Bruce Lee had filmed over 30 minutes of fight scenes for Game of Death (1978) when work was suspended to allow Lee to work on Enter the Dragon (1973). However, Lee died before he could return. Six years later, director Robert Clouse fleshed out a feature around the original footage with a new cast, including two stand-ins for Lee. After the success of Game of Death in Japan, there was high demand for a new Bruce Lee movie there. As a result, much of the movie is filmed in and takes place in Japan.