‘Kung Fu’ Remake Lands Pilot on Fox

Fox has made a put pilot commitment to a female-led remake of “Kung Fu,” the 1970s series that starred David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who traveled through the American Old West armed only with his spiritual training and his skill in martial arts, as he sought out his half-brother Danny. Penned by “Arrow” co-showrunner Wendy Mericle and also executive-produced by Greg Berlanti, the new version will follow Lucy Chang, a Buddhist monk and kung fu master who travels through 1950s America searching for the man who stole her child years earlier. In that endeavor, she forms an unlikely alliance with JT Cullen, a charming Korean War vet harboring his own secrets.

The original 1972 “Kung Fu” started with a 90-minute TV movie, which served as a pilot. The series aired for three seasons on ABC and was followed by TV movie, “Kung Fu: The Movie,” which aired on CBS in 1986 with Carradine reprising his role and Brandon Lee playing his son. CBS the following year tried to launch a sequel series, “Kung Fu: The Next Generation,” centered on Lee’s character, which did not go beyond the pilot stage. There also was “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues,” an American-Canadian series, which aired four seasons from 1993-97. There was also talk of a feature film in 2006.