has worked with a stable of talented filmmakers from diverse backgrounds including Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, directing next year’s Captain Marvel with Brie Larson; Coogler, directing the Black Panther sequel; Taika Waititi, who directed Thor: Ragnarok; Chloé Zhao, who will direct The Eternals; and Cate Shortland, who will direct a stand-alone film for Marvel staple Black Widow starring Scarlett Johansson.
Callaham is represented by UTA, Kaplan Perrone Entertainment, and Gretchen Rush & Dan Fox at Hanson, Jacobson.
>>There is a lot of money to be made in the Asian market, so it sounds like a potential billion dollar hit.<<
Ilon Man didn’t work?
[Callaham has strong credentials in the superhero and franchise-building realms and his own experiences as a Chinese-American will inform the Shang-Chi movie mythology, sources said.]
Why not just have Black guys rap in Chinese; kinda like in Hamilton.
No theater or studio will get one cent from me for their pc bullsh1t sjw crap they are doing, onscreen and off.
They wrote me off as a demographic a long time ago anyway.
Surprised they didn’t take Chappelle’s lead and get Wu Tang clan in on this one.
Shang Chi in the comics is actually the son of Fu Manchu and an English woman. So hardly the son of a “globalist”. Let’s see how closely they stay true to the original story.
Superhero that can’t drive properly
How will they find an asian director to cast 50% gays, and shoot scenes where the message is smoking pot and that it’s uncool to ever STUDY..?
Ang Lee.
It’s based on RACIST Sax Rohmer characters and scenarios (Marvel bought the rights to create Shang-Chi, which should be Shang-Ch’i or, better, Shangqi. Not calling it Shangqi is disrespecting China).
That’s how to scuttle it.
Ang Lee and gay cast was my bet too.
After “Enter the Dragon” came out, the lead character in the comic was drawn to resemble Bruce Lee, and not just a little bit.
So when they come up with a bisexual transgender Hispanic super hero will they have to look for a bisexual transgender Hispanic director, producer, screenwriter, etc?
Too bad Run Run Shaw is dead. He knew how to get that stuff done.
Plus, I always got a kick out of his name
Most likely. Marvel apparently thinks the director has to be the same race/ethnicity/gender as the lead character.
Liberals always seem to ruin good things for the rest of us.
“China-based globalist”? Is THAT how they’re getting around the main villain not being the greatest of the yellow perils, three-times Doctor Fu Manchu? Sir Denis Nayland Smith going to be Lady Denise Smith? Black Jack Tarr changed to... well, okay, that one’s kinda obvious. But still... damn!
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