From Donnie Yen’s facebook page:
Donnie Yen- Official
4 hrs ·
I want to share this very excited news with you all, my good friend Wilson Yip, who had directed all of my last three Ipman series, tonight, we have decided to reunite and continue to make our next project together, Ipman4! Yes I-P-M-A-N part 4!
#donnieyen # #ipman3 #ipman #actionmovie #martialarts #actionstar
An update (or just a rumor)…
Donnie Yen’s ‘Ip Man 4’ will be set in the US Chinatown
BY ISAAC CHAMBERS | AUG 17, 2017
In the upcoming ‘Ip Man 4’, Donnie Yen will be reprising his signature role as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man. He will also be co-producing the film with Raymond Wong.
The fourth film will see Ip Man travelling to the US Chinatown after Bruce Lee upset the local people by setting up his own fight school and teaching Westerners martial arts.
Wilson Yip, director of the first 3 films in the popular franchise, will be again at the helm. Yuen Woo-ping will be choreographing the action.
Follow the link to view the initial poster.
Big Wilson Yip interview from SCMP
Hong Kong director Wilson Yip on SPL instalment Paradox, Wu Jing’s rise and Bruce Lee’s key part in the upcoming Ip Man 4
Filmmaker explains his casting of Louis Koo in a martial arts action film, says he’s not surprised SPL stars Donnie Yen and Wu Jing have become superstars, and talks about Ip Man 4’s focus on the relationship between Ip Man and Lee
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 23 August, 2017, 2:16pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 23 August, 2017, 4:58pm
Edmund Lee
edmund.lee@scmp.com
Fans of Chinese kung fu cinema will recall the deadly fight scene between Donnie Yen Ji-dan and Wu Jing in the 2005 action film SPL – Hong Kong director Wilson Yip Wai-shun’s ambitious attempt to blend the gritty narrative of crime thrillers with bone-crunching violence delivered by top martial arts actors.
“In my opinion, that scene in particular looked like it’s coming from a wuxia film – even though the characters are in contemporary clothing,” says Yip. “Some of Johnnie To’s films, like Running Out of Time, also play like wuxia movies. SPL is a bit similar to that in style.”
While SPL was – even by Yip’s own account – “quite a weird movie”, it struck a chord with many movie fans, who have since seen both its main actors rise to superstardom – Yen via the Ip Man films, also directed by Yip, including Ip Man 3 , and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Wu with the record-breaking Wolf Warrior 2 .
Yip, 53, handed the directing duties to close friend and long-time work partner Soi Cheang Pou-soi (The Monkey King 2) when a sequel to SPL was made in 2015. By reshuffling its plot elements for a new story, SPL2: A Time for Consequences – on which Yip served as both producer and script consultant – provided an efficient template for future instalments to follow.
In new film Paradox – which Yip curiously refuses to call “SPL3” but is really just that in all but name – the franchise’s fixation on karma and destiny finds a new expression with the recasting of the previous chapter’s villain as the film’s hero: just as Wu Jing went from playing the protagonist’s nemesis in SPL to the hero in SPL2, Louis Koo Tin-lok has followed the same path between SPL2 and Paradox.
“It’s a coincidence,” says Yip, who reveals that his original intention was to tell the origin story of Koo’s character in SPL2 – the evil leader of an organ-trafficking syndicate – until he realised that this amoral tale was never going to get past the censors. Instead, the director turned to an idea that had been gestating since he watched the Liam Neeson vehicle Taken in 2008.
“It’s true that Taken has a considerable influence on me,” he admits. “I remember very well that I showed it to Sammo Hung Kam-bo when we were shooting the first Ip Man film; it’s a really great movie. I’ve kept the story inside me as a potential idea. … Here, I’ve used a father’s search for his daughter as the story’s starting point, but after that, our films [diverge].”
In Paradox, Koo plays a Hong Kong policeman who arrives in Thailand to look for his teenage daughter after she is abducted there. As a widower who can’t afford to see his only child in peril, Koo turns into a vengeful killing machine on his way to tracking down the organ traders responsible for his daughter’s disappearance.
The casting of Koo in the intense action film – featuring splendid action choreography by Hung – represents a statement of sorts by Yip, who explains that he wanted to show he “could still make an SPL film even without a brilliant martial arts actor in the lead”.
“I would just as comfortably label a film SPL even if it’s all gunfights. I think of this simply as an action series with strong dramatic elements,” the director says.
While it remains to be seen whether Koo will replicate the meteoric rise of Yen and Wu after their respective star turns in SPL and SPL2, Yip isn’t surprised by the subsequent success of his regular leading men.
