Do you know kung-fu? Are you a male between the ages of 20-35 with the emotional capacity of a young Clint Eastwood? If so, you too could be in the movies.
That is just part of the description being put out there for a casting call for a new Kwai Chang Caine, the hero of Kung Fu once played by David Carradine. Hollywood is moving forward on a movie adaptation of the classic television series and apparently Carradine isn’t coming along, or if he is it’ll be in a vastly different role than the story’s protagonist. I guess that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. In the last Kung Fu incarnation (Kung Fu: The Legend Continues), Carradine played an older version of his character, father to a hot-headed police detective. Most of the original series’s mystical and philosophical overtones were absent as well.
The casting description comes from Warner Brothers via Moviehole and reads as follows: Male, 20-35. A handsome mix of East (Chinese/Asian) meets West (American). A man with the emotional capacity of a young Clint Eastwood. Charismatic and charming, Caine was raised by Shaolin monks after his mother’s murder and became a highly skilled fighter. In addition to being a strong actor with the right look, the actor for this role should be athletic and although not required, some martial arts training, gymnastics or ballet are a plus.
Personally, I’m ready for a Kung Fu redux, as long as Carradine is involved in some capacity. We’ve already seen the franchise isn’t appropriate for television anymore. Let’s go back to the idea of a lone hero “walking the Earth” and trying to find himself, aiding those along the way. Carradine would fit in well as one of the monastic teachers for the new Caine, but let’s stay away from dropping a Channing Tatum or other prett face in the mix. Caine needs brains and spirituality over brawn.
