Hello everybody.

I've always felt that Charlie Chan was a character worth resurrecting. However, I would like to see the Charlie Chan franchise take a darker, edgier turn.

I would like to have Chan portrayed as someone younger (late 20s to mid 30s) who , unlike his grandfather Charlie Chan, has a lot of flaws. He's lived a hard life and is battle tested and emotionally scarred. Like his grandfather, Charlie Chan is highly intelligent and very perceptive, but he's also battling his own personal demons.

Thinking that the first Charlie Chan tale i would like to write is one where Charlie Chan is hired by a rich family to track down the whereabouts of their missing daughter. It turns out that the mystery takes a turn for the tragic: the daughter is a runaway and is now linked to a prostitution/slavery ring. But the ring is also connected to snuff filmmaking and the daughter becomes the latest victim...

Chan must find out who is responsible for their daughter's murder. But in his mission to track down her killers, Chan is forced to confront the dark demons of his own tortured past...

Pretty cool, huh? Definitely something that is more modern, but I would like it to retain the quality of the original Charlie Chan.

Dear David,

I must say, you take on a Charlie Chan update is one that is very unique and not close to anything that I have heard proposed before. It would certainly fit the current mood of our own tortured, perplexing times. Maybe at the end he could come to something of a positive resolution regarding that which had emotionally tortured him for at least part of his young life. Or, if a series, he could stage-by-stage, while solving other mysteries, could be uncovering a piece or pieces of his own puzzle?

Sounds like a good and worthy challenge, David. Please let us know if you take on the task!

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

Thanks for the encouragement!

I'm working on a story outline right now.

The basic plot goes like this...

Charlie Chan is a younger detective, in his mid 20s to early 30s. His grandfather is of course the legendary Charlie Chan. He works for the San Francisco Police Department but has been contacted by a family friend to help track down their missing daughter. The family is very affluent; the father is a prominent real estate mogul who worked alongside Chan's father. The family is desperate, their daughter has ran away from home numerous times but always returns or is always found. This time though, she has been missing for several days. The family suspects that their daughter's boyfriend is behind her disappearance but can't prove anything. They also believe the boyfriend is a possible drug dealer.

Chan tracks down the boyfriend, but he denies any involvement in her disappearance. He insists that he himself is distressed over his girlfriend's disappearance.

Chan investigates her disappearance but searching her room and computer. He finds various text messages and was able to trace various phone calls. Through old fashioned detective work, Chan tracks down her whereabouts: she's working as a prostitute and stripper at a decadent nightclub. The nightclub's clientele includes some VERY powerful people in the city, including Chan's own colleagues. Disgusting at what he sees, he convinces the police to raid the nightclub, leading to the arrests of several people. Chan also manages to rescue the daughter from a self-destructive life...

The family is grateful for what Chan has done, but that's when things go downhill for Chan. A judge orders all the charges to be dismissed due to a technicality (the judge basically says that Chan didn't follow proper police procedural and throws all the cases out).

Meanwhile, the daughter has been caught using drugs and the family orders her to rehab or they will throw her out of their home. Chan develops a bond with the daughter, but it is not enough to save her. The daughters runs away from home again, and ends up where she was working...

A video surfaces on the internet. In fact, many disturbing videos surface. The video shows the daughter being brutally assaulted and beaten by several men wearing masks. Days later, the police call Chan to notify him that they found her body in a dumpster.

This incident haunts Chan because when Chan was a college student at Harvard University, his girlfriend was herself brutally assaulted and raped by several men, possibly from a prominent fraternity at Harvard. Nobody in the administration at Harvard believed her story so she committed suicide. Chan also sees a police psychologist and diagnoses him as having PTSD, but keeps it off his "official" psych records.

Chan digs deeper into this case and learns that the daughter's death may be connected to several other deaths of teenage runaways. All their deaths have been posted online and are gaining massive hits. Chan vows to track down the killers and unlike the grandfatherly Chan of the 1930s to 1940s, this next generation of Charlie Chan doesn't hold vengeance back. Even w/ a police badge, he is not afraid to kill...

That's the gist of the story. Feedback much appreciated.

I try to make it both a murder mystery and a dark thriller with shades of James Patterson and Se7en. the second half of the story is admittedly more horror based as Chan tracks down the snuff film ring and finds himself the latest "star" of their video...