“Actually, you could see the signs,” he says. “After Yen made SPL, people in the industry were all waiting for him [to make it big]; we all considered him a really capable veteran.
“Wu, at that time, was also doing great. He didn’t have many scenes in [Tsui Hark’s] The Legend of Zu (2001), but [as a] teenager [he] was already very eye-catching. [These actors] need time [to develop] – and 20 years after [he started his acting career], Wu Jing is taking flight. As a martial arts actor, you usually need some time [to make the next step].”
Yip will reunite with Yen on Ip Man 4, his next directorial project. The filmmaker is currently developing the script, and hopes to start shooting in 2018 and release the film by the end of that year.
“In Ip Man 4, I’m inclined to show how Ip Man views his relationship with Bruce Lee,” Yip says of the real-life teacher-student pair around which the film will be based. Danny Chan Kwok-kwan is – if his schedule allows – Ip’s preferred actor to reprise his role in Ip Man 3 as Lee, who, Yip says, will have “a very important presence” in the new film.
“[The story] won’t be just about Ip Man,” says Yip. “How in reality did Chinese martial arts practitioners live after they went overseas in the 1960s and ’70s? [The film will explore this] through Lee and his martial arts school the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, and his relationship with Ip.”
In the meantime, the SPL series is also set to roll on for a fourth instalment, which is still in the scriptwriting stage and won’t be ready for shooting until next year at the earliest. To many people, the fact SPL2’s Soi Cheang will return to direct the fourth instalment may be less of a surprise than Yip’s decision to label that film SPL3.
“I don’t treat Paradox as SPL3,” he reiterates. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t include the name ‘SPL’ [in the Chinese film title] at first. It’s only when I wanted to tell the audience about the tone of my film that I added SPL to it.”
(From left) Tony Jaa, Louis Koo and Wu Yue in Paradox.
I tell Yip that his resolve to name the fourth instalment SPL3 is going to cause a great deal of confusion for everyone involved. “Never mind, we’ll deal with it when it’s here. That’s fate,” he says with a chuckle, before adding: “Or maybe we should call that SPL4 instead? It’s just a name.”
Paradox opens on August 25
production beings
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“Ip Man 4” Officially Launched Starring Yanzi Dan Wenwen said it will infect both Chinese and foreign audiences
20 April 2018 15:39:11
Source: Phoenix Entertainment
3 people involved 2 comments
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“Ip Man 4” boot image
Phoenix Entertainment News Recently, the actor Donnie Yen has announced that the movie “Ip Man 4” has officially started. Earlier, Huang Baiming had disclosed that the “Ip Man 4” will be a collective shot of the original crew.
It is reported that this film tells a series of stories triggered by a generation of great masters, Ye Wenyuan, who went to the United States to help the apprentice Xiaolong open martial arts. On April 9th, the star of Yan Zidan issued a message saying that the movie “Ip Man 4” was officially turned on, and said with emotion that “I think this series can infect Chinese and foreign audiences”. He believes that the movie is never a strong hero, but through A loving, patriotic, kind person conveys the moral values, the essence of survival and life.
“Ip Man 4” boot image
According to the outline of the plot released by the movie project, “Ip Man 4” mainly described the dragons who went to the United States to open their doors to offend the local horses for granting Wuyu foreigners. Ye asks to show off and guide Xiaolong to Wu Zhen’s entire Chinatown. Make Hua Yang all the way to be a true master.
How the heck does google translate “20180410 15:39:11” as “20 April 2018 15:39:11”. Maybe google is smoking too much pot? 
Jackie?
I dunno. Jaynestars isn’t always reliable. I tried to look up the original article but I couldn’t get on to their site. Timed out.
We shall see.
Donnie Yen And Jackie Chan Will Square Off In IP MAN 4
By Lee Golden - June 21, 2018
Touchstone Pictures
Another headlining rematch is on deck for Wilson Yip’s Ip Man 4 with Jackie Chan apparently set to appear opposite star Donnie Yen. This little detail, by way of a report on Wednesday at Jaynestars cites local news sources, confirms that filming has wrapped for the fourth installment in which Chan will play a respected Chinatown Big Brother amid the story setting that lands our title hero in the U.S. alongside martial arts progeny Bruce Lee.
Yen and Chan have shared the screen together a few times in Shanghai Knights (2003) and The Twins Effect 2 (a.k.a. Blade Of Kings) (2004). The two are joined by Paradox co-star Chris Collins and Vanness Wu of Star Runner fame, both who share respective screen history with actor Scott Adkins who also stars.
