Bruce Lee Passion Drama ‘Warrior’ From Justin Lin Gets Cinemax Series Pickup

Two years after being put in development, Cinemax is moving forward with a drama based on an idea from the late Bruce Lee.

Warrior, a passion project from Justin Lin and Banshee co-creator Jonathan Tropper, has been picked up to series with a 10-episode order.

Warrior is described as a gritty, action-packed crime drama set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. The series follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful tongs (Chinese organized crime family).

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The series is inspired by an idea from Lee and is being executive produced by Tropper, Lin and his Perfect Storm Entertainment topper Danielle Woodrow. Shannon Lee also exec produces for Bruce Lee Entertainment. Warrior was first put in development at Cinemax in 2015 before being picked up to pilot last summer. The project hails from Perfect Storm, Tropper Ink Productions and Bruce Lee Entertainment.

“I’ve always admired Bruce Lee for his trailblazing efforts opening doors for Asians in entertainment and beyond,” said Lin. “So I was intrigued when Danielle told me about the urban legend of his never-produced idea for a TV show and suggested we bring it to life. Then, when Shannon shared with us her father’s writings — rich with Lee’s unique philosophies on life, and through a point of view rarely depicted on screen — Danielle and I knew that Perfect Storm had to make it.”

Warrior joins a roster of scripted originals at Cinemax that includes Robert Kirkman’s Outcast as well as the revival of Strike Back. It comes as the pay cabler has solidified its originals with more high-octane fare following The Knick and recently canceled Quarry.

For Lin, Warrior joins Perfect Storm broadcast shows SWAT and Scorpion, both at CBS.