The most recent winner of the Best Director Oscar, Ang Lee, is reportedly looking to work in 3D again after stunning success with Life of Pi last year. Lee is looking to use the technology to tell the story of the epic 1960s and 1970s boxing battles.
Deadline reported this afternoon that the project is set up at Universal Pictures and will be written by Peter Morgan, who was nominated for Oscars for The Queen and Frost/Nixon. His newest projects are Ron Howard’s Rush and Solace.
The film will be set in the 1960s and 1970s, when boxing was at the height of its popularity. Lee and Morgan will focus on the epic battles of the era, including the Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali Thrilla in Manila. Deadline noted that no one offered a comment, so it’s not clear what the structure the film will take, but 3D will play a role in telling the story.
Lee is producing with longtime producing partner James Schamus. The two have worked together on several films, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain.
Lee is still looking for a follow-up for Life of Pi, which won four Oscars in February, including Best Director. He was slated to direct a pilot for FX, but withdrew because he said he needed a break after Life of Pi. There were also rumors that he was interested in a Cleopatra film.
image: ABC