Shiao has a deep personal connection to wuxia. Growing up, Shiao was told wuxia tales filled with flawed but courageous heroes embarking on mythical adventures. His father, Shiao Yi, was one of the best-known wuxia novelists. Shiao Yi continued to write after immigrating to the United States from Taiwan, where he established a foothold, while also gaining a strong following in China (his works were adapted in novels, radio and television shows). Shiao Yi even met legendary Marvel creator Stan Lee in Los Angeles, where they pledged to continue to write as much as they could.
Lee’s characters — Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther — have become the pillars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has spawned 23 films to date and brought in over $22 billion at the box office. With intellectual properties being snapped up by individual studios (Marvel by Disney, DC by WarnerMedia), there’s a demand for new heroes and new tales, especially with diverse origins.
There’s already a huge wuxia universe out there; it just has to be brought together. That’s where Shiao Yi’s son Peter and his Immortal Studios come in.
“When my dad passed away two years ago, I knew that it was time for me to pick up the mantle where he left off,” Shiao explained. “I actually spent a few years putting together his complete library. That’s 63 written titles with 30 produced film/tv credits already. I started to give voice to the stories I’ve always wanted to tell; I started to create my own titles. And then this universe was born, this interconnected hero universe.”