The Bruce Lee-Inspired Martial Arts Series Finding New Life On Netflix
"Warrior" has proven itself to be one of the most resilient series around, originating on Cinemax for its first two seasons before jumping to Max for its third. After Season 3, "Warrior" was canceled, and now the entire series can be found on Netflix, where a fresh crop of viewers is checking it out. Based on Netflix's analytics, "Warrior" Season 1 was the eighth most-watched TV series for the week of February 12 through 18. It had over 14 million hours viewed, so Bruce Lee's legacy continues to live on in a major way.
For those who don't know, "Warrior" was a concept Lee came up with in the 1970s, intending to star in the series. However, it wasn't picked up at the time, and the actor sadly passed away in 1973. Years later, Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, discovered his idea and brought the project to fruition alongside "F9" director Justin Lin.
"Warrior" tells the story of Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a proficient martial artist who arrives in San Francisco in the 1870s to find his sister. The critically acclaimed show is noteworthy for its expertly choreographed fight scenes and predominantly Asian cast. Anyone who grew up watching Bruce Lee's movies will want to watch it.
Shannon Lee discusses staying true to Bruce Lee's vision
To see an idea Bruce Lee came up with decades ago finally hit the small screen and get such a warm reception from audiences is heartwarming. And it was all made possible by Shannon Lee, who found her father's outline and made it a reality as an executive producer. She spoke with GogglerMY about how the team kept the original vision intact despite going beyond those initial pages.
"The sort of nucleus of [Bruce Lee's] idea is the true north of the show ... Especially in terms of the arc of the character of Ah Sahm," she said. Many elements from the original treatment are incorporated, including the Tong Wars, a real-life event that exists in the fictional story. Ultimately, Shannon Lee wants to remain true to what her father set forth: "More than anything, we're very true to the tone of the Bruce Lee idea and concepts."
There's no word on whether "Warrior" Season 4 will happen, but the fact the show's lighting up the Netflix charts doesn't hurt its prospects. "Warrior" has already made episodes with different platforms in the past, setting a precedent. Even if "Warrior" has ended, there are 30 episodes for people to watch, giving them plenty of material to check out. Bruce Lee has some epic fight scenes throughout his filmography, and "Warrior" aims toward those same heights.