According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cinemax, the premium cable network, has renewed the Bruce Lee-inspired series Warrior for a second season after just three episodes.”Bruce Lee’s vision is alive and well,” said HBO Films president Len Amato. “Warrior combines high-energy martial arts with wit and brains. We’re thrilled to renew such a great show for a second season on Cinemax,” Amato said.
The series is based on the writings of the late martial arts icon Bruce Lee and was created by Lee’s daughter Shannon, director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious franchise), and showrunner Jonathan Tropper (Banshee), Comicbook reported. Tropper explained how having Lee’s name on the show “put sense of urgency” on the team, especially while filming the fight scenes: “It was a period piece so there’s the pressure that comes from having to get all the research right and then beyond that it was like the fight scenes,” Tropper said. “Just sort of knowing that Bruce Lee’s name on it means that our fight scenes have to be the best on television or we’re going to be, not just letting people down, but we’re going to be selling the name of a martial arts legend and an icon.”
According to Deadline, Warrior is set during the Tong Wars of San Francisco in the late 1800s and follows martial arts master Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a martial arts prodigy, who emigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances. After proving his fighting skills, Ah Sahm becomes a hatchet man for the Hope Wei, one of Chinatown’s most powerful organized crime families, or “tongs.”
The show is produced for Cinemax by Perfect Storm Entertainment, Tropper Ink Productions and Bruce Lee Entertainment. Season one is executive produced by Justin Lin and Danielle Woodrow executive produce on behalf of Perfect Storm Entertainment. Shannon Lee executive produces for Bruce Lee Entertainment. Brad Kane also executive produces and Richard Sharkey is co-executive producer. The pilot was directed and executive produced by Assaf Bernstein, Deadline reports.
According to Comicbook Warrior airs Friday nights at 10/9 p.m. Central on Cinemax.