Posted in: Movies | Tagged: bruce lee, Deadline Hollywood, Enter The Dragon, Enter the Dragons, gemma arterton, Jason Tobin, Joy Wilkinson, Marjane Satrapi, martial arts, WestEnd

Enter the Dragons: Gemma Arterton, Jason Tobin in Martial Arts Comedy

Gemma Arterton (Their Finest) and Jason Tobin (Warrior) are set to star in the new martial arts comedy Enter the Dragons from Oscar-nominated director Marjane Satrapi (Radioactive, Persepolis), according to Deadline Hollywood. The irony behind the title is the play on the Bruce Lee 1973 title and Tobin's current series Warrior based on Lee's original conception for TV series he never lived to see imagined. Enter the Dragons is set in the small English town of Coalshaw in 1979; the film follows Gloria Grimshaw (Arterton). The most she can hope for from life is selling cosmetics and having a baby, but when the close-knit community of women comes under threat, Gloria is forced to defend herself – by learning martial arts from Hao (Tobin) at the Chinese takeaway. Upon seeing the transformation through training, her friends start to join in. Soon women of all ages are learning to fight together with Gloria and Hao, becoming the 'Coalshaw Dragons' and using their new skills to stand up to the men in their lives.

Joy Wilkinson (Doctor Who) penned the screenplay while Jeva Films' Cassandra Sigsgaard, Arterton for Rebel Park Productions, Jessica Parker, and Jessica Malik produce the film. "Enter The Dragons is a truly original story, playing on so many themes I'm interested in and which are still very relevant today," Arterton said. "It serves up a huge amount of much-needed comedy, authenticity, and empowerment. That Marjane is directing is a dream come true for me – she has a real connection to the story, the humor, the music, and of course, the martial arts. I can't wait to bring Gloria Grimshaw to life (and kick some butt!)." Satrapi felt the film's evoked fond memories of the legendary martial artist as well as iconic characters played by Sylvester Stallone and John Travolta. "Bruce Lee was my childhood hero, and Enter the Dragon was the first film I saw in a cinema," the director added. "After reading the script, I immediately knew that I wanted to bring this highly original comedy to the screen. Its rebellious spirit reminded me of films like Rocky and Saturday Night Fever, but told with that unmistakably irreverent British humor shining through." Filming begins in the UK over the summer.

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