Eli Roth Teams Up With Wu-Tang Clan's RZA... Wait, What?

By: Adam Quigley Posted: July 7, 2008 Filed under: Official Info

A couple of days ago, Slashfilm discovered a blurb from a Billboard interview that RZA (the de facto leader of the hip hip group Wu-Tung Clan) has developed a martial arts project titled The Man with the Iron Fist with splat pack member Eli Roth (Hostel), and even had "the blessing" of 'teacher' Quentin Tarantino.

Now CHUD has confirmed through an e-mail exchange with Eli Roth that not only is this the case, but that RZA wrote the script and will also be directing.

Here's the full quote:

Yes, it is true. RZA's script is amazing. He has been studying, directing with Tarantino for years, and he's really ready to get behind the camera. His impact on rap music and hip hop culture cannot be measured, and he's ready to add his own unique style and vision to the world of film. This movie will have everything martial arts fans could want, combined with RZA's superb musical talent. This project has been his dream for years, and I'm thrilled to be a part of it. And fans should know that yes, there will be blood... This ain't no PG-13.

While this project does sound interesting, I think people are fixating a little too much on the involvement of Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino. There's no doubt in my mind that the influences brought to RZA's directorial decisions by both these filmmakers will be noticeable, but this is still RZA's movie, and all the weight and burden of making it a good one lies with him. So this brings up the question: can he make a good one?

For those who aren't aware, RZA has actually already directed three different unreleased films as part of his Bobby Digital series, all of which are super low-budget. You can actually watch behind-the-scenes footage of one of these movies on YouTube.

Here's the first part.

It's hard to tell how the finished product will look based on this footage, but at least RZA clearly has an interest in keeping an authentic chopsocky appeal. If he can bring that same style and focus to his newer, bigger-budget martial arts film, The Man with the Iron Fist, I think we'll have ourselves a new fan-favorite.

[Source Billboard, CHUD via Slashfilm]