RZA explains why directing ‘Man with the Iron Fists’ was a harder gig than Wu-Tang

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“My imagination is in all these characters – this guy whose body turns totally to brass; the knife Russell Crowe uses – you’re gonna say, ‘Who thought of this s***?’” He comments.

After writing the initial draft, RZA brought in Roth to “fix the flaws,” helping the hip hop legend properly introduce characters, and discover what “gold rocks” were hidden in his backstories. In the movie, RZA plays the part of Blacksmith, the title character whose identity transforms through a journey of love, vengeance and honor. But he wants to make it very clear – he bears minimal semblance to his alias.

“When I was editing the film, I had a little phobia that when the audience saw the film, they gonna actually think that this particular character is my main personality. They may think, ‘Oh that’s you,’” he recalls, noting he decided to pause post-production to take on a role in the television series Californication in order to clean his slate. “In Californication, you see me being Samurai Apocalypse, and that guy’s not me either – I’m not that crazy –but I was able to show some swagger in that too. So, when they see me they realize I’m an actor.”

He additionally points out, “The only similarity between Blacksmith and me in real life is that I, myself, you know, look for love and look for freedom in the world sometimes in the wrong places. But he’s humble and quiet, and I’m talking like, I can’t stop talking.”

Outspoken and unquestionably real, if anything, RZA remains as on point as he did when he led one of the greatest collectives in hip hop through a revolution. Fittingly, the soundtrack for The Man with the Iron Fists features tracks by the Wu-Tang Clan along with Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Corinne Bailey Rae, Isaac Hayes and The Black Keys, an assortment of tunes RZA hopes will fulfill the same purpose as music did in movies like Shaft and Superfly. Music, he says, is second nature; film, on the other hand, takes a little more work.

“I thought that Wu-Tang was the hardest job in the world, but this was actually more challenging,” he admits. “When you have a corporation – a studio – a group of people basically that put their trust in you – they give you millions and millions of dollars to go do something – you gotta stay focused. You can’t fail; you can’t let that go, you know? So, a record budget could be $2-3 million dollars – that’s still a lot of money to work around with, but ten times that amount, it’s ten times the pressure…It’s not an easy thing to take such a valuable piece of art and a man like [Crowe], and utilize it without being careful or focused.”

Up next, RZA is co-producing a remake of The Last Dragon starring Samuel L. Jackson, and is rumored to play a part in Tarantino’s highly anticipated Django Unchained, though various reports say he had to drop out last minute. Otherwise, he continues on with his quest of artistry and spirituality, bearing a light of inner peace he says he found 15 years ago.

“I’ve been in some situations where I thought it was my way and I was being manipulated another way – that’s what happens in life – you live and you learn. I’ve had a lot of burns,” he reflects. “I have peace of mind, but I constantly study so I can express it for others.”