We’re of the opinion that television could always use more martial arts content, and we’ll soon be getting it in the form of a reboot of the classic series Kung-Fu.
The new Kung-Fu comes from Greg Berlanti. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because he’s the guy behind the ever-increasing number of TV shows based on DC Comics, including Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Titans, and several others. Berlanti is co-developing the series with executive producer Christina M. Kim, who previously wrote on Lost. In a gender-swapped twist on the original series, the reboot will feature an Asian-American female lead. And that’s not the only change the reboot has in store.
While the original Kung-Fu was the ultimate East meets West tale, featuring a Shaolin monk’s journeys in the American Wild West, the new version will take place in modern times. It will follow a Chinese-American who dropped out of college to travel to China and train at a Shaolin monastery. She later returns to her hometown and discovers that it has become a cesspool of crime. She then uses the kung-fu skills obtained in her travels to show the criminals corrupting her town who’s boss. All the while, she’ll be trying to track down the assassin who killed her mentor — while also trying to avoid befalling the same fate herself.
The series has been picked up by The CW, which is also pursuing a reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger. It’s unclear how the network will make room for all those roundhouse kicks.
