According to The Hollywood Reporter, Baz Luhrmann – director of Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rogue! and The Great Gatsby – has entered talks with Legendary Pictures with regards to helming the upcoming big screen adaptation of the classic 1970s TV series Kung Fu. Should he finalise a deal, it’s said he’ll also rewrite the script, which has been penned by John McLaughlin (Black Swan).
Premiering in 1972 with a full length TV movie, Kung Fu starred David Carradine (Kill Bill) as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk travelling through the American Old West in search of his half brother. The series ran until 1975, with a total of 63 episodes, and was followed by the TV features Kung Fu: The Movie (1986) and Kung Fu: The Next Generation (1987), along with a spin-off series entitled Kung Fu: The Legend Continues between 1993 and 1997.
Originally published April 13, 2014. Updated October 14, 2018.
