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Thursday, March 20. 2008
-- 'Yip Man' -- With the limited release of Flash Point in US theatres, Donnie Yen has been getting interviews, such as from San Francisco Bay Guardian. Below are the parts relating to 'Yip Man', now in production, in an interview by Sara Schieron on Rotten Tomatoes: What are your five favorite martial arts films of all time, and why?
Donnie Yen: (I like) Enter The Dragon and Fist Of Fury, because they star my all-time idol, Bruce Lee. Prodigal Son,, starring Yuen Biao, directed by Sammo Hung. In terms of Wing Chun kung fu on camera: Sammo set the bar with that one. And we're trying to raise it (the bar) again with our new film, 'Yip Man'. (I like) Drunken Master, with Jackie Chan, directed by my Sifu, Yuen Woo-ping. That created a whole new style of kung fu comedy. Heroes Of The East, by Lau Kar-leung. This is a classic Shaw Brothers film about a kung fu master who marries a Japanese woman, and finds he has to fight her relatives, all of whom know different Japanese arts. (It's a) Great concept, and someone should remake it. (It's not technically a kung fu movie, but I loved the last Rocky film, Rocky Balboa! Very touching, and the last fight was amazing.)
You must get along with Wilson Yip. Flash Point is one of many collaboration with him and you have more collaborations ('Yip Man') in the works.
Donnie Yen: I have a great time working with Wilson. We did SPL (Killzone), Dragon Tiger Gate, Flashpoint and now we're shooting Yip Man. (As I mentioned above, Painted Skin was directed by Gordon Chan). Wilson's very quiet, very focused. When we work together, he really helps me keep on track in terms of the story and character development. We make a great team, and I hope to work with him again!
Tell us more about your latest project, 'Yip Man'!
Donnie Yen: We're shooting 'Yip Man' now, in Shanghai. Sammo Hung is the action director. I've wanted to do this film for years. I've been training in Wing Chun kung fu, and especially working on the wooden dummy, so I can do justice to this story and this character. We have the full support of Yip Man's family, which is great. Having just done Flash Point, it's great to do a completely different style of action for this film.
Monday, February 25. 2008
An Empress and The Warriors Sina Chat Sina, Feb 20, 2008 New Dragon Inn
 Host: The Empress and the Warriors will be released in March. In our memories, this isn't Ching Siu Tung and Donnie Yen's first collaboration. They first collaborated on New Dragon Inn in 1992.
Donnie Yen: Yes.
Host: My most memorable scene is the finale in the desert with Donnie Yen fighting against Maggie Cheung et al. Do the two of you still remember it?
Continue reading "Ching Siu Tung and Donnie Yen on An Empress and The Warriors"
Wednesday, July 18. 2007
Donnie Yen Defines the Art of Practical Combat Onscreen Watching Movie, 13/7/2007
Zhu Qin
 I heard that the concept of mixed martial arts is implemented in the upcoming summer movie Flash Point.
Donnie Yen: Mixed martial arts, a combat sport that has become popular in the West in the recent years, is an effective fighting system that employs a vast array of different martial arts techniques. Each contestant possesses a variety of martial arts techniques such as Jujitsu, boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, etc. I believe this is the most authentic type of combat. I have been researching, studying and learning it. I introduced some of it in SPL - Brazilian Ju-jitsu.
