Conventional wisdom dictates that there’s no way to improve on perfection, but since when has that ever stopped streaming companies when there’s money to be made? In today’s latest instance of truly nothing being sacred anymore, Deadline has revealed the news that Prime Video is moving forward with a series adaptation of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” the story made most famous by director Ang Lee’s soaring, sumptuous, and sweepingly romantic wuxia classic. The 2000 film was based on the Chinese novel of the same name by author Wang Dulu, which was actually the fourth installment of a larger saga called the “Crane-Iron Series.” This new streaming show will apparently take its cues from that original source material, as opposed to simply remaking the film.

Advertisement

Regardless of whether this is merely a brazen IP grab or a truly inspired attempt to modernize a seriously compelling story, however, there’s no denying the talent involved in bringing it to life. The creative team already on board this project includes Jason Ning (known for his work on the Fox show “Lucifer,” the Peacock series “Mrs. Davis,” and “The Expanse”) as a writer/executive producer and, most intriguingly, “Star Trek” veteran and “Battlestar Galactica” overseer Ronald D. Moore as executive producer, who’s also attached as showrunner on the “God of War” Prime Video series. There’s no word on any potential casting or even a start date for production, as Deadline only vaguely describes the series as currently “developing” over at Amazon and Sony Pictures Television. Whenever this comes to fruition, it’s worth wondering among fans of the Lee film whether this will even come close to the (very literal) heights of what came before.

Advertisement

Only two words come to mind for anyone tasked with trying to come up with another take on “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon:” Good luck. The highly-successful and Oscar-winning 2000 film told the story of famed swordsman Master Li Mu Bai (played by Chow Yun-Fat) and fellow warrior Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), two lifelong friends harboring not-so-secret romantic feelings for one another. When bandits attempt to steal a venerated sword called the Green Destiny, their loyalty and code of honor compels them to embark on an epic adventure to track the bad guys down, though not before they cross paths with a much younger pair of unlikely lovers (Ziyi Zhang’s Jen and Chang Chen’s Lo). Oh, and there’s also a bunch of sword-fighting action and set pieces unlike any other film in the 21st Century, complete with incredible wirework and impeccable choreography. Folks, it’s a classic for a reason.

Advertisement

All of this raises the question of what Prime Video could possibly do that “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” didn’t already accomplish. There’s probably an argument to be made that recent success stories like “Shōgun” (which is somehow getting a second season), similarly representing a fresh take on an older adaptation, prove that there is a precedent for what this new series is attempting to pull off. Whether this actually manages to do so, or simply ends up reminding viewers of a much better adaptation, remains to be seen. We’ll be keeping a close (and somewhat skeptical) eye on this one, so stay tuned to /Film as more updates come in.