Oddly enough and despite viral posts, the report also suggests Ip Man 3 co-star and Kung Fu League headliner and most-noted Bruce Lee persona in recent memory; Danny Chan may be sitting out the role this time around.
A late 2018 or early 2019 date may be in tow for Yip’s fourth outing which may bookend the director’s string of pseudo-biopictoral martial arts hits that began flourishing in 2008. Master Yuen Woo-Ping is once more at the mantle for the fight action.
More Jackie rumors from Jaynestars
“Ip Man 4” Completes Filming; Donnie Yen to Fight Jackie Chan
By jayne on June 20, 2018 in Hot Gossip!, NEWS
Donnie Yen () announced on social media today that Ip Man 4 <4> has completed filming its scenes in China. Currently busy with the post-production work for his films, Big Brother <> and Enter the Fat Dragon <>, Donnie could not celebrate with the Ip Man 4 cast and crew.
The Ip Man franchise pushed Donnie’s career to new heights and was wildly successful at the box office. Ip Man 3 was the most successful in the franchise, earning a total of $769 million RMB in total box office receipts. In 2016, Donnie had hinted that a fourth installment would be in the works, but the project did not film until two years later due to his busy schedule.
Director Wilson Yip () and action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping () return to helm Ip Man 4. New cast members include British actor, Scott Akins, and Taiwanese actor, Vanness Wu (), and a special appearance featuring Jackie Chan ().
The story for the new film follows Ip Man’s disciple, Bruce Lee, arriving in the United States to open his own martial arts school. Bruce offends the local people and Ip Man appears in Chinatown to help Bruce establish a stronger foot in Chinatown and win over his adversaries. Showcasing the power and spirit of Wing Chun, Ip Man earns the respect of the locals. The film will also depict how kung fu grows its roots in the United States.
Donnie Yen to Fight Jackie Chan
Portraying a respected Big Brother in Chinatown, Jackie Chan will have a fight sequence with Donnie Yen in Ip Man 4. While both are big martial arts stars, they did not collaborate on many films together before. This scene will be the biggest highlight in Ip Man 4.
As to the actor portraying Bruce Lee, Pegasus Motion Pictures kept the casting under wraps and has not made an announcement.
Source: Sina
We shall see.
Afm 2018
I’ve been trying to think of how best to present this because it’s dense. I decided to present the full list here on the Chollywood rising thread and partial lists to start new indie threads for the titles that look martially interesting or are relevant to other threads.
AFM 2018: The buzz titles from Hong Kong and China
BY LIZ SHACKLETON 2 NOVEMBER 2018
Despite dipping box office and a censorship process slowing up the production pipeline, there are some knockout titles to get excited about for Chinese New Year.
SOURCE: WANDA PICTURES
AIRPOCALYPSE
Mainland Chinas film industry is going through a turbulent period. Despite the success of Bona Film Groups Project Gutenberg, which grossed nearly $160m over the National Day holidays, box office was on a downward trend in October 2018 compared to the previous year. In addition, the censorship process has slowed following the Chinese authorities overhaul of their regulatory infrastructure and the governments recent request that talent and production companies pay their back taxes has sent the industry into a spin.
As a result, production is expected to slow down in the last quarter of this year, which could result in a shortage of big titles in the second half of 2019, but there is still a large volume of films in production and post-production that are on offer at AFM. Big titles scheduled for release before the end of the year include Wanda Pictures fantasy drama Airpocalypse and Huayi Brothers action adventure Mojin: The Worm Valley.
Although it is still early days for scheduling, films jostling for release during the peak Chinese New Year holiday period in February 2019 include Mega-Vision Project Workshops Enter The Fat Dragon, starring Donnie Yen; Emperor Motion Pictures Integrity, directed by Alan Mak and starring Sean Lau and Nick Cheung; and Jackie Chans The Knight Of Shadows: Between Yin And Yang.
Ip Man 4 - dir Wilson Yip
The fourth instalment in producer Raymond Wongs blockbuster Ip Man franchise will again star Donnie Yen as the eponymous hero, along with Chan Kwok Kwan, Vanness Wu and Scott Adkins. In post-production, the $52m film follows the eponymous kung-fu master to the US where his student Bruce Lee has upset the local martial-arts community by opening a Wing Chun school. Yuen Wo Ping is again on board as action director.
Contact: Kat Yeung, Mandarin Motion Pictures
Ip Man 4 The Finale - Official Teaser Trailer - Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins
Yay Well Go USA!
