Ip Man 3

[GeneChing]

I thought there already was an Ip Man 3 thread but perhaps it's all nested in the Ip Man 1 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52218) and Ip Man 2 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56421) threads. Maybe it's in the The Grand Master (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53227) thread? Or maybe the Herman Yau's The Legend is Born: Ip Man (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57189) thread?


Jay Chou may play martial arts legend Bruce Lee in 'Ip Man 3' (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1054581/1/.html)
Posted: 05 May 2010 1819 hrs

Box office hit 'Ip Man 2' may get a sequel.

HONG KONG: Mandarin Films Distribution, the film company behind the immensely popular martial arts films "Ip Man" and its sequel "Ip Man 2", has said through a spokesperson that discussions are underway to shoot "Ip Man 3" with singer Jay Chou and Donnie Yen.

"The company would love to shoot 'Ip Man 3' with the original cast and crew. However, we will have to discuss the collaborative details with producer Raymond Wong to understand the situation, and if Jay Chou and Donnie Yen's names come up during our discussions, it would be the perfect team," said the spokesperson.

Hong Kong director Wilson Yip, who helmed the first two films, had revealed earlier in March that if he could shoot the third film, it would (like the films before it) be about the life of kung fu grandmaster Ip Man, but focus more on his relationship with his famous student, martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

According to Yip, "Ip Man 3" would feature an older Ip Man, so Yen might be made to look much older and appear in fewer action sequences than the previous films.

Chou is also pegged to play Lee, as Yip mentioned last year that the superstar singer was a good candidate for the role.

Mandarin Films and director Yip may be supportive of the project, but "Ip Man" and "Ip Man 2" producer Raymond Wong, as well as Yen, who played the titular hero in both films, were less enthusiastic.

Speculation is rife that Wong had a falling out with Mandarin Films. He also expressed his reluctance to get involved in "Ip Man 3".

"Ideally, I do not want to start shooting ['Ip Man 3'] this year or the next. There are so many 'Ip Man'-related films on the market; we should wait till the audience digest it all!" said Wong on Tuesday.

His reluctance was shared by Yen, who had repeatedly said that the first two "Ip Man" films were good enough and did not wish to make a third.

"A lot of people want to see me do 'Ip Man 3' but I don't want to do it in the near future. I will see how the script turns out before deciding," said Yen on Tuesday.

"If Jay Chou is chosen to play Bruce Lee, I think he should train with me for six months before shooting starts, so he can look convincing during kung fu action sequences."

Apart from the "Ip Man" series, another movie is in production about the kung fu master.

The Wong Kar Wai-directed "The Grand Master", which stars Hong Kong actor Tony Leung, has been plagued by mishaps and delays and is set to hit screens in 2011.

- CNA/ha

[GeneChing]

06/05/2010
Jay Chou as Bruce Lee in Ip Man 3? (http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4071698)

There are plans to cast multi-talented superstar Jay Chou as kungfu legend Bruce Lee in a third Ip Man film

After the box-office successes of Ip Man and its 2010 sequel, filmmakers are in discussions to make the franchise a trilogy, with Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou targeted as the man to assume the highly lucrative but challenging role of Bruce Lee.

2008's Ip Man, a semi-biographical martial arts film about the Wing Chun master of the same name, was both a commercial and critical success. Ip Man 2 was then released last month and is currently matching the box-office takings of Hollywood blockbusters like Iron Man 2 in Hong Kong.

This has prompted producers to begin planning for a third film, with intentions to bring back director Wilson Yip and producer Raymond Wong.

It is believed that Wilson has his eyes on Jay.

Kungfu star Bruce Lee is the most famous disciple of Ip Man and was slated to be featured prominently in Ip Man 2, but eventually only makes a cameo in the form of a boy.

His relationship with an aging Ip Man will now be explored in the third film instead of the second.

Whatever the plan is, things might have to go on hold though.

Raymond seems hesitant to jump onboard a new project. "I prefer to not have [a third film] this year or next. There are so many movies related to Ip Man now (there are also Wong Kar Wai's The Grand Master and Herman Yau's The Legend is Born: Ip Man). Let's wait for this saturation to pass."

Even lead actor Donnie Yen dismissed another quick sequel. "Let's wait for the script. Also, if Jay Chou is acting as Bruce Lee, I would need half a year to train him for his kungfu to look convincing."
It's going to take more than half a year for Jay to look convincing as Bruce. Maybe it could be done with CGI...:rolleyes:

[Dale Dugas]

they will put him on the juice.

[Phil Redmond]

I'll bet they won't show that it was Sifu William Cheung who introduced Bruce to Yip/Ip Man. :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

The kicker is the last paragraph.

Donnie Yen on his love for martial arts movies (http://www.bangkokpost.com/arts-and-culture/film/262253/donnie-yen-on-his-love-for-martial-arts-movies)
Published: 20/10/2011 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Life

http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20111020/321440.jpg

Donnie Yen is one of Asia's most popular action stars with more than 50 film credits to his name. From Hong Kong to Hollywood, he has captivated audiences with his style of martial arts _ a craft he has honed since childhood.

This week, Talk Asia meets the star in Hong Kong where he discusses his path to success, the evolution of action films, and opens up on chances of a third Ip Man film.

Since making his film debut at the age of 19, the 48-year-old actor has become one of the most recognisable stars in Asia, most notably in Ip Man _ a biopic about the martial arts legend who would become Bruce Lee's master.

