Writer-producer Jason Ning is reuniting with Sony Pictures Television, as he has signed a new overall deal with the studio. One of his first projects he’s currently developing with the company is a television series adaptation of director Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning 2000 wuxia film, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” Deadline is reporting.
The movie version of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is based on the Chinese book of the same in author Wang DuLu’s Crane Iron Pentalogy. The novel series, which was published between 1938 and 1944, chronicles the struggles of four generations of youxia, which is a type of ancient Chinese warrior folk hero/wandering vigilante.
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s” film adaptation incorporated elements from all five books in the Crane Iron Pentalogy book series to tell its story. The novel series tells the story of four generations of youxia. Each book features connections to each other.
The movie was produced and distributed by Sony. The title is a lucrative IP in the studio’s library, which led to the company deciding to adapt the film into a televisions show.
Sony recently regained the rights to the property through the first-look deal it had with Vertigo. Roy Lee and Miri Yoon from Vertigo, as well as Johnny Levin, are attached as executive producers on the “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” television series with Ning.
Sony Pictures Television hasn’t yet revealed when the “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” television adaptation will premiere, or on what network or streaming service it will air on. But if it follows in the lead of other Sony television projects, the series will stream on Prime Video.
The filmmaker currently serves as a co-executive producer on the upcoming television show,“Silk: Spider Society,” for Sony/Prime Video with Angela Kang. The show is the first installment in a franchise of live-action series being produced by Sony Pictures Television for MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video.
Besides “Silk: Spider Society,” Ning also served as a writer and executive producer on the hit Fox/Netflix fantasy-police procedural television show, Lucifer. Ning also recently worked on two other high-profile upcoming series – Peacock’s sci-fi drama show, “Mrs. Davis” from Damon Lindelof, and Netflix’s action comedy-drama series, “The Brother’s Sun” from Brad Falchuk. He also served as a supervising producer on the Syfy/Prime Video sci-fi show, “The Expanse.”