Earlier in the year a fan-made documentary started making the rounds online called Star Wars Begins. Assembled out of several decades’ worth of interviews, commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, etc., Begins was the first in a trilogy of what London-based creator Jamie Benning calls “filmumentaries.” These videos covered the first three movies in George Lucas‘ landmark space adventure saga in a way that provided fans of the Star Wars trilogy and filmmaking in general with a fresh perspective on a cinematic classic. Star Wars Begins was warmly received by fans of the series and Benning followed it up with filmumentaries about The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi that were equally regarded by them as well.

John Fusco‘s latest screenplay to hit the big screen and about to be released on DVD this Tuesday is The Forbidden Kingdom, which will be remembered for the first on-screen appearance of both Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Fusco was the pen behind the Young Guns films, as well as the Viggo Mortensen flick Hidalgo, and he also scripted the Weinstein Company’s upcoming re-imagining of Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai.

Geeks Of Doom: Were you aware of the Chan and Li team-up when you began writing the script?

John Fusco: It actually began as a bedtime story for my young son who was beginning martial arts. Because I have a background in kung fu, I wanted to introduce him to what I felt was the right foundation: the philosophy and literature and mythology that informs the practice. If I had tried reading Lao Tzu or the Four Classics to him I would have lost him. So I made up a fun time travel journey that would be something of a primer.

While I was out in the desert with Casey Silver making Hidalgo I told him about this story I was making up for my kid and why. He felt that I was onto a movie and he encouraged me — and hired me — to start the screenplay.