Reality TV format Bruce Lee Project launches in Asia, Middle East

LOS ANGELES — International competition series The Bruce Lee Project will be brought to South Asia and the Middle East with backers including Keanu Reeves and Shannon Lee, daughter of the late martial arts ace.

The Bruce Lee Project is a competition series that stretches across 12 episodes and a live 90 minute finale, with the objective of finding people who are not just martial artists, but warriors in life. The show features philosophical mentors as well as physical training, at the Bruce Lee Centre.

The show format was conceived by So You Think You Know Kung Fu, a joint venture made up of: Company Films (which is co-owned by Keanu Reeves and Stephen Hamel); Shannon Lee’s Bruce Lee Entertainment; Benaroya

A deal with 8K Miles Media Group is the first sale for the format. 8K Miles Media will produce and distribute five seasons of the show in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Pre-production is set to start soon with the first season expected for release in 2018. The show will air in multiple Indian languages across the globe. Prashant Shah, president and COO (content and distribution) for 8K Miles Media will produce.

Bruce Lee Entertainment, is owned and operated by Shannon Lee and is a division of the Bruce Lee Family Company. It is already co-producing the biopic Little Dragon, written by Shannon Lee, that is to be directed by Shekhar Kapur and set to go into production in September 2017. It is also developing Warrior at Cinemax, to be directed and produced by Justin Lin, with the pilot written by Jonathan Tropper.

“The legacy of Bruce Lee continues to grow even 40 years after his death, with many of today’s celebrities crediting his teachings and practices as their source of inspiration and learning,” said industry veteran Larry Namer, president/CEO of Metan, who handles sales and development for The Bruce Lee Project.

“Bruce Lee has a legacy of inspiration. It is exciting to see this legacy of inspiration have the opportunity to reach a new generation in The Bruce Lee Project,” said Reeves in a prepared statement.

“We are producing content for the global audience with the objective to be the first South Asian media conglomerate entity to offer the best in media and entertainment,” said Shah. VARIETY.COM/REUTERS