Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend

Martial Media, Culture and Other Arts Martial Media and Popular Culture
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Nov 11, 2021 4:04am PT
‘Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend’ Secures North American Release (EXCLUSIVE)

By Patrick Frater

All Rights Entertainment
Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired North American rights to “Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend.” The film is a currently in-production sequel to “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” which Magnet previously released.

“Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend” is written and directed by Li Liming and produced by Beijing-based Kai Pictures. International licensing is handled by All Rights Entertainment, a film sales company based in Hong Kong, Paris and Los Angeles.

The real-life Ip Man was mentor to Bruce Lee before Lee became a movie star and has been the subject of multiple film franchises. The new film sees the young Ip, then a police captain, fight opium traffickers trying to take control of the mainland Chinese port city of Foshan.

Dennis To (aka To Yu-hang) reprises the role of Ip for the fourth time following previous appearances in Herman Yau’s “Ip Man: The Legend Is Born,” Jeff Lau’s “Kung Fu League,” and Li’s “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master.” To, who equals the track record of Donnie Yen who played Ip in a different franchise, was credited by Ip Chun as delivering the most accurate depiction of his father.

The deal was negotiated by Magnolia EVP Dori Begley and SVP of acquisitions John Von Thaden, and by All Rights sales executive Chantal Chauzy.

“Ip Man: Kung Fu Master” was watched 10 million times in its first few days of release online in China. In international markets it was licensed to distibutors including Splendid Film for Germany, Happinet in Japan, Phars Film in the Middle-East, Blue Swan in Italy.

Magnolia’s recent releases include Takashi Miike’s 100th film “Blade of the Immortal”; Mads Mikkelsen revenge-thriller “Riders of Justice”; and action thriller “Yakuza Princess.”

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May 17, 2025 12:15pm PT Dennis To Returns as Wing Chun Master in ‘Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Naman Ramachandran

[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:“https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Ip-Man-poster.jpg?w=1000&h=667&crop=1”}[/IMG2] All Rights Entertainment
All Rights Entertainment is set to expand the iconic martial arts franchise with “Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend,” with Dennis To reprising his role as the legendary Wing Chun grandmaster who trained Bruce Lee, it was revealed at the Cannes Film Market.

The film follows 2021’s “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” which also starred To and gained international recognition for its fresh perspective on the martial arts icon. Beijing Huiyong Film and Television Media Co. is producing the project in partnership with Oscar-nominated U.S. distributor Well Go, known for delivering premium action, genre and independent films to North American audiences.

Currently in production, “Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend” is expected to complete filming in the third quarter, with Well Go handling North American distribution across multiple platforms. The release strategy aims to showcase the film’s high-energy action sequences and cultural importance.

All Rights Entertainment, which previously managed global distribution for “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” will oversee international sales for the new installment.

The original “Ip Man” franchise, fronted by Donnie Yen, has become one of the most iconic martial arts film series of the 21st century. Launching in 2008 with Wilson Yip’s breakout hit “Ip Man,” the saga blends stylized action with historical drama, tracing its hero’s moral journey through Japanese occupation, Hong Kong’s post-war years, and the shifting tides of Chinese identity. Spanning four main installments and multiple spin-offs — including “Ip Man: The Final Fight” and “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” — the franchise has punched its way to both critical acclaim and global box office success, elevating Yen to international stardom and revitalizing the kung fu genre for a new generation.

The spinoff “Ip Man” films starring Dennis To carve a more traditionalist path through the martial arts biopic space, spotlighting a younger, humbler version of the Wing Chun master. First introduced in “The Legend Is Born: Ip Man” (2010), To reprised the role in “Ip Man: The Awakening” (2022) and “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master” (2019).

I’m a little confused. Maybe this ceased production for the pandemic and is now back on again so the international rights shifted?

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Nov 12, 2025 7:00am PT

Dennis To’s ‘Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend’ Lands Multi-Territory Sales Ahead of 2026 Release (EXCLUSIVE)

By Naman Ramachandran

Dennis To - Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend

Beijing Huiyong Film and Television Media Co.

“Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend,” the sequel to 2021’s “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” has secured distribution deals across multiple territories ahead of its January 2026 China release, it was revealed at the American Film Market (AFM).

Well Go USA has acquired North American rights to the martial arts film, which is currently in post-production. Splendid Film will handle distribution in Germany, while Chantier Films has taken Turkey. Exponenta Film secured Russia and the CIS region, and Prima Cinema will release the film in Indonesia.