… and Well Go UK? Hopefully there will be a theatrical release here in the U.S. now. Well Go is good about providing those for select metropolitan markets.
Filmart: Donnie Yen’s ‘Ip Man 4’ Sells to Well Go for North America, U.K.
5:30 PM PDT 3/19/2019 by Karen Chu , Patrick Brzeski
Courtesy of Pegasus Motion Pictures
‘Ip Man 3’
The latest instalment in the hit action series about the legendary martial arts master who trained Bruce Lee is budgeted at $52 million and set for release this summer.
Hong Kong-based Mandarin Motion Pictures has sold Ip Man 4 — the latest installment in Donnie Yen’s hit action series about the legendary martial arts master who trained Bruce Lee — to Well Go USA for North America and the U.K.
Various other international territories have snapped up theatrical rights to the film, which is budgeted at $52 million and set for release in Hong Kong and China this summer.
The many other deals for the title, which were unveiled during Hong Kong’s Filmart content market, include German-speaking Europe (KSM), French-speaking Europe (Program Store), Japan (Gaga), Korea (Kiarient), Oceania (CMC), Indonesia (Primacinema), Indian subcontinent (Tanweer), Taiwan (Skyfilm), Singapore (Shaw), Malaysia (Lotus Five Star), Thailand (Mono Film) and Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Timor Leste, Myanmar (Purple Plan), Turkey (BGfilm) and the Middle East (Phars Film).
A co-production between Mandarin Motion Pictures and China’s Bona Film Group, Ip Man 4 also stars Wu Yue (Paradox), Vanness Wu (Monk Comes Down the Mountain) and Scott Adkins (American Assassin). Legendary Hong Kong action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping will return to oversee the film’s many planned fight sequences.
[URL=“https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/donnie-yen-how-kong-kong-action-cinema-can-reclaim-glory-1210649”]
Donnie Yen on How Kong Kong Action Cinema Can Reclaim Its Glory
9:40 PM PDT 5/14/2019 by Karen Chu
COURTESY OF MANDARIN MOTION PICTURES
“Being able to play the same character in four films is a rare opportunity,” says Donnie Yen of his role in ‘Ip Man 4.’
As his career-defining ‘Ip Man’ franchise comes to a close, the Hong Kong superstar — who will be featured in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of ‘Mulan’ — also discusses improving onscreen Asian representation: “I hope we can make more breakthroughs.”
Since taking up the mantle of Wing Chun grandmaster in Ip Man 4, Donnie Yen has become increasingly synonymous with the real-life martial arts legend, who famously trained Bruce Lee.
In the intervening years, Yen became a part of the Star Wars franchise, playing the fan-favorite blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe in spinoff Rogue One, and will be featured in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Mulan. But it has been the Ip Man franchise that brought him into hand-to-hand combat with Mike Tyson and secured him a place among hard-core kung fu aficionados as one of the great action superstars to come out of Hong Kong.
Yen will reprise the role for the last time in Ip Man 4 — on offer to international buyers at the Marché du Film from Pegasus — which follows the title character as he accompanies his protege Bruce Lee when he relocates to San Francisco in the late 1950s.
Along with Mulan, which co-stars fellow Hong Kong legend Jet Li and Chinese actress Gong Li, Yen will soon appear as a plus-size but highly deadly cop in the Hong Kong action-comedy Enter the Fat Dragon, to be released this year. Yen, 55, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about craving better representation for Asian actors when he was a teenager, how Hong Kong action cinema can reclaim its former glory and why he has resisted training his own children in martial arts.
You have played the character of Ip Man for more than 10 years now. Would you say that this role has defined your career?
Yes, it has. Being able to play the same character in four films is a rare opportunity, and I have to thank the fans of the films for their appreciation. The role has brought me more work and more fans, given me fame and fortune and made me realize that an actor’s life is an unceasing pursuit of bringing to life a character and becoming inseparable from that character in people’s minds.
Fans petitioned online for Disney not to whitewash this remake of Mulan. How did you feel watching that movement unfold? What’s your view on Hollywood’s attempt to embrace diversity in recent years?
I think they should have done this years ago. Since the beginning of time, the world has been diverse. Different ethnicities and cultures have always lived on this Earth. [The pattern of whitewashing ] comes from the fact that Hollywood product has dominated the film industry for decades. And we’ve grown up watching Hollywood films and had been under their influence. For a lot of people, you and me included, when they think of princes and princesses, they’d think of someone with blond hair and white skin. This image has been ingrained in us. But if we think about it, we’d realize that, around the world, Chinese people are quite numerous, too. (Laughs.) So shouldn’t it be time to express these characters and stories with different aesthetics? Something that more people worldwide can share and identify with?
