[2023.01.23] DONNIE YEN PLANS TO REDUCE PRODUCTION AND FIND SUCCESSORS

Donnie Yen is not afraid of having too many conflicts with Tai Sui, instead he would see them as tests

Donnie Yen draws a rabbit and wishes everyone a Happy New Year
courtesy of on.cc

The "Strongest of the Universe" Donnie Yen Chi Tan was born in the Year of the Rabbit, but having grown up overseas he was not worried about clashing with the Tai Sui. He deeply believed that people would overcome fate. As for work in the upcoming year, he admitted that he has already planned to cut back. He hoped to spend more time on creating behind the scene, at the same time he lamented that he has yet to find a suitable successor.

Stepping into the year of his zodiac sign, Chi Tan wished everyone a lively Year of the Rabbit. The strength of his calligraphy thoroughly demonstrated his heroic style! According to Chinese tradition, he would have to be careful with everything in the year of his birth sign. However he lightly said, "I grew up overseas, my personality is more foreign so it doesn't matter! Friends have told me to go to pacify the Tai Sui of the Year. Sometimes I would tag along to get a peace of mind."

Chi Tan admitted that he did not believe in fate, only valued personal effort. "The most important is to live excitingly. Life would always have setbacks and hardship, it depends on how you would face them. (Is nothing hard for you?) Even if I have difficulties, I should try to come up with ideas to resolve them. That's life!" He has always carried a happy state of mind in life, grateful that he has been luckier than so many others. Would he hold a big celebration for his 60th birthday? He said, "Actually I like to hide at home, I don't want to hold birthday parties. I have spent many birthdays on the set. Sometimes the producer would bring out a cake to celebrate. However my wife likes the cheer, she is a happy person and she would affect me. I will think about it when the time comes."

Looking ahead to the Year of the Rabbit, Chi Tan said that he had several Hollywood scripts on hand to choose from but suddenly talked about his production reduction plan. "I don't want to star in too many movies, even if I do I want to find some more challenging stories that can ignite my fire. At most they would be two or three! Actually as my age becomes more and more mature, I instead feel my own creative thinking has reached to its peak. I have always really liked and enjoyed the behind the scene work. Hiding in a room to edit videos is my joy. I am very willing to share my experience in this area. (In other words you would choose to ease out of on screen performance?) The sun would set one day, when I was 50 I told my wife I wouldn't work at 55. Now I would soon be 60 and I still have several scripts on hand. In other words at the soonest I still have several years!"

Without any doubt, Chi Tan years ago has already hoped to cultivate successors. Yet he still has yet to find a suitable choice. "Everyone's journey is different, if they get into the business they have to really love (kung fu). They aren't my own children, no matter how intense I train them it would be useless. Fight scenes looked very exciting, but they haven't personally experienced life on the set. At work we aren't people, we are only machines. It's very tough. When parents sent their children to study kung fu, they might only treat it as extracurricular activities. (What about your son Chai Ka?) He is pretty agile, but he likes music more. I wouldn't force him. Luckily the Yen Stuntman Association cultivated several great disciples, including Kenji Tanigaki and Yan Hua. This time when I said I would make SAKRA they really responded to the call. Everyone dropped the jobs on their hands and came back to help me."

Yen's daughter Jasmine Yen Chai Yu just turned 19 and has been said to have the quality for a second generation star, but Chi Tan for now still has not given the green light for his daughter to get into the family business. "Companies have always wanted to sign her. She knows how to write and arrange songs, sing and dance, but I still want her to put education first. The rest can take its natural course." As for his New Year wish, he wished that this year the economy would thrive so the people of Hong Kong would be able to work and live happily and for the market to revive. After many Lunar New Years away from Hong Kong, he got to stay and celebrate this year. "I really enjoy the family life very much, I don't like to go out too much. In past years I would go to pay a Lunar New Year visit to my mother in law and have a family dinner." In addition, SAKRA (TIN LUNG BAK BO j KIU FUNG JUEN) earlier opened in Singapore, Malaysia and other places and returned with good news from the box office. Many viewers praised that the film captured an unique style, in particular the ending resolved all the mysteries and the story set up was done very outstandingly!