Continue reading "Interview: Donnie Yen on Flash Point's Revolutionary Choreography"
Thursday, June 14. 2007
-- Dragon Tiger Gate TV series -- 《龙虎门》 Dragon Tiger Clan TV series was announced at Shanghai Film Festival. Production for this 40 part series will begin later this year. Fan Siu Wong and Hong Kong Changquan (Longfist) champion To Yu Hang, 26, who are starring in it, put up a martial arts demonstration on the stage as part of promotion. Apart from celebrities from the region, the production is also looking to cast newcomers who are skilled in martial arts and acting, one of whom will get the chance to play Tiger Wang. Sina, QQ | Photos: Sina, TOM
Tuesday, November 14. 2006
-- City With No Mercy -- Production of 《破军》 A City Without Mercy, directed by Wilson Yip and scripted by Szeto Kam Yuen, began officially in Hong Kong on 13 November and a press conference was held. The movie marks the third collaboration between Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen. Both indicate emphatically that City Without Mercy is not SPL 2 though it may bear some similar characteristics to SPL. To impart an authentic feel to the martial arts scenes, Donnie Yen has especially hired Xing Yu, Ngai Sing and over 20 martial arts experts. He reveals that martial arts fans who expressed their doubts over the over-reliance on the special effects in Dragon Tiger Gate would be delighted to know that City Without Mercy will contain the most realistic and earth-shattering martial arts sequences, with minimal special effects. China Times
Monday, August 7. 2006
-- Dragon Tiger Gate 2, Battling the Police Force -- After 2 weeks of screening, Dragon Tiger Gate gains some momentum in China after a sluggish start and has grossed 46m yuan. It took in HK$10.1m in Hong Kong. Mandarin Films' Raymond Wong is happy with the box office results and confirms that a sequel is indeed in the pipeline. Donnie Yen will head the movie as producer and martial arts director, but it's not determined if he'll continue to play Dragon Wong as the character might die in the sequel, and more screentime will be given to Tiger Wong and Turbo Shek. While Dragon Tiger Gate was made with a simple storytelling in mind, the plotline doesn't quite go well with all audiences. Hence, the sequel will, in response to the audiences' feedback, concentrate more on drama rather than fighting. Donnie Yen says that his next film with Wilson Yip, 《强战型警》 Battling the Police Force (tentative), will be his main project for second half of the year. He adds that Battling the Police Force is written in the similar style as SPL aka Killzone and they hope to take part in next year's Cannes Film Festival and to get it in time for Labour Day release in 2007. Sina
Friday, July 21. 2006
-- The Last Dragon: Donnie Yen -- He has been touted as the “Last Dragon” – the last of a dying breed of martial artists-cum-actors to come out of Hong Kong. But unlike Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen is seen as the rightful successor to the original dragon, Bruce Lee. Much like the late Lee, Yen also took it upon himself to spread the word on Chinese martial arts and elevate Hong Kong action films to new heights. Upon closer inspection, you will find that Yen does share some similarities with his idol Lee. Both went to America from Hong Kong and, after establishing themselves there, returned to Hong Kong to work. The Star >>More<< Related Links: The Star Donnie Yen in Early Talks with Weinstein about 'Seven Samurai' Remake The Star
Monday, July 10. 2006
 Mandarin Films Distribution's action blockbuster "Dragon Tiger Gate" has received remarkable publicity way before its general release. It has earned the Hong Kong film industry much recognition when one of the movie's props, a punching bag entered the Guinness World Records for being "The World's Largest Punching Bag". This is also the first entry to the Guinness World Records ever made by a Hong Kong movie.
To celebrate this meaningful event, Mandarin Films Chairman Mr Raymond Wong has invited VIPs from the parliament as well as the film industry, along with the action choreographer cum leading cast Mr Donnie Yen, and other leading casts Mr Nicholas Tse and Mr Shawn Yue to witness the commemoration ceremony.
