At the end of last week, Slashfilm found a small blurb buried in a Billboard Magazine article about RZA:
“RZA has developed a martial arts film with Hollywood pal Eli Roth called The Man with the Iron Fist, which he says has “the blessing” of his ‘teacher,’ Quentin Tarantino…”
I had to know just what the fuck was up with this, so I emailed Eli and asked him for the full story. And get this… The Man With The Iron Fist is written by RZA… and will be his directorial debut. Here’s what Eli said:
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.
I’ve been lucky enough to shoot the shit with RZA during the New York junket for Kill Bill, and this guy is a fucking encyclopedia of martial arts films. And at the time he was talking about how he had been paying close attention to what Quentin had been doing. With Roth apparently producing and QT being his il padrino, I’m betting on The Man With the Iron Fist to be pretty kickass.