Did you yearn for more onscreen representation for people of Asian descent when you lived in the U.S. during your teenage years?
Certainly. That’s one of the reasons why, growing up during that time, we were all so fascinated by Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee gave us a sense of pride and belonging. We grew up watching Hollywood films and accepting their standards. It was easy to lose track of who we were. When we looked in the mirror, we might wonder why we didn’t look like those onscreen. Of course we also wondered when we’d see something different. But the world is changing, there has been an African American president in the U.S. — that’s something that used to be unimaginable. There are also more and more Chinese actors achieving success on the global stage. As a filmmaker of Chinese descent, I’m very happy and encouraged, and hope we can make even more breakthroughs.
JASON LAVERIS/FILMMAGIC
“I feel it’s lacking a bit of spark,” says Yen of the current state of action filmmaking in Hong Kong.
Will you be accepting more Hollywood roles for that reason?
Well, it depends, first of all, on whether the subject matter and the character interest me. Then it depends on my schedule, since I want to make more Hong Kong films from now on. I’ve always been a Hong Kong filmmaker; I’ve never left. Hong Kong is my home; my children live here. Now that I have a little bit of influence and pull, I’d like to use that to make more films in Hong Kong.
The film you’re shooting now, Raging Fire, is the first time you’ve worked with Nicholas Tse since you both starred in Dragon Tiger Gate (2006). Can you say anything about the project yet?
I’m very happy to reunite with Nicholas, and also Benny Chan, who was the producer and director of two television series I made in the 1990s. We haven’t worked together for over 20 years. As for the plot, I can’t really comment on it now. But the film is action-packed.
Kung fu and action cinema were at the heart of Hong Kong cinema’s heyday. What is your take on the state of action filmmaking in Hong Kong?
I feel it’s lacking a bit of spark. Hong Kong filmmakers are always talking about bringing glory back to the Hong Kong film industry. But what is that exactly? The world is changing rapidly. It’s no longer the same world it was when we were making action films. Hollywood hadn’t developed the visual vocabulary to shoot action, kung fu and combat scenes in our style at that time. But they are very fluent in this language now. So if we stay where we were, the industry will eventually die out.
You have two kids. Is passing your martial arts skills on to them important to you?
My daughter sings and dances, but she’s not that interested in kung fu. My son is still quite young, so I’d rather he learns martial arts from a teacher. Learning martial arts is serious, rigorous business. I don’t want to have any conflicts, or that kind of sternness, with my kids. I don’t spend enough time with them as it is, so I’d like to have quality time — filled only with smiles — when I do spend time with them.
This story first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter’s May 15 daily issue at the Cannes Film Festival.
THREADS
Ip Man 4
Cannes
Mulan
Raging Fire
Dec 20
“Ip Man 4” Opens December 20th
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 BY DONALD ESPINOZA
“Ip Man 4” Opens December 20
The extremely anticipated fourth installment of the favored Ip Man <> franchise might be preventing its methods to theaters on December 20, 2019. Starring Donnie Yen (), reprising his position because the legendary wing chun grasp, Ip Man arrives in america, and protects the dignity of Chinese language Individuals who’re preventing towards racism in America.
As the ultimate sequel to Raymond Wong’s () four-part Ip Man movie collection, Ip Man 4 is about in 1964, throughout the Vietnam Battle. Ip Man arrives in america to start out a brand new life, however is disheartened when he witnesses widespread racism in his group. He defends his individuals, letting the world know that he’s right here to barter, but when they battle, he’ll retaliate.
The movie can even cowl the early beginnings of Bruce Lee () Ip Man’s most well-known pupil, in America. Bruce Lee opens a wing chun faculty in San Francisco, which upsets the opposite native martial artists. Ip Man teaches Bruce Lee that he has to face up for himself, to make use of Chinese language martial arts as a technique to inform others that they too deserve respect.
On enjoying Ip Man for the final time, Donnie mentioned, “A technology has grown up with Ip Man. He represents the spirit and respect of what it means to be Chinese language.”
The movie will open in Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan on December 20, 2019. OCTB <> star Danny Chan Kwok-kwan () reprises his position as Bruce Lee.
