MGM is jumping back into the saddle for a new Shanghai Noon sequel.
Jared Hess, the Napoleon Dynamite director, who releases his long-delayed comedy Masterminds later this month, has signed on to direct Shanghai Dawn for MGM.
Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson are in negotiations to reprise their roles for the long-in-the-works third film in the movie series.
Details are being kept buried, but the story is by Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, who wrote 2000’s Shanghai Noon and 2003’s Shanghai Knights. Theodore Riley and Aaron Buchsbaum wrote the script.
The original was an East-meets-West buddy comedy about a Chinese man (Chan) who is forced to team up with an outlaw (Wilson) to save a Chinese princess. The movie turned out to be a surprise hit and led to the London-set sequel.
Spyglass Entertainment is producing. Millar and Gough will executive produce.
UTA-repped Hess broke through with Dynamite, the Sundance sensation which he also co-wrote. He also directed and co-wrote Nacho Libre, Gentlemen Broncos and Don Verdean.
Sept. 30 will see the release of Masterminds, the comedy that stars Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig and Zach Galifianakis. Its release was postponed several times due to Relativity’s bankruptcy woes.
On the TV side, Hess recently directed the pilot of Making History, Fox’s time travel comedy from exec producers Chris Miller and Phil Lord. He also directed episodes of The Last Man on Earth and Son of Zorn.
Hess is also repped by law firm Offer Weber.
