Birth of the Dragon

"The Fight That Created The Legend"

2017 1h 43m EN

😐

5.8

MID

🥫

25%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.7

IMDB

★5.8TMDB · 341🥫25%Rotten Tomatoes●35Metacritic★5.7IMDB · 9,227

ActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.

“The Fight That Created The Legend”

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Cast

Philip Ng Wan-Lung
Bruce Lee
Billy Magnussen
Steve McKee
Xia Yu
Wong Jack Man
Ron Yuan
Tony Yu
Darren E. Scott
Vince Miller
King Lau
King Lau
Yee Jee Tso
Winston Peng
Teresa Navarro
Chinatown Pedestrian (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George Nolfi
Writers: Christopher Wilkinson, Stephen J. Rivele, Josh Hayes
Languages: Mandarin, English
Countries: China, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 23% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: China, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George Nolfi, shot by Amir Mokri. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by H. Scott Salinas. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Joel Viertel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Philip Ng Wan-Lung and Billy Magnussen and Xia Yu carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George Nolfi directs. Amir Mokri behind the camera. H. Scott Salinas scores. Joel Viertel cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in China, United States of America. Dialogue in Mandarin, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 23% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 9 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, English.
4International production across 2 countries: China, United States of America.
5Directed by George Nolfi, shot by Amir Mokri. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by H. Scott Salinas. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Joel Viertel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Philip Ng Wan-Lung and Billy Magnussen and Xia Yu carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "The Fight That Created The Legend".
10IMDB entry: tt2720826 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.