Ip Man 4 for xmas.
final
Fans saddened as Donnie Yen confirms ‘Ip Man 4’ will be last instalment of the series
Hong Kong mixed martial arts superstar plays the legendary wing chun grandmaster for the last time
Fans surprised by the announcement but still look forward to the latest offering from popular series
Unus Alladin
Published: 8:52pm, 23 Sep, 2019
Donnie Yen strikes a familiar pose in the ‘Ip Man 4’ poster. Photo: Bona Film Group
Donnie Yen Ji-dan will play wing chun grandmaster Ip Man for the last time when the latest instalment of the hugely popular martial arts franchise hits the big screen in December.
Fans were saddened by the news but many said they still looked forward to the series finale that first shot Yen to superstardom when the original Ip Man became a huge hit in 2008.
The Hong Kong martial arts star confirmed on social media that he will don the “cheongsam” for the final time in Ip Man 4, due to be released in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China cinemas on December 20.
The 56-year-old Yen uploaded a new poster of the movie in his Facebook and Instagram accounts last week. He wrote: “Thank you all for many years of love and support for this incredible journey! This [December 20], my fourth saga and the final!”
Many fans from around the world were left stunned by the news but most were grateful for Yen’s “incredible work” and fitting portrayal of the wing chun grandmaster over the past 11 years.=
“Can’t wait to see it! You have really honoured Ip Man and his family with your outstanding work! Thank you so much and looking forward to many more great movies from you!” said Bart Biddy on Yen’s Facebook account.
Ip Man 4 poster. Photo: Bona Film Group
Another fan, Moichi Man, wrote: “I am very looking forward to seeing it at the movie theatres. The Ip Man films are not only one of my favourite martial arts films ever, they’re also one of my favourite movies of all time. The action choreography are outstanding, with amazing storylines and finales, and the movies got a lot of emotion to it.”
Ip Man 4 takes up where it left off with Ip Man arriving in the United States during the Vietnam war in 1964. He is forced to protect the dignity of Chinese Americans, who are fighting against racism in America.
Directed by Wilson Yip Wai-shun, who was behind the camera for the three previous Ip Man films, the final instalment of the hugely popular series will see a new villain played by British martial arts star, Scott Adkins, and the pair will fight it out in an American military camp. Former heavyweight champion Mike “Iron” Tyson appeared in the last Ip Man movie, playing a villain in 2015.
Martial arts fans will also be in for a treat as Ip Man 4 will also cover the relationship between Ip Man and his most famous student, Bruce Lee, who opened a wing chun school in San Francisco, upsetting the local martial arts community.
Bruce Lee will be played by Hong Kong actor, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, who is known for his uncanny resemblance to the founder of Jeet Kune Do. Chan first came to prominence when he played a Bruce Lee lookalike goalkeeper in Stephen Chow Sing-chi’s Shaolin Soccer (2001). He also played Lee in Ip Man 3.
Starting to wonder about a U.S. theatrical release now. 
IP MAN 4 (2019) Official US Teaser | Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins Martial Arts Movie
Ip Man 4 Final Chinese Trailer (Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins)
Donnie Yen confirms Ip Man 4 will be his final kung fu film
[SIZE=4]Donnie Yen confirms Ip Man 4 will be his final kung fu film – ‘as an actor, you must keep going forward’[/SIZE]
Hong Kong martial arts superstar Donnie Yen has confirmed Ip Man 4: The Finale will be his final kung fu film.
The highly anticipated fourth instalment of the hugely popular franchise will be released in cinemas on December 20, just over 10 years on from the release of the first Ip Man film.
“As an actor and filmmaker, I have made so many movies, some that people love and some that people don’t love. On this challenging road, I filmed a number of kung fu films that are about the same,” Yen said.
“As an actor, you must keep going forward,” he added. “This is something that I must do in life; I must keep exploring to grow.”
“This is the meaning of life, so I am very grateful Ip Man 4: The Finale is my final kung fu movie. I hope it can be written on a valuable page in Chinese film history, and I will continue my journey as an actor.”
The 56-year-old was speaking in Beijing this week at a press conference to promote the film with co-stars Wu Yue, Chris Collins, and Danny Chan, and producer Raymond Wong.
Yen said he was immensely proud of the Ip Man franchise for maintaining its quality and popularity.
“A movie series typically doesn’t have more than two sequels because it tends to go downhill by the third film,” he said. “But the first three Ip Man movies were loved by everyone. I believe people won’t be disappointed this time either.”
Yen has clearly left an impression on the next generation of kung fu actors, too. “As soon as Donnie arrives on set, everyone will quiet down to show their respect as an apprentice would,” said Chan, who portrays Bruce Lee – an apprentice of Ip Man – in the film.
