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-- Legend of Chen Zhen --
In an interview with The Bund, Donnie Yen describes the rendition of his role in Legend of Chen Zhen as an enhanced version of Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen, "The Chen Zhen that I'm portraying will carry traces of Bruce Lee's shadows, his sentiments, his deportment. I hope to pay tribute to him. At the same time, I'd also incorporate my own ideals, and fighting styles, you can say that this is Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen completely re-imagined, and elevated.
 
"That I also served as the martial arts director for Legend of Chen Zhen was because I'm more familiar with how Bruce Lee fought. Moreover, personally, I'm partial to Bruce Lee. It's very trying being a martial arts director, I didn't want to do it, but when many producers look for me, all of them want me to action direct, apart from acting.
 
"In today's market, there are only 2, 3 martial arts choreographers with real abilities, but they're all very busy. And, I, having a predilection for innovations, am game to try out bold, new things, it's even harder to look for someone like this. It's double the workload when you also work as the martial arts director, and you don't get a very high pay for it, certainly much less than being an actor, but for the sake of the film's final result, I would still take up the job."
 
Legend of Chen Zhen, starring Donnie Yen, Anthony Wong, Ryu Kohata, Chen Jia Jia, Shi Feng, Shu Qi, Huo Si Yan, has wrapped up filming in early February. Recently, CCTV aired an early preview footage from the film that has been uploaded and posted on Baidu forum.

-- Ip Man 2 --
Ip Man 2, directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, who also serves as the martial arts director, Kent Cheng, Lynn Hung, Huang Xiao Ming, Fan Siu Wong To Yu Hang, Ashton Chen aka Shi Xiao Long, is beginning production August 10.

Contradicting an earlier news, rather than To Yu Hang, Raymond Wong says that Huang Xiao Ming, non-martial artist, would be playing Yip Man's disciple, King of Hand-talk, Huang Jin, which is based on Yip Man's real-life disciple Wong Shun Leung. Huang Jin is a keen martial artist but his youth and brashness often land him in sticky situations.

The kid Bruce Lee has been narrowed down to two candidates: 10-year-old Jiang Dai Yan from Henan and 12-year-old Pan Run Kang from Heilongjiang but they haven't found an ideal candidate for teen Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee scenes would be pushed to October as they continue the talent hunt.  QQ

Both Wilson Yip's Ip Man 2 and Wong Kar Wai's The Great Master are slated for production next month.

 

Budgeted at 100m yuan, Ip Man 2 traces Yip Man's life as he arrives in Hong Kong. Raymond Wong reveals that Donnie Yen's pay has doubled since the first film, commanding around 15m to 20m yuan. Ip Man 3 is currently in the process of being written, and it will have bigger focus on Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee casting call is concluding soon, and 12-year old 潘润康 Pan Run Kang (video) from Harbin, who not resembles Bruce Lee but is also trained in martial arts, stands a very good chance of playing the child Bruce Lee.

Huang Xiao Ming will join the film as Sammo Hung's disciple, while, this time around, To Yu Hang returns and takes on another role - Donnie Yen's disciple. The dispute between the disciples of Hung Gar and Wing Chun leads to their masters' eventual confrontation.

According to Yip Chun, production of Wong Kar Wai's The Great Master is expected to begin "on schedule", as Tony Leung's arm fracture won't affect or delay filming.

Young Ip Man/Ip Man the Prequel (unrelated), which explores the early parts of Yip Man's life, is expected to begin production in November, with Herman Yau directing, and tentatively, To Yu Hang would be playing the eponymous kungfu master, while Yip Chun would be making his debut as Leung Bik.  Southern Metropolis Daily

-- Ip Man 2 --
At 12th Shanghai Film Festival, Raymond Wong announces that Ip Man 2 would begin production in Shanghai this August (video). He says that the script has been completed by his son, Edmond Wong. And he's very happy that his son can write such a great script as Ip Man.

Continue reading "Ip Man 2 Looks Poised to Better the Original"

Wilson Yip will be directing A Chinese Ghost Story next year. Nope, Donnie Yen won't be in this but there are other versions of Dark Tales that hope to cast him. Continue reading "Wanted: Donnie Yen"

-- Ip Man 2 --
 At Ip Man pre-production press conference held on March 31, it's announced that Ip Man 2 would commence filming officially in August 2009. Producer Raymond Wong and director Wilson Yip express confidence for the sequel which has a bigger budget - 100m yuan, saying that the sequel will be even more exciting. Continue reading "Sammo Hung Steps in Front of the Silver Screen To Challenge Donnie Yen in Ip Man 2"

On October 8, a press conference marking the launch of Ip Man official site, now carrying Ip Man trailer, was held. Following that, Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung proceeded to a chat organised by Sina, hosted by Zhao Ning. They were joined in by film critic Wei Jun Zi.

