The CW has revived its reboot of the iconic martial arts play series Kung Fu for season 2 to air sometime in the 2021-2022 season schedule. Developed by Christina M. Kim, the show is a modern-day adaptation of the David Carradine-led drama of the identical name that aired at the’70s on ABC. The story centers on Harvard dropout Nicky Shen who uses her experience in martial arts to help her family and community battle a growing triad difficulty in her hometown for a vigilante.
First announced in September 2017, the project marked the next effort at rebooting the Kung Fu IP, both of that were put at Fox and could have based on a female protagonist. One was put from the’50s that could take a similar approach to the initial show as she traveled across America. The other would observe a Chinese-American woman inherit her father’s kung fu center and find out it is a center dedicated to helping members of the Chinatown community who have nowhere else to turn. After failing to get off the ground in the network, the Greg Berlanti-executive-produced pilot could move to The CW and be picked up to show with Olivia Liang at the lead character. Alongside Liang, the cast for the series comprises Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua Tan, Shannon Dang, Eddie Liu, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Yvonne Chapman, along with Ludi Lin.
The season two renewal for the series includes less than a month after the reboot premiered on the community to sound reviews and high ratings. The pilot episode has amassed a gross audience of over 3.5 million viewers and saw its audience grow with its second episode. The CW renewed the series alongside granting a season 3 order to DC’s Stargirl, which comes ahead of its own season 2 premiere on August 10.
“We’re beyond proud to continue to share the tales of Nicky Shen and Courtney Whitmore, two strong, strong young girls at the center of the new generation of hit shows for The CW in Kung Fu and DC’s Stargirl,” Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The CW Network, said in a statement. “While each boasts remarkable talent on both sides of the camera, Kung Fu and DC’s Stargirl have not only treated fans to visually stunning actions and high-flying heroics, but additionally they both strike very powerful emotional chords as they delve deeper into the family dynamics and personal relationships in their center, and we’re so excited to see what happens next.”
The renewal news for Kung Fu must come as a happy surprise to fans who’ve connected to the series and who wish to see more varied storytelling on TV, especially in the world of Asian and Asian-American cultures. Since HBO Max’s Warrior has proven, there are a real hunger for this content along with a push to get good representation in the aftermath of a large wave of racism and violence against the Asian community in the country. Having a gifted outfit and thrilling combat scenes, Kung Fu has struck the right chord for this, and fans can look forward to a lot more in the coming weeks.
