Bruce Lee movies hold a long history of excellence in the martial arts movie scape, with one of his most famous titles, Enter the Dragon, turning 50 years old this year. This film, which was released in the United States a month after Bruce Lee’s death in 1973, reached immense global success and is now recognized as one of the greatest martial arts films of all time. With the massive anniversary of the film that brought Bruce Lee to the height of his stardom occurring this August, the announcement of Bruce Lee Entertainment and Shibuya’s upcoming anime series House of Lee could not have come at a better time.
Inspired by his rich history of film, Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee and co-founder of Shibuya Emily Yang are the minds behind House of Lee. This series looks to expand the world of Bruce Lee action films into the anime series format utilizing the unique art style to add depth and vibrant movement that fits with Bruce Lee’s genre-defining action. Whereas the classic movies struggled to capture the totality of Lee’s persona, the anime style will hopefully capture the fullness of his spirit in its story. Read on for everything we know so far about House of Lee.
Who Was Bruce Lee?
Bruce Lee popularized martial arts in cinema for many American moviegoers, but he also entered global stardom for his alluring personality. He was born in San Francisco in 1940 and passed away in Hong Kong in 1973 at the age of 33. Although born in the United States, Lee grew up in Hong Kong and learned about the entertainment industry at a young age from his father, who was a part-time actor. He returned to the United States at age 18, after his mother grew concerned over his frequent run-ins with street fighters. Before his entrance into the movie world, he opened several martial arts schools across the West Coast. He also spent much of his time in the industry teaching famous leading actors how to fight on screen, with famous actors like Steve McQueen learning from the master. While he only acted in a few movies in the 60s and 70s, Bruce Lee became a powerful representative for the Asian community both at home and in the United States. Lee not only practiced and taught martial arts, he also was an avid philosopher and public speaker. This allowed him to become a cultural icon who brought greater interest to martial arts in both the eastern and western hemispheres.
When Is ‘House of Lee’ Coming Out?
House of Lee is expected to be released sometime in 2024. However, no official date has been revealed so far.
Watch the Trailer for ‘House of Lee’
The teaser trailer for House of Lee was released on August 10, 2023, days before the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s iconic film Enter the Dragon. The trailer features the titular Bruce Lee in a brief action sequence revealing the colorful and dynamic art style of the series. The unique art style promises to capture Lee’s graceful yet powerful movements. Already the powerful sound design of the trailer builds up the rhythm of Bruce Lee’s movements perfectly and meshes with the action to create an intensely dynamic scene.
Who’s In the Cast of ‘House of Lee’?
The cast of House of Lee has not been revealed so far; however, Bruce Lee will be the main character of the series. This leaves many fans curious as to who will step into the role of Bruce for the series.
What’s the Plot of ‘House of Lee’ About?
Little has been revealed so far regarding the plot of the new Bruce Lee anime House of Lee. However, we do know that the show will be an action/fantasy series that follows Bruce as he seeks to unite a group of dragon warriors to protect the world from darkness. Most of the plot seeks to build on the iconic legacy of Bruce Lee while expanding his work into the anime space with this new fantasy series. According to Shannon Lee, the show is inspired by one of Lee’s iconic quotes, “Those who are unaware they are walking through darkness will never seek the light.”
Who’s Making ‘House of Lee’?
As mentioned, House of Lee was created by Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, and is developed by Shibuya and Bruce Lee Entertainment. The series was produced independently through a community campaign. Shannon Lee is also an executive producer on the series Warrior, which is based on a concept created by Bruce Lee that sadly failed to find a home during his lifetime.
Bruce Lee Movies That You Can Stream Right Now
Here are some classic Bruce Lee movies that are available to stream right now.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The last movie Bruce Lee took part in, this iconic martial arts movie was arguably Lee’s biggest hit, cementing him as possibly the greatest martial arts actor of all time. In this movie, Lee is a high-profile martial artist from Hong Kong who finds himself working with British Intelligence agents to take down an enigmatic crime lord. He soon learns that this investigation will uncover information about his sister’s death and that he will need to fight to bring down this evil criminal.
Watch on Max
The Way of the Dragon (1972)
Directed by and starring Bruce Lee, The Way of the Dragon brings some comedy to the martial arts movie genre. This movie also features the iconic Chuck Norris in his film debut. The plot follows Lee’s Tang Lung, a martial artist who goes up against a crime syndicate who are trying to force his relatives to sell their restaurant. The syndicate in turn sends a number of attackers and would-be-assassins after Tang, culminating in a final battle between Tang and Chuck Norris’ Colt.
Rent on Amazon
Fist of Fury (1972)
Written and directed by Lo Wei, Fist of Fury tells a story that contains more historical relevance than many other Bruce Lee films. In the movie, Lee’s character Chen Zhen fights to protect China from foreign aggression. This film heavily discusses the impact of Japanese imperialism on Chinese culture and history. This film also had Bruce Lee working as the fight choreographer and featured realistic fight sequences relative to other contemporary films.
Watch on Prime Video
