Next Dead Celebrity To Watch: Bruce Lee

Business is brisk for dead celebrities. Call it the Michael Jackson phenomenon, but suddenly, it seems as if we're hearing more about the brand-boosting activities of dead celebrities than live ones.

Brandchannel recently reported on a new merchandising deal that could make Bob Marley the richest dead celebrity. Estimates are that earnings associated with Marley will top $1 billion in the next three years.

The next celebrity poised to make a posthumous comeback is martial artist star Bruce Lee, who died in 1973. Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee, told The New York Times she wants to be "the guide" for "relaunching the brand, as it were."

Here's the problem: A week before the release of "Enter the Dragon," his first Hollywood film, Bruce Lee died. He was 32. The death was somewhat mysterious. Infidelity, a drug overdose, and even a mob hit were rumored to be involved. Officially, however, the death was ruled accidental, caused by a reaction to a pain reliever. Tragically, Bruce Lee's son, Brandon, also an actor, died in 1993 during the filming of "The Crow."

Interest in Bruce Lee skyrocketed after his death. "Enter the Dragon" became a cult classic and Lee made Time magazine's list of "the 100 most influential people of the 20th century."

Shannon Lee wants her father to continue to be influential, but the marketing of Bruce Lee has been relatively inconsequential. Despite his status as a popular culture icon, Bruce Lee Enterprises has generated only a few million dollars a year. That's why Shannon Lee has spent a decade packaging the Bruce Lee brand into "a saleable concept," which is now ready for the relaunch.

A new "official" Bruce Lee website launched in October features information about the man and his legacy, in addition to videos, pictures, a blog, and a store. It's pretty standard fare, but it is just the beginning. Shannon Lee has regained control of licensing rights for the Bruce Lee brand from Universal Studios and, in July 2008, she engaged a company to handle "personality rights," which include the actor's name, signature, and likeness.

Bruce Lee has been featured in a Chinese television biography and he is the subject of a two-hour History Channel documentary. Shannon Lee would like to see a feature film about her father made, and she is working on developing a Bruce Lee museum in the United States, likely to be located in Seattle, where Lee is buried.