Fifty years ago, Enter The Dragon was unleashed upon the silver screens, a film that not only redefined the genre but also turned Bruce Lee into an immortal martial arts icon. As this legendary film hits the half-century mark, Shannon Lee, Lee’s daughter, recently announced House of Lee, a brand new anime TV series that promises to deliver the classic Bruce Lee action we all know and love with a modern anime aesthetic. Shannon Lee along with the Beijing-based anime studio Shockunit Studio, are bringing this action-packed fantasy series, which will track martial arts king Lee as he gathers a squad of warriors to help stop the world from descending “too far into darkness and shadow.”
Per Deadline, the anime’s concept is inspired by a quote from Bruce Lee: “Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.” Alongside the big news drop, we were also treated to a slick new trailer, which gives us a glimpse of Lee as an anime character. He can be seen effortlessly nailing his moves and unleashing punches and kicks on his foes. The House of Lee teaser ends with a brief tease of a metaphorical dragon, moving in sync with Lee’s actions. With the series’ overall art style, music, and vibe, it definitely looks to be an exciting watch and seems packed with the fast-paced spirit Bruce Lee is famous for.
In a conversation with Deadline, Shannon Lee shared that she decided to team up with Shibuya, a platform supporting artists in funding their films after watching their anime short, “White Rabbit.” Shannon expressed her excitement about the anime’s potential for showcasing Bruce Lee as himself, saying, “Anime is an amazing medium for telling a truly creative story where Bruce Lee can be Bruce Lee. I’m so excited for the possibilities for action, fantasy, history, culture, and creativity within this medium.”
Following a meeting with Emily Yang, the co-founder of Shibuya, and the artist behind White Rabbit, Shannon shared her perspective that the community-funded short film “spoke volumes” about the potential for their collaboration on House of Lee, which is being independently produced by Shibuya and Bruce Lee Entertainment through the support of a community campaign.
When Yang heard about the vision for House of Lee, she said, “I found myself immediately resonating with the narrative as it touches on themes of spirituality, the battle against your inner demons, and so many aspects of the AAPI experience. It being such a personal story, Shannon wanted to really retain creative control and ownership. At Shibuya, our mission is to help creators do just that and so I knew this was something we had to be a part of.”
House of Lee is currently scheduled to air sometime in 2024.
