Yellowface, coming soon to a big screen near you
CVK
I just read on Angry Asian Man that a movie based on the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu” is in the works:
Legendary Pictures has acquired the film rights to the 1970s TV series Kung Fu. Yeah, as in Kung Fu, the show starring white guy David Carradine as Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine: Kung Fu Headed for the Big Screen. According to Variety, they’ve optioned a screenplay from series creator Ed Spielman and original series writer Howard Friedlander. The film is expected to explore the events on which the TV show was based and the origins of the main characters. I suppose it was inevitable. I guess the question is, who will play Kwai Chang Caine? (It’s too late to get Bruce Lee this time around.)
Looooong-time MMW readers may recall this lovely article we came across in May 2004, back when we were on Xanga. CNN reviewer Paul Clinton said that Quentin Tarantino’s casting of Carradine in Kill Bill, Volume 2
…with Carradine’s “Kung Fu” background and his innate sense of mystery, his Bill gives this film just the right amount of Asian flavor needed to anchor this story in the Far Eastern sensibilities loved so much by Tarantino.
So now the question is, which white guy are they gonna get to play Kwai Chang Caine in the movie version? Who has enough “Asian flavor?” I’m putting my money on Steven Seagal. 
He’s been looking kinda chunky lately though, so he might have to hit the dojo a little harder than he’s used to.
mtevc wrote:
Carradine’s sense of mystery???????? Could that be brain damage from years of drug use?
Posted 26 May 2006 at 10:25 am ¶
April wrote:
“Who has enough Asian-flavor”, bwahaha. Ridiculous!
Posted 26 May 2006 at 10:34 pm ¶
John wrote:
Carradine’s always doing public appearances with some sort of prop (a sword, bamboo flute, rattan staff) & speaking w/ that bullshit cadence…
I’m amazed that no one calls him on it.
Every pathetic second of his “martial arts” TV & film footage, including his performance in his Tai Chi how-to videos (shame on you Arnold Taiam), shows his lack of ability.
Posted 28 May 2006 at 11:09 am ¶
Brad wrote:
Did anyone ever see the Bruce Lee biography that starred Jason Lee? In the movie we learn that “Kung Fu” as Bruce Lee’s creation but was stolen by his partners. Lee was pissed that he was replaced by a white guy.
I would like to think that given the number of great Asian American, Asian actors that the studio would hire
Posted 28 May 2006 at 4:06 pm ¶
Brad wrote:
Did anyone see the Bruce Lee biography film that starred Jason Lee and Lauren Holly? Great film. In the film, we learn that Lee created the idea of the “Kung Fu” show and had it stolen. Lee was pissed that the studio hired a Caucasian actor to play his role. This was one of the factors that led Lee to go to Hong Kong to pursue work.
I hope that the studio would have enough sense or respect for the number of Asian American, Asian, and Eurasian actors in the market to hire someone of Asian descent instead of a Caucasian actor. If the character is Eurasian, God help us if they hire Keanu Reeves! Or if the character is another monosyllabic Ancient-Chinese-Secret stereotype.
Posted 28 May 2006 at 4:13 pm ¶