There have been rumbling for a while now that off the back of the success they’ve had reigniting old TV series and regular igniting new ones, those clever bastards at Netflix would soon commission a full-length feature. Well, they’ve done it, and it’s a doozy.
In a deal with the Weinstein Company (the financial value of which remains undisclosed, safe to say it’s safely nestled in Scrooge McDuck territory), Netflix have commissioned a sequel to Ang Lee’s 2000 wire-fu masterpiece, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. They’ve even gone so far as to set a release date, even at this early stage. The film will be released on the 28th of August 2015, in selected IMAX theatres and on Netflix itself. That’s right, the film’s going out on Netflix at the same time as it hits the big screen, a series of similar releases is planned to follow. The sound you just heard was ten thousand Hollywood producers evacuating their bowels.
Digital distribution has been breathing down the neck of the old guard for years now and thanks to the mind-blowing, breakout success of everyone’s favorite source of visual vice, that breath has gotten considerably hotter, there’s probably some spittle in it and everything. I’m not necessarily sure that Crouching Tiger really needed a sequel, the ending was pretty cast iron, but the prospect nonetheless excites me. The film is to be called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend and is based on a novel by Wang Dulu. Michelle Yeoh is reportedly reprising her role from the last film and Yuen Wo-Ping has taken over directing duties. His extensive experience as a choreographer on such fare as The Matrix would seemingly make him an ideal candidate. Shooting has already begun in New Zealand.
Unfortunately, the gutsy move is already being marred by flack from terrified film-industry bigwigs. Numerous multiplex companies including Regal, Carmike, Cinemark and even our very own Cineworld have stated that if the film premieres online as promised, it won’t be screened in any of their IMAX theatres. According to Carmike spokesman Roger Rinderman “We are committed to an exclusive theatrical release for the enjoyment of our valued guests. We are therefore opposed to showing day and date releases at our entertainment complexes.”
You could be forgiven for thinking that these multiplex companies have another, slightly less noble reason for standing in the way of Netflix’s new master plan, but hey, that’s just like, my opinion man.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
