Even with The Hangover Part III and Fast and Furious 6 making their way to theaters next weekend, this might be the most ridiculous sequel news we've heard all year. Without director Ang Lee or nearly all of the original cast, the Weinstein Company is moving forward with a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the Oscar-nominated, fantastical martial arts drama released all the way back in 2000. According to The Hollywood Reporter Michelle Yeoh will be the sole cast member to reprise her role, and the directing duties will be taken over by Yuen Wo Ping.
We first learned about these sequel plans in late January, back when Freddy vs. Jason director Ronny Yu was in talks to direct and Yuen Wo Ping was merely on board as a fight choreographer. And to be fair, the original Crouching Tiger was based on a book in a series by Wang Du Lu, and this new one-- called Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II-- The Green Destiny-- will be based on the fifth and final book in the series, called Iron Knight, Silver Vase. Donnie Yen, a martial arts icon and star of the Ip Man films (and once offered a role in The Expendables 2, for what that's worth)-- is on board in the male role of Silent Wolf.
If you're wondering why Crouching Tiger is getting a sequel now, 14 years after the original film came out, the answer is pretty simple: China. That enormous country has become increasingly important to Hollywood studios, to the point that they're willing to add in entire subplots or change a film's villains to keep Chinese censors and audiences happy. The Weinstein Company is smart to want to make a movie that ought to have immense appeal over there-- and a lot of curiosity from the art house audiences around here who usually see Weinstein Company fare. Is it a bizarrely long time to wait for a sequel? Absolutely. But damned if we're not curious anyway.