Donnie on Quentin
Donnie Yen ‘very disappointed’ with Quentin Tarantino’s treatment of Bruce Lee
MOVIES
Wednesday, 11 Dec 2019
6:02 PM MYT
By MICHAEL CHEANG
Donnie Yen at the media interview promoting Ip Man 4: The Finale in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: The Star/Michael Cheang
Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen said he was “disappointed” with director Quentin Tarantino’s treatment of Bruce Lee in the recent Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
Tarantino came under fire earlier this year from Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee for portraying the late star as an arrogant braggart who is beaten up by Brad Pitt’s character, and also for saying Lee was “kind of an arrogant guy”.
When the subject came up during a media interview to promote his new film Ip Man 4: The Finale in Kuala Lumpur, Yen said: “I know Tarantino personally, but I’m very disappointed with how he portrayed Bruce Lee in the movie. I watched most of the movie, but after that scene, I couldn’t continue on.”
Yen explained that Lee was not just a great martial artist and action star, he was also a great influence and inspiration to filmmakers all over the world.
“As filmmakers, I feel we should be more respectful towards someone like Lee, who has contributed so much to our industry, ” added the 56-year-old actor.
Danny Chan portrays Bruce Lee in the upcoming ‘Ip Man 4’.Danny Chan portrays Bruce Lee in the upcoming ‘Ip Man 4’.
Being a former student of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man, Lee also features heavily in Ip Man 4, played by Hong Kong actor and Lee-lookalike Danny Chan.
Yen was full of praise for Chan’s portrayal of Lee. “Danny doesn’t just look like Bruce Lee, he has also researched and practiced Lee’s moves and fighting style intensively," he said.
Set for release in Malaysia on Dec 20, Ip Man 4 will be Yen’s final portrayal of the Wing Chun grandmaster. In it, Ip Man travels to San Francisco under Lee’s invitation, but gets involved in a conflict between the Chinese community and the American authorities.
Directed by Wilson Yip, who also directed the first three Ip Man movies, the movies co-stars Vanness Wu, Wu Yue, and Scott Adkins.
Yen is in town with Chan, producer Raymond Wong and scriptwriter Edmond Wong to promote the film. The four of them will be meeting fans at the Centre Court, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, at 8pm today (Dec 11); and two locations on Dec 12: Oval Concourse, LG, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya (7pm) and Foyer, MBO The Starling Level 5, Petaling Jaya (8.30pm).
Our newest exclusive fight-focused review
The other franchise finale. READ IP MAN 4: THE FINALE: One Last Trip Down the Centerline by Kurtis Fujita
IP4 boycotted
Hong Kong Protestors Boycott ‘Ip Man 4’ for Donnie Yen and Producer’s Pro-Beijing Stance
7:30 PM PST 12/23/2019 by Karen Chu
Courtesy of Mandarin Motion Pictures
‘Ip Man 4: The Finale’
Pro-democracy activists in the country are snubbing the martial arts film and discouraging others from seeing it in a variety of ways, including posting spoilers on social media.
Hong Kong protestors are boycotting Ip Man 4: The Finale to oppose the pro-Beijing stance of producer Raymond Wong and stars Donnie Yen and Danny Chan.
The fourth installment of the wildly successful Ip Man franchise, The Finale has broken box office records for an Asian film in China, Taiwan and Singapore. But in Hong Kong, the pic has grossed $660,000 since bowing Friday, finishing in second place behind Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The boycott was organized by users of the Reddit-like LIHKG forum, one of the strategizing hubs of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement that began in June and has seen the city-state roiled by protests, running street battles and heavy-handed police action. Not only are protestors snubbing the movie, they are also actively discouraging others to see it by spoiling the storyline of the film on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in the “Ip Man Challenge.” Handy placards with major plot points in English or Chinese are being distributed alongside the hashtag “#boycottIpMan4.”
Those boycotting the pic have cited the political leanings of Ip Man 4’s producer and actors as basis for their action. Wong has made his pro-China stance known especially in recent years, having organized a fund for an anti-Occupy Central organization in 2014 and vocally criticized the democratically voted best film win of the politically controversial Ten Years at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2015, calling the movie’s triumph at the ceremony “a huge mistake” and “a joke” despite it being the consensus of film industry members.
