Director Rick Famuyiwa almost made DC’s Flash movie—but now that he’s no longer part of that project, he’s moving on to a different comic book movie.
The Hollywood Reporter says Famuyiwa, who was the most recent director attached to The Flash, is in negotiations to helm Son of Shaolin, an adaptation of the yet-to-be published graphic novel by Jay Longino and Caanan White. The story follows a Harlem teenage who realizes he’s the last living descendant of an ancient Shaolin warrior. He’s then forced to train with a mysterious Master as he awaits the deadly villain that’s killed the rest of his ancestors.
So it’s kind of an Enter the Dragon-esque, kung fu superhero origin story with an inner city setting. Sony owns the rights to the property and has Dwayne Johnson’s company set to produce.
Coming off of Dope, which itself is kind of a heroic origin story set in the inner city, Famuyiwa seems like an inspired choice for the material, especially since he spent a good chunk of time developing the Flash for DC. Son of Shaolin feels like a nice middle point between that big budget superhero world and his breakout film.
Son of Shaolin, the comic, will be out September 20.