Pretty cool, huh?

Wanted to add this to my previous message, but couldn't....

Obviously, this modern incarnation of Charlie Chan would be radically different from the Charlie Chan that our great grandparents grew up watching.

Besides this Charlie Chan being much younger (as I stated, he will be in his mid 20s to early 30s), he was also born and raised in America (the Bay Area). He is proficient in Mandarin, but speaks primarily English. He won't talk in broken English; he is as Americanized as anybody. He's battle tested but also emotionally scarred.

This modern incarnation of Charlie Chan has retained many of his grandfather's strong qualities. He's very intelligent (went to Harvard, dropped out after his girlfriend's suicide, then transferred to and graduated from UC Berkeley), is very intuitive, very perceptive, and relies on both old fashioned detective work and modern technology to solve cases.

But don't expect THIS Charlie Chan to dispense fortune cookie wisdom. This is controversial, I recognize that. Charlie Chan is known for his wise aphorisms (albeit in very poor English), however, this Chan won't be using a lot of aphorisms. Charlie Chan will have a love interest, but I figuring out how to include her in the story.

This Charlie Chan is a much darker tale. The first story has Chan dealing with attempting to break up a snuff film ring! This is the second controversial aspect of Charlie Chan: there will be a considerable amount of graphic violence. I won't hold back in describing the explicit violence, but I promise not to be too gratuitous. This is the Charlie Chan for the modern era.

Chan is also proficient in hand-to-hand combat and is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He is also not afraid to dispense justice. Sometimes, he feels that arresting the bad guys is not nearly enough...

There will be some humor in this tale. No comic relief characters, but Chan's colleagues tease him b/c he has the same namesake as his grandfather, the "legendary" Honolulu detective Charlie Chan.

Any thoughts? Feedback would be much appreciated.

Meh...why even bother calling it Charlie Chan if it is not going to be like Charlie Chan (publicity purposes?). The new Hawaii Five-O can call itself that but it is Hawaii Five-O in name only and not close to the old one. Personally, I've had enough of these tortured souls and you can find them in dozens of movies and TV shows already if that kind of thing interests someone. Keep Charlie Charlie...

Thanks for the feedback.

I have mixed feelings about Charlie Chan (of the old). On one hand, yes, he had very noble qualities. And the murder mysteries that starred Chan back in the 1930s and 1940s kept it classy without resorting to violence and the like.

However, I believe Chan does need to be updated for a newer, modern generation. I agree that it won't be your grandparents' Charlie Chan, and the radical changes I've proposed would be controversial. But at the same time, I think that a modern incarnation of Charlie Chan would be a groundbreaking character, particularly one who is truly an Asian American.

The Charlie Chan of the 1930s was flawless and emotionally detached though his English was very poor. This modern Charlie Chan will have much more of a backstory and will have a lot of character flaws, e.g. impulsive, reckless, takes things personally, vengeful. But he will retain many of the characteristics which made the original Charlie Chan popular: intelligent, perceptive, and always gets the job done.

I suppose to get it made these days, it would have to be altered to something you suggest and certainly a few changes could prove to be beneficial.

Dear David,

The wisdom that Charlie Chan stated in the form of aphorisms is characterized by his detractors as "fortune cookie sayings." Sadly, this has, due to a very willing media and intelligencia, become the accepted description even though they were anything but, in reality. At any rate, it would be interesting, perhaps, to have our “new” Chan utter something, albeit rarely, as something of a nod to hisd illustrious grandfather (great-grandfather?) in whose shadow he is destined to follow. Also, would he necessarily be full-blooded Chinese? Perhaps the Chan son who is our current Chan’s father or grandfather married a caucasian lady. This could create further tension in the psyche of our young Charlie Chan.

Anyway, please continue with your very intriguing tale, complete with updating and suitable darkness befitting our time and culture. I look forward to reading more…

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

to Rush (and everybody else):

thanks for the words of encouragement! Really appreciate the feedback. This modern reincarnation of everybody's favorite Asian American sleuth is obviously a work in progress, and honestly, I'm still working on the story structure itself!

But here is the preliminary cast of characters:

Charlie Chan - Chinese American detective, mid 20s to early 30s. Works for the San Francisco Police Department. Despite his relatively young age, he's very experienced, battle tested, and emotionally scarred. Great grandson of the famous Honolulu Police detective.