 The punching bag was tailor-made for the film's villain "Shibumi" who uses it for his martial arts practice. Due to the punching bag's weight and size, the movie producer used more than 10 personnel and 6 thick ropes to move it. In one incident, the three main cast had also called for 17 personnel holding each other by the hands, to encircle the punching bag. 225 packets of sand were required to fill up the punching bag. CRI
 Donnie Yen says, "When filming, we were thinking, what we could do that would set Shibumi's abilities apart from everyone else. We've spent a great deal of effort on the props and the sets. As the movie is a comics adaptation, it gives us more latitude for exaggeration, we could afford to let our imaginations run wild. So, we created this giant sandbag. It was merely on the spur of moment, for the fun of it, that we submitted it. We didn't expect to actually make it to the Guinness World Records." Shanghai Youth Daily | Photos: Xinhuanet, Sina, Wenweipo
Friday, July 7. 2006
-- Dragon Tiger Gate -- At a test screening held in Changchun on June 5, the cinema operators favoured Dragon Tiger Gate over all other films shown, including such major Hollywood movies as Mission Impossible 3 and Superman Returns. They were bowled over by heart-stopping action scenes and lavish sets, saying that this movie is at the peak of martial arts films, believing that it will be a big hit this year. Believed to inject brand new elements to the genre, the fight scenes, choreographed by Donnie Yen, are said to tax the limits of the actors and express high level of realism yet never lacking in imagination. Dragon Tiger Gate, which is about the three highly skilled fellow disciples who fight bravely against evil in order to uphold justice, is directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, Li Xiao Ran, Dong Jie, Shi Xing Yu, Yuen Wah, Chen Kuan Tai, Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue. Dragon Tiger Clan opens in Asia on July 28. Sina
Saturday, June 10. 2006
-- Dragon Tiger Gate -- Post-production for Dragon Tiger Clan has just been completed. Dragon Tiger Gate, directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Shawn Yue, Nicholas Tse, Li Xiao Ran, Dong Jie, Yuen wah will be taking part in Shanghai International Film Festival on June 18, with a new trailer to be shown. Production stills, props, and original comics will also be on display in this movie's biggest marketing campaign that will be attended by major cast-members. The movie is set for release across Asian countries on July 28. TOM
Tuesday, May 30. 2006
-- Seven Samurai Remake -- The Weinstein Co is planning to do a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai next year. Donnie Yen, Zhang Ziyi and George Clooney are in talks to star in the movie, budgeted at US$100m. When asked, Donnie Yen, who was at Cannes Film Festival to promote Dragon Tiger Gate, which had been sold to many countries, said, "I did meet Harvey Weinstein at Cannes, and we talked about a few projects, including a movie in which he intends to get me, George Clooney and Zhag Ziyi. It's a remake of an Akira Kurosawa movie, but I do not know the details, for production would only begin next year. His company has two to three movies for me, I'm only waiting for the scripts to be out. If they're indeed filming Seven Samurai, I'd be raring to join, for I admire Akira Kurosawa greatly." Sohu
Tuesday, May 23. 2006
-- Dragon Tiger Gate and Ong Bak 2 Promo Reels at Cannes -- Senh Duong writes: SPL, starring martial arts star Donnie Yen and directed by Wilson Yip, was one of the most talked about martial arts films of 2005. Their follow-up, "Dragon Tiger Gate" is one of the films shown at the Marche du Film or Film Market at this year's Cannes Film Festival. I happen to catch a fifteen minute promo reel of the movie broadcasted in a hotel theater, which showcased hard-hitting martial arts mayhem. An adaptation of "the most popular Hong Kong manga," the promo features lengthy fights with the three lead characters -- Dragon (Donnie Yen), Tiger (Nicholas Tse), and Turbo (Shawn Yue). They're all fast, hard-hitting, and energetic. Dragon fights off his opponents with powerful arm-to-arm combat, Tiger with his acrobatic and precise kicks, and Turbo with his deadly nun chucks. The fights are of the one-versus-a-hundred variety, so expect a whole lotta butt-kicking. The production design, in general, looks pretty good although I'm not a fan of bright solid colors and long flowing hair on men, even if it's true to the comic book. There are sprinklings of CGI and wire-work in the fights, but since the characters possess super human powers, they work. Overall, I'm encouraged by what I saw. The Weinstein Company picked up US distribution rights to "Dragon Tiger Gate" and Donnie Yen's martial arts epic "Seven Swords." Hopefully, they won't keep them on the shelf and release them in the States soon. While walking the aisles upon aisles of movie booths, one in particular catches my eye. It's for Tony Jaa's follow-up to his debut film "Ong-Bak," a film in which he displays his impressive acrobatic talent and fighting form. A promo reel is playing for "Ong-Bak 2," but not much is actually shown here. It begins with the scrolls seen in the original. A monk starts performing a ritual. Tony Jaa, in parallel, does a lengthy Thai martial arts form showing off his artistry, agility, and acrobatics. I'm there." Rotten Tomatoes
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