[2023.05.19] DONNIE YEN RETURNS TO IP MAN IN CANNES

Considering Donnie Yen's Ip Man met his end in the previous film, for now no one has any idea on in what way he would appear in the new film

IP MAN 5's concept poster has been unveiled at Cannes
courtesy of mingpao.com

The "Strongest in the Universe" Donnie Yen Chi Tan at this year's Cannes Film Festival announced 3 movies in preparation. Among them as soon as IP MAN 5's poster was released it immediately became the media focus! Because the series has already shot its "final chapter", yesterday Chi Tan and Raymond Wong Pak Ming discussed the cause behind the return!

Yen Chi Tan for years has liked to challenge different subject films, like the earlier SAKRA (TIN LUNG BAK BO ji KIU FUNG JUEN) and his Hollywood film with Keanu Reeves, JOHN WICK 4, all had different styles. Yesterday Mandarin Motion Pictures at the Cannes Film Festival announced that it would work with Chi Tan on 3 movies IP MAN 5, FLASH POINT RESURGENCE (DOH FOR SIN 2) and MIDJUDGEMENT (NG POON) and released film concept posters. IP MAN 5 and FLASH POINT RESURGENCE would all be sequels to classic films. Among them IP MAN 5 led to the biggest response, all because the film including the spin off has already made 5 movies. In the 2019 release IP MAN 4 Ip Man already passed away in the film. At the time the film company also pointed out that it was the subject's "ultimate film", but now it has been "resurrected" and made many online curious.

The boss of the film company that would invest in the film, Wong Pak Ming yesterday personally explained the reason. He said, "In recent years when I met with many film companies around the world, they would ask to make more IP MAN. Because the previous films performed very well, Chi Tan and I have examined the possibility, to make another one at the 15th anniversary of IP MAN. The two of us have an understanding, first we don't have to repeat anything, we want to have new methods and new feeling for film viewers. So everything would wait until the script has been done before further announcement."

As soon as the news of IP MAN 5 surfaced, many buyers went to ask at the film company's Cannes exhibit stall. FLASH 2 has also been another focus for buyers. The film opened in 2007, Wilson Yip Wai Shun directed, Chi Tan, Louis Koo Tin Lok, Fan Bingbing and others starred. Due to how explosive the action scenes were, the film has won word of mouth. Now with the sequel after 16 years, would the original team return? Chi Tan only talked about the reason for the sequel. "Actually all along I have hoped to be able to continue to challenge my own limits in Chinese action films. Back then the MMA in FLASH POINT many are still talking about now. Many people send videos to ask me how I came up with those moves." Because of this motivation, he kept thinking about another breakthrough and make a heart pounding action film. It was also the reason FLASH 2 would appear.

Chi Tan would also work with the film company on the new film MISJUDGEMENT, the film's concept poster had the back of the lawyer. Many online guessed whether Chi Tan would play the lawyer and some were reminded of the box office hit THE GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG), but Wong Pak Ming said, "Ours will be an action film, completely different from other films. Chi Tan is highly demanding for action. I believe no matter what character, what environment, he definitely would hand over high quality action scenes to repay the audience."

Working with Chi Tan again, Wong Pak Ming was asked if he made him an astronomical offer to make 3 movies in one breath? He said, "Chi Tan and I would work on many movies in different ways, not just these 3. It would be a very long term collaboration that cannot be measured with money. It would be priceless." Chi Tan also joked, "With Brother Pak Ming we are about the heart and not the gold."