The project marks director Li Liming’s return after helming the previous installment, which Magnolia distributed in the U.S. Dennis To reprises his role as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man who trained Bruce Lee, a character he has portrayed multiple times including in Herman Yau’s “Ip Man: The Legend is Born” and Jeffrey Lau’s “Kung Fu League.” To trained under Ip Man’s son.

The cast also features Zhou Xiaofei, who appeared in Wong Kar Wai’s “The Grandmaster,” “The Karate Kid,” and “Ip Man 4: The Finale,” along with Steven Dasz from “Chinese Zodiac,” “Man of Tai Chi,” and “The Wandering Earth 3.” Zhang Tingfei, known for Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home” and “The Listener,” rounds out the ensemble.

Sun Fei choreographed the action sequences, bringing experience from “Warriors of Heaven and Earth,” Feng Xiaogang’s “The Banquet,” and “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master.”

The film follows 2021’s “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” which also starred To and gained international recognition for its fresh perspective on the martial arts icon. Beijing Huiyong Film and Television Media Co. is producing the project in partnership with Oscar-nominated U.S. distributor Well Go, known for delivering premium action, genre and independent films to North American audiences.

All Rights Entertainment, which previously managed global distribution for “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” is overseeing international sales for the new installment.

The original “Ip Man” franchise, fronted by Donnie Yen, has become one of the most iconic martial arts film series of the 21st century. Launching in 2008 with Wilson Yip’s breakout hit “Ip Man,” the saga blends stylized action with historical drama, tracing its hero’s moral journey through Japanese occupation, Hong Kong’s post-war years, and the shifting tides of Chinese identity. Spanning four main installments and multiple spin-offs — including “Ip Man: The Final Fight” and “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” — the franchise has punched its way to both critical acclaim and global box office success, elevating Yen to international stardom and revitalizing the kung fu genre for a new generation.

The spinoff “Ip Man” films starring Dennis To carve a more traditionalist path through the martial arts biopic space, spotlighting a younger, humbler version of the Wing Chun master.

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Gene, found two 1940s news articles about Yip man catching thieves. Shared it before on fakebook and no one gave a sheet cuz it don’t feed narccicism. will post the photos here now:

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Can someone translate that. There’s no AI-hole app that’s ever going to translate that, and if it does it will mutilate it…

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I leaving it untranslated to help Gene promote forum participation

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srsly bawang? you of all peeps know how much I’ve got on my plate rn. :roll_eyes:

There’s no AI-hole app that’s ever going to translate that, and if it does it will mutilate it…

Sorry, YinOrYan - good translation requires good translators and good translators deserved to be compensated. But here’s the googtrans of the first one (actually the translators are getting better and better - that’s the thing about ai - it learns).

As a result, the bandits were captured.

[Exclude Interview of this newspaper] City’s Fair Road No. 1: No. 17 Island Gold Store, at 12:9 p.m. yesterday ( ), suddenly there was a son’s name, Yishi cloth and shirt law, arrived at the store to reveal the gold jewelry, the shop’s companion Peng Weimin, not afraid of his fraud, is to refer to and see,. After the man took the money, he immediately went crazy. Peng knew that he was a bandit, that is, he was a big burden. He chased him, and when there was a punishment in the middle area, except for the long room, the Sui trade union transferred the green to remove Chen Cup, and Kong Da, a member of the East Elephant, specialized in the pursuit of him. The middle editor Xing Street was transferred to the Green New Lu Republic. As a result, Chen Cup bravely went to the doctor.

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My bad Gene, I didn’t mean u, but to lure random newbies to come translate. Be sure not to translate the other one!

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I doubt random nooBs will bother.

But here’s to hoping…

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Yeah, that’s definitely what I mean by mutilate. G translate may suck less than most of other translate apps, but I still waste too much time cleaning up Chinese characters before feeding them into it. Then there’s the problems that arise from them basing their translations on chatter they’ve scraped up from the internet. Garbage in, garbage out.

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Honestly, I kinda like it. For a while, I was collecting unusual translations together in a file that I planned to write an epic poem with, but it got too overwhelming and I am not a poet.

But still, I find these translations charming, and revealing regarding translation idiosyncratic examples. It’s not garbage to me at all. It’s found treasure.

Such is the wordsmith in me. :wink:

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| Such is the wordsmith in me. :wink:

Yeah, you sure bang-out some fine words of steal. I’ll admit I also do collect some amazing phrases that come out of the cram-down from Chinese to English!

Now can you tell me how to quote someone in this forum without just using the | bar?

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Highlight whatever you want to quote and hit ‘reply’.

I just figured that out, just now, after you asked. :nerd_face:

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Thanks! Now can you please figure out how to reverse the sort as default, haha

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Still working on that one, along with several other issues.