Russia has made headlines lately for no shortage of reasons (the Olympics, Edward Snowden, Ukraine, you name it) and so there are plenty of stories to tell from the country. Russia’s Ministry of Culture is backing a project that we’d wager they’re hoping will shine a different light on the nation, and they’re rounding up some big names to help out.
The omnibus "Petersburg: A Category Of Feelings" is being put together and a roster of directors, including Todd Solondz, Ralph Fiennes, Alexandre Rockwell, Timur Bekmambetov, Avdotya Smirnova, Bakur Bakuradze, Cedric Klapisch, Igor Voloshin and Ilmar Raag are on board to direct episodes of the project. The movie will use the letters from the titular city as descriptions or qualities—Pleasure, Effort, Trust, Envy, Repose, Shrewdness, Bravery, Uncertainty, Refuge and Glee—for the filmmakers to follow in their works. And in case you’re wondering, this is a different project than the "Saint Petersburg, I Love You" film that was announced a while back. No word yet on when this will all come together.
Meanwhile, do you remember last year when it was announced that he life of Bruce Lee was going to be turned into a franchise? Well that thing is moving ahead, now titled "Birth Of The Dragon," with "The Adjustment Bureau" director George Nolfi at the helm. The script comes from Christopher Wilkinson and Stephen Rivele (the duo worked on "Nixon" and "Ali") and it’s taking inspiration from a real-life duel that Lee had with China’s most famous kung-fu master, Wong Jack Man, as told through the eyes of Lee’s disciple, Steve Macklin. Oh, and then Macklin joins Lee to fight a band of Chinatown gangsters. What? Production starts next spring but no matter what happens, we’ll always have "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story." [Screen Daily/Variety]