Monica Lee - Young assistant district attorney. Mid to late 20s. Was a research attorney who was just promoted to the trial team. Her first big case dealing with the missing runaway teenager, Alyssa. Often clashes with Chan, but could end up being a potential love interest. Despite Chan generally keeping a distance, he cares deeply for her.

Dr. Jennifer Thompson - police psychiatrist. Late 20s to mid 30s. Somebody Charlie Chan shares an intimate relationship with (but not sexual). He shares all his personal secrets with her and has revealed much of his painful past to her.

Detective Kyle Harrington - Chan's older and wiser partner. A mentor for Chan. Early to mid 40s. Looks out for Chan's best interest and has gotten him out of jams. Eventually joins the internal affairs unit.

Alyssa Popovich - Daughter of a prominent real estate mogul. Potential heir to her father's real estate business, but decides to throw that away for a life of sex and drugs. Very pretty but extremely incorrigible. Chan rescues her from a prostitution ring and the two form an unlikely bond. But that is not enough as she abandons her family and decides to live life on the streets...which she ends up paying dearly with her own life. Chan makes it his personal mission to solve her grisly murder as her body has been found naked and possibly sexually assaulted. Chan sees a disturbing video online which shows Alyssa (or somebody strongly resembling her) being brutally assaulted by several men wearing masks. Chan connects Alyssa's death to Decadence, a seedy nightclub where the patrons are some of San Francisco's most prominent citizens.

Anna Rivera - Alyssa's only "real" friend. Alyssa forms a bond with her while the two end up working as (underage) strippers at Decadence. Anna becomes an unlikely ally of Chan and may hold the key to Alyssa's murder.

Devin - Alyssa's boyfriend. A heroin addict and drug dealer. Early 20s. Denies involvement in Alyssa's disappearance but is a potential suspect in her death.

Nicholas Popovich - Alyssa's older brother. Late 20s to mid 30s. Unlike Alyssa, Nicholas is very accomplished. Smart, well educated, and currently runs the operations of the family real estate business. The obvious heir to his father's real estate empire. Charismatic but materialistic and seems not particularly concerned about Alyssa's disappearance ("good riddance" he says).

Larry Washington - Pimp and pornographer. One of the antagonists. Mid to late 40s. But he is "captured" by unknown individuals and Chan is given the "opportunity" as to whether to kill him or let him live. The most obvious suspect behind Alyssa's disappearance and death.

Judge Crawford - Criminal trial judge. Mid 50s to early 60s. Tough, demanding, and extremely intelligent. But he holds Chan and the San Francisco police Department to very high standards.

The men in masks - The main villains. They operate the seedy nightclub. They also create snuff films and post them online to a growing audience. They allow the patrons of the nightclub to partake in the killing of the strippers/prostitutes. Their identity or identities will remain a secret but the leader will be revealed in a dramatic climax.

David, Aloha. I was browsing the message board and thought I'd chime in. I'm not a writer, but am an avid mystery reader. I attended the 2012 Bouchercon in Cleveland last year and met and attended panels and discussions by Elizabeth George, Mary Higgins Clark, Lee Childs, and Les Roberts. I also attended a panel by Lesley Klinger, editor of the annotated Sherlock Holmes. So much for that, aye :). I was wondering if you'd had a chance to read "Charlie Chan Returns" by Dennis Lynds (1974)? I don't know how many copies sold, but it's basically mimics the plot you describe. Probably, not as dark sided though as you're inferring. Chan goes to visit his nephew or grandson (can't remember which), who's a cop in NY, and get's involved in a murder investigation. It concentrates more on the NY detective, but Charlie is there and impounds his wisdom every so often to assist.

If you're going to write a screenplay I'd say the idea might work, but if you are going to attempt to write another Charlie Chan novel I'd have to agree with Lin. I think to be a Charlie Chan novel one main ingredient would need to be...well, Charlie Chan. I assume you've read the 6 novels by Earl Derr Biggers, and perhaps the 7th offshoot by Dennis Lynds? They are nothing like the movies, but are well written romantic mysteries. In each novel, there's always a protagonist who is assisting Charlie in his investigation and who falls in love with a gal. That's as common a theme as are the Aphorisms. But the aphorisms are far different from those in the movies. In the novels they are strategically placed to bring forth an underlying truth, or profound wisdom in circumstances that might seem hopeless to the reader, but not to Charlie. They often create the suspense. Without these two features (in my humble opinion) I'd have to say it's really not a Charlie Chan novel.

