Donnie Yen said he would not make any Kung Fu movies after Ip Man 4; Yuan Heping: I disagree

The last film in the Ip Man series, Ip Man 4, will be released on December 20. On December 4, director Wilson Yip, lead actor Donnie Yen, and action director Yuan Heping attended the "Legendary Iron Triangle" press conference in Shenzhen. Ip Man 4 is the third film after Ip Man 3. Donnie Yen had previously announced that Ip Man 4 might be his last Kung Fu film. At the event, Donnie Yen explained why he was unwilling to make another Kung Fu film. When Yuan Heping heard Donnie Yen say that Ip Man 4 was his last Kung Fu film, he sighed and said, "It would be a pity not to make it. I must make another one!"

At the event, Donnie Yen first shared his 30-year mentor-disciple relationship with Yuen Woo-ping. He said, "Everyone knows that Master Ba is my mentor. He discovered me and brought me into the film industry. My first film was directed by Master Ba, and it was a kung fu film. Last week, when I held a press conference in Beijing, I told everyone that Ip Man 4 might be my last kung fu film, and it was also directed by Master Ba. This is a kind of fate between us as a mentor and a disciple."

As for why he hopes that "Ip Man 4" will be the end of his kung fu movies, Donnie Yen first explained the difference between kung fu movies and action movies, "I never said that I don't make action movies, please don't misunderstand. I just said that I don't make kung fu movies. Frankly speaking, I have made action movies for so many years, and action movies include not only kung fu movies, but also other types, such as comedy action, police and gangster movies, etc."

Donnie Yen said that he will continue to shoot action movies in the future. As for kung fu movies, he thinks that the "Ip Man" series is enough: "I feel that after so many years of shooting kung fu movies, the kung fu movies I have shot before were the works of Mr. Ba. From an artistic point of view, I feel that there is no more impact and desire for me to continue. As an actor, I have a passion to explore and try other types. You talk about kung fu movies, I think it's about the same. I don't think there is anything as complete and perfect as what is reflected in these four episodes of "Ip Man"."

Regarding Donnie Yen's idea of ​​ending his Kung Fu movies with the "Ip Man" series, Yuan Heping said: "What a shame, what a shame, what a shame! I believe Donnie Yen will continue to make Kung Fu movies in the future. As long as there are still themes that can move him, Donnie Yen will probably continue to make them."

Regarding who will take over the future of Chinese Kung Fu films, Yuan Heping said: "I think we still need someone to make Kung Fu films. Kung Fu films are known all over the world, and audiences all over the world want to watch Chinese Kung Fu. I think this can continue to be made. The question is whether there are successors. Kung Fu films need someone to pass on the tradition. We need to find successors, such as Wu Jing. There must be new people, otherwise there will be no successors."

The Ip Man series has reached its fourth installment, and each installment has many innovative elements. Director Wilson Yip has also made a great contribution. Ip Man 4 has seen significant updates in both the plot and the action scenes, such as "Ip Man and Bruce Lee's apprentice meet in the United States, challenge Tai Chi with one hand, and fight against the Marine Battalion." Wilson Yip revealed that when he was filming the first episode, he had already thought of many subsequent plots. "Ip Man is Bruce Lee's master. In that era, Mr. Bruce Lee's Kung Fu influenced the whole world. This is true. But his master had a great influence on him. In addition to Wing Chun, many Chinese martial arts and masters were in this era, and they influenced the whole world. After filming the third episode, I think we should see how Chinese Kung Fu influences the whole world. I believe Donnie Yen must have had this idea, because he was living abroad at the time, and he knew this better."