Continue reading "Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen and Lynn Hung At Ip Man Sina Chat"

Born in 1982 in a village in Dongming district, Shandong, Li Yuan is the youngest among his siblings of 3 brothers, 2 sisters. His father Li Chun Sheng is a martial arts fanatic, with deep foundation in Plum Blossom Fist and Western Boxing.
 
Under his father's influence, Li Yuan and his three elder brothers began training in martial arts since young. Eventually, his 2nd brother Li Bing Lei and he walked on the wushu path, becoming professional wushu practitioners. Continue reading "A Rising New Wushu Star by the Yellow River - Li Yuan"

-- Yip Man -- 

When at a promotional event on March 25, Donnie Yen was wearing sunglasses. It turns out that there was a gash on the area around Donnie Yen's left eye, "When rehearsing an action scene in 'Yip Man' whereby I fight against a group of people, an axe wielder accidentally slashed the side near my left eye. Blood was gushing out."
 
 Donnie Yen was worried that he would be disfigured. Fortunately, the doctor on the set immediately used ice bag to staunch bleeding. When he was rushed to the hospital, he needed no stitches, and filming won't be affected. When he called his wife, he told her that his eye was nearly blinded.
 

"I was shooting a fight scene against Fan Siu Wong. He came slashing at me with the axe. I could have warded it off accordingly, but it would have lost its flavour as Wing Chun calls for shorter moves. In the end, I did to manage parry it, but still got hit by the head of the axe." explains Donnie Yen at a later date. 

 Donnie Yen says that 'Yip Man' is the film he is most concerned about, for Yip Man was the mentor of his idol Bruce Lee. He says he has spent months to get himself ready for this role, training in Wing Chun, and learning more about Yip Man through his two sons, he has even stayed in his hometown for quite a long time. He says that filming hasn't formally begun, he's in Shanghai doing preparation works and rehearsals.
 
 Because of the countless injuries he has sustained over the years, Donnie Yen sighs, saying that after a few years, after shooting a few more films that he is partial to, he'd retire to the backstage. Instead of acting, he'd be working behind the scenes as producer, martial arts director, before the audience grows tired of him as he gets older. He wants to retire as an actor when he's at his peaks.  Shanghai Youth Daily | Photo: Sohu

-- Yip Man --

Zhang Yan Bin, casting director for Yip Man, which began production on March 4, says that casting for the production, which took three months, is settled; his job with the production is done and he's proceeding to other projects. He also mentioned earlier regarding looking for someone to fill up the role of adolescent Bruce Lee and teaching lead child actor(s) acting. Below is the cast list.

Continue reading "Who Plays What in Yip Man"

Have Perseverance, Will Succeed

 

李渊 Li Yuan was born on August 7, 1982 in Shangdong to an impecunious peasant family of over 10 members, at the time when Jet Li's Shaolin Temple took the nation by storm. Growing up being a fan of martial arts films, Li Yuan started formal training in martial arts at the age of 12. When he was in primary 4, he made a bold decision to quit school in order to learn wushu. He was subsequently punished by his parents. But on considering that he wasn't doing very well in his academic studies, Li Yuan's parents finally relented.

Li Yuan was raised mostly by his wushu champion brother 李炳雷 Li Bing Lei, who also teaches him martial arts. Li Bing Lei is 8 years his senior. Li Yuan was brought up under very strict upbringing, and he matured earlier than most people. In his youth, he got only one rest day on Lunar New Year; on other days, he would train for four to five hours daily. There were times when thoughts of skiving did occur to Li Yuan, but on thinking of how hard his parents were toiling in the fields in his hometown, even in bitter winters, Li Yuan cast aside all weariness.

Continue reading "Li Yuan: Have Talent, Will Shine"

 -- Legend of Bruce Lee --

Legend of Bruce Lee TV series, which was filmed last year from May to September, traces the life of Bruce Lee from when he's a kid, growing up being a martial arts fanatic, and getting involved in fights, and being pursued by gangs and forced to leave Hong Kong, and meeting Linda Emery as well as creating a storm in America, and starting a film career. And as he gets more famous, Bruce Lee faces challenges from many martial artists from the West and East alike. Yet, he remains a legend who is never defeated.

 

40-part Legend of Bruce Lee TV series, set for release this summer, is directed by Li Qi Wen, with Ma Zhong Xuan and Eric Chen as the martial arts directors. The cast includes Chan Kwok Kwan, Yu Cheng Hui, Wang Luo Yong, Zhou Zhou, Gai Ke, Li Yuan, Bian Xiao Xiao, Michelle Lang, Mark Dacascos, Eric Chen, Gary Daniels, Michael Jai White, Ray Park, Tim Storms.

Continue reading "Li Yuan in Legend of Bruce Lee"