 This film was originally intended to be the largest budgeted martial  arts/Hong Kong made film of all time and to have a wide  international release, including a US release. But when the films  star Bruce Lee died suddenly, the films budget was significantly  scaled back and it was given a limited release, which did not  include the US. George Lazenby had signed on for the part when Lee  was still alive and when the film was set to be a very large budget  production with a US release.