Yen, who played the eponymous character in the film series, shared the stage and sang with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a gala commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover in 2017 and issued a statement early this year reasserting “the determination of the motherland” after his fans in China was outraged by his attendance of an event hosted by German clothing brand Philipp Plein, which was allegedly involved in an incident deemed “insulting” to China a dozen years ago. Meanwhile, Chan, who plays Bruce Lee in the latest movie, has been outspokenly supportive of the Hong Kong police, posting on social media that police should not “go easy on any [protesters]” nor “let anyone of them go.”
The boycott was launched as a part of the grassroots “yellow economic circle” initiative that has started to gain traction in recent months, meant to endorse restaurants, shops and brands that support the movement and discourage spending at “blue” or pro-China establishments. Maps and guides of “yellow restaurants/shops” have been put together to encourage patronage of protest-minded Hong Kong citizens.
As one of the high-profile Hong Kong film releases this year, the China co-production Ip Man 4 was seen as a “blue” product and as epitomizing the China-leaning nature of Hong Kong-Chinese collaborations that cater to Chinese audience’s taste at the expense of the Hong Kong audience.
Veteran producer Wong inaugurated the Ip Man film franchise in 2008, making Yen a star and paving the way for his involvement in Hollywood productions, including Star Wars spinoff Rogue One and the upcoming Disney live-action remake of Mulan, which is itself the subject of a boycott after lead Crystal Liu voiced support for the Hong Kong police. The first Ip Man pic won best film and action choreography honors at the 2009 Hong Kong Film Awards. Known for its action sequences and Chinese nationalistic themes, where Ip Man always triumphs over foreign aggressors, the first three installments in the franchise have grossed over $228 million in total worldwide.
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Chirrut Imwe gets the last laugh in PRC
DECEMBER 22, 2019 9:02AM PT
China Box Office: ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Beaten by Martial Arts Finale ‘Ip Man 4’
By PATRICK FRATER
Asia Bureau Chief
Anthony Daniels is C-3PO in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
CREDIT: LUCASFILM LTD.
Martial arts spectacular “Ip Man 4: The Finale” was the no-contest winner at the Chinese box office over the weekend. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” while doing great business in the rest of the world, limped into third spot in China.
The Wilson Yip-directed historical action film “Ip Man 4” sees Donnie Yen as the eponymous kung fu teacher, and mentor to Bruce Lee, journeying to the U.S. where his pupil has upset the local order by opening a school devoted to the Wing Chun branch of the sport. In addition to being the supposed closing element of the hit franchise, the film is an excuse to pitch Yen against Western brawler Scott Adkins.
“Ip Man 4” dealt knockout blows every day from Friday through Sunday, accumulating some $43 million according to provisional data from local sources. That was roughly 45% of the nationwide box office total.
In second place was Chinese-made thriller “Sheep Without A Shepherd.” It scored $22.3 million, for a 10-day cumulative of $77 million.
Feng Xiaogang’s tear-jerking New Zealand-set road trip “Only Cloud Knows” and “Skywalker,” both new releases, duked it out for third place. “Cloud” came out higher on Friday and Sunday, but was narrowly beaten on Saturday by “Skywalker,” which also had bigger previews. “Cloud” floated a $10.7 million estimated score for the full weekend. “Skywalker” managed $8.73 million in normal sessions, but with the addition of previews on Wednesday and midnight screenings late Thursday, rang up an estimated $12.1 million cumulative by the end of Sunday screenings.
That is far, far away the weakest opening performance of any of the recent “Star Wars” films in China. And its lifetime total won’t come close to any of the others in the franchise.
Online ticketing agency Maoyan slightly upgraded its forecast of the film’s final total, from $18 million on Friday to $22 million by Sunday. That compares with a lifetime score of $126 million in 2015 for “The Force Awakens”; $69.4 million for “Rogue One” in 2016; and $42.6 million for “The Last Jedi.”
The early “Star Wars” films were not released in China in the same cycle as in the West, and Chinese film-goers have not been steeped in the franchise’s lore and legend. That, more than poor reviews, seems to have limited the film.
“Skywalker” earned average ratings on China’s film websites: 6.0 out of 10 on entertainment driven social media platform Douban, 7.3 on Mtime, 7.8 on Maoyan and 8.0 on rival ticketing platform Taopiaopiao. Those were only a few notches behind “Ip Man 4,” which had ratings of 7.3 on Douban, 7.4 on Mtime, 9.5 on Maoyan and 9.3 on Taopiaopiao.
In October, it was announced that Disney and Tencent-owned China Literature would soon release a “Star Wars” novel specifically for China, featuring “Chinese-style expression.” It is not clear that will be enough to revive the film franchise in the Middle Kingdom, which is now beginning to discover its own sci-fi movies.