I really would like to see another attempt at a Chan novel, and realize times have changed for movies. But I don't believe so for the written novel. Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley novels are one example. Top selling mysteries, taking place in old England and made into a BBC/Hallmark TV series. And even the new Sherlock Holmes movies and TV series stick with the basics...Sherlock Holmes. Anything else, to me, would disappoint.

Thanks for listening and I truly wish you luck on this endeavor.

Thanks for the feedback, Lou!

To get where I am going with this "new" Charlie Chan, it's basically a dark, neo-noir thriller along the lines of David Fincher's Se7en meets Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy.

Admittedly, my proposed update of Charlie Chan will have a bit more violence than what people are used to seeing with the old time Chan. Some of the violence may even be upsetting, on par with horror movies. It's definitely a brutal crime and mystery thriller. The first story has Chan attempting to break up a snuff film ring!

But the focus will be on how the grandson (or great grandson) of Charlie Chan shares his father keen intelligence and insight, yet also has his character flaws and is haunted by his tragic past (explained in a previous post). I would like much of his character development to be based on how he is "different" from his ancestor, but that he has an opportunity to grow and mature from his experiences.

After much consideration, I will include aphorisms, though will keep them limited. This younger version of Chan will have learned a lot from his great grandfather's wisdom, and that wisdom will help see him through some of his hardest moments.

Thanks backatcha. BTW are you perchance the David Lee who wrote "Owl Dance", or "Vampires of the Scarlet Order"? Anyway, I for one appreciate you considering bringing back our honorable sleuth into the 21st century! As Charlie might say, "Good merchant, like fisherman, know lure of bright colors"..."Thank you so much".

I'd like to see Charlie be a little more 'forceful' a la Mr. Moto.

Chan will kick some serious arse, that's for sure. He doesn't f*** around.

But it's probably one of the more controversial aspects of the new Charlie Chan. He doesn't back down and will use force when necessary.

I hope to take the Charlie Chan franchise in directions it has never gone before. It will definitely have an action-packed climax, where Chan finds himself "starring" in his own snuff movie! Chan must somehow rescue Anna, find Alyssa's killer, and save his own skin before he ends up dying in front of millions! Chan's death would be broadcast live over the internet and people would be watching Chan either save the day or die trying!

I am not, unfortunately! I'm just a starving student!

but your CC is a banana version of many detectives. Asian? no. Are you?

Kicking ###?
I'm sure it's not a racist statement making asian americans kung fu experts

Well, my version of Charlie Chan is definitely an Asian American. He was born and raised in America, yes.

This Charlie Chan isn't a martial arts expert, but he is proficient in hand to hand combat. And yes, I intend to include some action scenes including a pretty cool finale.

I prefer Chan the way he is. However if it were to succeed in modern times, it would have to be the way you describe, edgier and darker. Its a new generation going to the movies and most of us here are becoming relics. The most recent case of this change was what they did to the Green Hornet. Turning him from a solid hero to a dysfunctional buffoon. But the movie did well, it is what audiences want now. It's happened too many times, look what they did to Lost in Space, Dark Shadows also. James Bond even has changed!

In todays era this would be the only way Charlie could return. But this is the difference between many of us and todays audience of younger people. To most of us (Im 47) these were old movies when we were growing up. So were all the classic Universal Monster films, Holmes films, the old TV shows etc. It didn't matter to us at all that they were old, but the people seemed perfectly normal to us and we knew where they were coming from. Most of todays people wouldn't even consider watching an old black and white movie. They are "cheesy, corny, stupid"

For years people have been saying things will turn around but I just don't see it. The thought of completely normal people and normal families like Charlies in a film is a thing of the past. A really poor reflection of our current society.

We all continue to watch these movies over and over. We know them, the plots, the actors, the music to a T! I think we watch them because they are like old friends we feel comfortable with, we trust them.

Sherlock Holmes has returned in the new BBC series and he has changed considerably. He is younger, more in your face kinda guy. The series is actually pretty good but then Sherlock was never the super polite soft spoken family man Charlie was. To bring Charlie through such a change however would be radical indeed.