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It had long been the wish of Sin Kwok Lam, a longtime martial arts practitioner and shrewd businessman and capitalist who is a major player in Hong Kong financial sector and has even published a controversial book on big corporations swallowing up small firms last year, to bring the account of his grandmaster Yip Man to screen, but he couldn't find any filmmakers willing enough to take the risk as Yip Man was little known. Continue reading "And thus, Ip Man, The Legend, is Born"

 With his rising popularity and big sellouts of his films, Donnie Yen is fast becoming one of the top earners in the industry, commanding up to 20m yuan per film this year, after Jackie Chan (30m yuan), Jet Li (25m yuan) and Chow Yun Fatt (25m yuan). Hailed as the new King of Kung Fu, he is getting even more offers this year, running the gamut from historical epic  on 《关云长》 General Guan Yun Chang by Felix Chong and Alan Mak, through comic book adaptation 《中华英雄》 A Man Called Hero remake, to mythological feature 《大闹天宫》 Monkey King. Continue reading "Donnie Yen Seeks Quantum Leaps for Each Film He Does"

 As the martial arts director for Wong Kar Wai's The Great Master, what do you think of Ip Man trend?
 Yuen Wo Ping: It might bring back the kungfu film wave, when there are so many Ip Man related films. Actually, the first was Wong Kar Wai, he talked about it for years, but only started shooting now. They have already finished filming Ip Man 2, yet he hadn't even started. I have to hand it to him, such patience, taking such a long time to do the preparation. I don't dawdle, dawdling grinds people to death. Continue reading "Yuen Wo Ping on Ip Man Trend and Those He Has Worked With"

-- Ip Man 2 --
Ip Man 2 has wrapped up production on November 8. While everyone is eagerly looking forward to the match between Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen, but perhaps because the recent surgery and health conditions, Sammo Hung regrets not getting enough kicks out of it, "Although I'm the martial arts choreographer, our moves were all rather regulated, being confined by the script. So, I made a pact with Donnie Yen to have a rematch next year if the opportunity arises."

Wilson Yip reveals that there is another martial arts exponent in the film, "He has been Donnie Yen's fan since he was a kid. He wouldn't have imagined getting the chance to spar against his idol after ten years."

With no intention of revealing who he is and what role he plays, Wilson Yip tantalises, keeping it a mystery, "I can only say that he fights even more vehemently than Sammo Hung."  Beijing Times

Whether it is fuelled by the success Wilson Yip's Ip Man or not, Wing Chun is fast becoming a popular kungfu onscreen, with many Wing Chun-themed movies being produced.

Continue reading "Wing Chun Extends Its Wings Across Chinese Cinema"

 As Ip Man 2 is wrapping up soon, the press was finally granted visit to the set in Songjiang Studio, Shanghai on October 28, when the gripping duel between two of the best martial arts stars Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen was being filmed. Continue reading " Ip Man 2: Sammo Hung Vs Donnie Yen Round 2"

-- Young Ip Man --

Following his appearance as Liu Bei in Light-transcending Pandora's Box, Jeffrey Lau's parody on Red Cliff, Yuen Biao is joining Young Ip Man, produced by Sin Kwok Lam, directed by Herman Yau, this November, while the prolific Jeffrey Lau would start filming another work around the same time.

Yuen Biao would be playing Ip Man's senior Ng Chung Suk, responsible for further training Ip Man after their master Chan Wah Shun passed away.

 

Young Ip Man, which traces Yip Man's life between age of 11 to 28, also stars To Yu Hang, possibly as Yip Man, Fan Siu Wong, who has recently been training Wing Chun daily under Sin Kwok Lam, and Huang Yi as Yip Man's girlfriend.

As such, owing to schedule conflicts, Yuen Biao could only make a cameo in the ongoing production Legend of Shaolin Kungfu 3. The role he'd be playing is still undergoing negotiation.

 

Meanwhile, Tony Leung, who is back to Wing Chun training, still feels some pain when exerting him arm as it takes 3 months before his fractured arm would fully recover. Producer Ng See Yuen says The Great Master by Wong Kar Wai and apparently with Yuen Wo Ping as the martial arts choreographer, which, coincidentally, is about Yip Man's life after his migration to Hong Kong and his relations with other sects, has to begin filming in November - come what may. But who knows it'd be pushed back yet again. Ng See Yuen is forbidding Wong Kar Wai, who's facing tremendous pressure, from altering the script on the set, "The script must be finalised first, can't let him keep changing the script as he shoots the film."  Sina, Chongqing News

Recently, Raymond Wong has stepped down as the chairman of Mandarin Films to set up his own film studio which is teaming up with Mainland investors to produce a modern actioner at around HK$150m in mid 2010. The film will be directed by Ringo Lam. Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa are being invited to star in the film and they would have a series of fights.

 

Raymond Wong hopes to unite the two international screen giants despite the high fee of US$3m (HK$23.4m) commanded by Tony Jaa, "I'll talk about the new firm at a later date. It'd be great to have to the two appear in the same film, but I'll only talk about it when things are finalised."

 

Donnie Yen's currently filming Wilson Yip's Ip Man 2 with Sammo Hung, Fan Siu Wong and Huang Xiao Ming.  He recently fainted on the set due to fever and over-exhaustion. He has been discharged from hospital and would resume filming in a day or two.  21cn

 

    

-- Ip Man 2 --
《叶问2:宗师传奇》 Ip Man 2: Legend of Grandmaster held a press conference (video), attended by producer Raymond Wong, director Wilson Yip and the cast, in Foshan on 10 August evening to mark the commencement of the production.   

 

Actual filming will take place on a soundstage in Shanghai the next day and it will have twice the amount of martial arts scenes. The film is due for release next summer.

Continue reading "Ip Man's Legend as a Grandmaster in Hong Kong"

-- 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