Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

As martial arts film fanboys and girls are aware, there's been talk of a sequel to or remake of Bruce Lee's iconic 1973 "Enter the Dragon" for five years — at least. Now, producer Fred Weintraub tells us that he expects "Awaken the Dragon" to be his next filmic undertaking, and it's actually a prequel to the vintage film.

Who could possibly follow in Lee's footsteps?

"No one. That's why it's a prequel," Weintraub replies. He adds, deadpan, "Unless I get Bruce to come back from that Shaolin temple in Korea where he's been teaching Elvis."

Right now, Weintraub is hitting the promotional trail for his new "Bruce Lee, Woodstock and Me" memoir — a fun read that offers a ringside table to some watershed moments in pop culture history in which Weintraub was personally involved. Besides the madness that went on behind the camera in China while making "Enter the Dragon," there's Weintraub's years as owner of New York's famed The Bitter End nightclub.

There, he stood up for the rights of controversial singers including Pete Seeger, got into hot water when Lenny Bruce spewed obscenities from his stage, and helped start the careers of stars like Woody Allen, Joan Rivers and Neil Diamond. There's also the wild tale of the making of "Woodstock," the movie that saved Warner Bros. — and Hollywood — in 1970, and which was Weintraub's first feature as a Warner Bros. VP. And more.

In early April, he'll be back at The Bitter End, now celebrating its 50th anniversary year. "I'm going to do a signing. I've talked to Robert Klein, Judy Collins — I spoke to Woody. I don't know who'll come, but some of them will come," he says. "It will be like home week for me."

MEANWHILE: Weintraub, who does lectures, is used to being surrounded by eager film students asking questions.

"People ask, 'What's happening to the movie business? Is this the end?' And I say, 'It's the beginning! This is the time of the greatest opportunity ever. In five years, there'll be 10 million people paying $2 to see a new movie on its first night on the Internet. I found the business fun. It's still fun," insists the octogenarian filmmaker.

"I'm a great advocate of anybody in the business getting a liberal arts education. Don't just learn how to edit, how to use a camera. Know art and music — all of it. Every producer I know who was successful had other interests besides making movies."

IN THE WORKS: The story of Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who once ranked 16th on the Forbes list of wealthiest people — only to wind up in prison after going against Vladimir Putin — is in the works as a film or miniseries, going under the title "Putin's Oil." That's the word from Richard Schiff, who's involved in the project, and who says that the filmmakers have even been visiting with exiles who worked with Khodorkovsky.

Khdorkovsky was the head of Yukos Oil Company until he was arrested on fraud charges in 2003 — and wound up being tried twice and sentenced to prison until 2017 for fraud, embezzlement and money laundering. Supporters say he was denied due process and that the charges were politically motivated. "Putin didn't want this man out stirring up the dregs of certain things that had been going on," says Schiff.

"We're trying to make that happen, along with two or three other films," adds the always-busy actor. At the top of his agenda is Showtime's "House of Lies," on which he plays Don Cheadle's boss.

DEJA VIEW: Have we been here before? Among in-the-works reality shows that are currently filling out their casts are an untitled production about people who have famous exes — talk about bottom-trolling — and "The Cowboy Way," wherein contestants put their cowboy skills to the test.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2012 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH
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