Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Series In The Works 25 Years After Feature Film

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is getting the TV show treatment, a new report reveals. The fourth installment in Wang Dulu's Crane-Iron Pentalogy, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was first adapted into a movie by director Ang Lee in 2000, with Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh starring. The story chronicles the adventures of star-crossed warriors Yu Shu Lien and Master Li Mu Bai after the theft of a legendary sword. Lee's take on the source material, which includes elements from other novels in the Crane-Iron series, was followed by a sequel subtitled Sword of Destiny in 2016.

Deadline now reports that a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon TV show is in development at Prime Video. The series hails from writer and executive producer Jason Ning, executive producer Ron Moore, and Sony Pictures Television. Also producing the show are Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment, Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions, Johnny Levin, with Hong Wang and Qin Wang also producing for the Wang Dulu Estate. Ying Lou is also on board as a co-executive producer.

What This Means For Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The TV Show Follows Ang Lee's Acclaimed Adaptation

Lee's version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a major success in 2000, earning glowing reviews from critics for its strong performances, stunning action, and gorgeous visuals. The movie was also nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, ultimately walking away with four for Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Foreign Language Film. The film was also a box office success, grossing $213 million worldwide on a $17 million budget.

Custom image of Maggie Cheung (Hero) & Takeshi Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers)

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Though Sword of Destiny from director Yeun Woo-Ping was critically panned and didn't achieve the same success at the box office, Lee's legendary adaptation still sets a very high bar for the TV show. Both Ning and Moore have a great deal of experience in the world of TV, however, with the former producing Lucifer and The Brothers Sun, while the latter produced Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Our Take On The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon TV Show

Why A TV Show Could Be A Great Fit For The Source Material

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in many ways, makes sense as a TV show. The story is a sprawling fantasy epic, and a TV show format will mean an expansion on characters, ideas, and story threads that the movie didn't include. What's more, if the show is a success, there are four more novels to pull from for future seasons, with a clear opportunity to expand the story's scope with new characters and settings.

Ning and Moore have the credentials to suggest the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon TV show is in good hands, but casting, writing, and directing will be crucial to get right as well. Yeoh and Chow were a strong duo in the original film, and they leave big shoes to fill for whoever ends up getting cast as Shu Lien and Mu Bai. Though Lee's original movie still stands up, a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon TV show is an exciting proposition.