Yen shares with host Kristie Lu Stout his thoughts on what made the film such a big success. "For decades, when we watched a martial arts film from Bruce Lee days it was more of a macho type of image, but then they managed to turn everything around like he's a family man, the softer side. He's very passive. I think it connected with a lot of female viewers. That's why that film had a success beyond what other martial arts movies have ever achieved."

Over the years, Yen has worked with superstars such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He shares with Lu Stout the experience of making movies with them, discussing how he staged epic fights scenes with Li in Once Upon a Time in China 2 and Hero. "At the time, we were put together in the film and we were younger, it was very competitive. But we had a lot of fun and the film turned out to be very successful."

The star compares creating action scenes in Hong Kong and Hollywood, where he has also choreographed and appeared in productions. "

[In Hollywood,] you choreograph the move, then you let the director and the cinematographer position the camera. Actually, it doesn't really work as well. In Hong Kong, we've crafted this art for decades. The action choreographer is actually the action director. He takes over and choreographs by himself and places the camera to highlight the choreography."

Yen also shares with Lu Stout his memories of growing up in the US as a member of a minority and the culture shock he felt when his parents sent him from Boston to a Beijing martial arts school in the 1980s. He explains how, despite the identify confusion, his patriotism found an outlet in martial arts films. "Since I was young, I have always been patriotic. Why do all Chinese look up to Bruce Lee? Because we found a person, it gave us a sense of roots and nation."

Yen is the son of world-renowned martial arts expert Madam Bow Sim-Mark and started training from the age of four. Now with two young children of his own, he finds it hard to hide his excitement about the talent he sees in his four-year-old son. "James can punch and kick all day long. I don't know where he got that from. He's never seen any of my films. He does have a natural gift. He can strike a pose and throw his legs like he's done it all his life."

This week Yen also takes Talk Asia behind the scenes of his latest project and reveals where things stand on the much-awaited Ip Man 3. "I wanted to explore and take advantage of the opportunities that have been granted to me for the next two years. I want to try other roles and see how far I can stretch those roles. Then maybe after that, Ip Man 3."

[GeneChing]

...in 3D no less...

Donnie Yen to return as Ip Man in 3D Ip Man 3 (http://www.todayonline.com/Entertainment/Movies/EDC120410-0000167/Donnie-Yen-to-return-as-Ip-Man-in-3D-Ip-Man-3)
Updated 06:53 PM Apr 10, 2012
HONG KONG - Ip Man 3 script writer Edmond Wong revealed last week that Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen will return as martial arts master Ip Man in Ip Man 3, which will feature 3D visual effects, reported Hong Kong media.

This has been confirmed by Yen's publicist, who said that Yen "is looking forward" to working on a 3D Ip Man film, and had entered into preliminary discussions with the film's producer Raymond Wong, though he "had not yet seen the script".

Edmond Wong further revealed that Ip Man 3 will see Ip Man's famous student, martial arts legend Bruce Lee, play a big part in the story, though Ip Man will remain the film's central character.

"What is certain is that the film will begin with Bruce Lee becoming Ip Man's disciple. As for who will play Bruce Lee, we will have to do a large-scale casting exercise. Stars like Aarif Lee and Danny Chan are suitable and have played Bruce Lee before, but we are looking for a 16-17 year-old Bruce Lee. They may be a little too old. It is all up to Wilson Ip (the film's director) to decide," said Wong.

Ip Man 3 producer Raymond Wong, added that the film will have a much bigger budget than Ip Man and Ip Man 2, as it will feature fight scenes enhanced with 3D effects.

Ip Man 3 will be the third film in the Ip Man series of martial arts films, which have done exceptionally well in the box office and had sparked a renewed interest in Wing Chun, a form of martial arts practised by Ip Man.

The film is scheduled to go into production at the end of the year.

[doug maverick]

lol....what a good way to get some much needed good pr for donnie.

[GeneChing]

There are still more web hits on the SI feud (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62907) though, which isn't that surprising. Here's more on IP3.


Donnie Yen to return as Ip Man in 3D "Ip Man 3" (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1194005/1/.html)
Posted: 09 April 2012 1607 hrs

HONG KONG: "Ip Man 3" script writer Edmond Wong revealed last week that Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen will return as martial arts master Ip Man in "Ip Man 3", which will feature 3D visual effects, reported Hong Kong media.

This has been confirmed by Yen's publicist, who said that Yen "is looking forward" to working on a 3D "Ip Man" film, and had entered into preliminary discussions with the film's producer Raymond Wong, though he "had not yet seen the script".

Edmond Wong further revealed that "Ip Man 3" will see Ip Man's famous student, martial arts legend Bruce Lee, play a big part in the story, though Ip Man will remain the film's central character.

"What is certain is that the film will begin with Bruce Lee becoming Ip Man's disciple. As for who will play Bruce Lee, we will have to do a large-scale casting exercise.

"Stars like Aarif Lee and Danny Chan are suitable and have played Bruce Lee before, but we are looking for a 16-17 year-old Bruce Lee. They may be a little too old. It is all up to Wilson Ip (the film's director) to decide," said Wong.

"Ip Man 3" producer Raymond Wong, added that the film will have a much bigger budget than "Ip Man" and "Ip Man 2", as it will feature fight scenes enhanced with 3D effects.

"Ip Man 3" will be the third film in the "Ip Man" series of martial arts films, which have done exceptionally well in the box office and had sparked a renewed interest in Wing Chun, a form of martial arts practised by Ip Man.

The film is scheduled to go into production at the end of the year.


Sequel to "Ip Man" Confirmed (http://www.chinesefilms.cn/1/2012/04/05/141s8611.htm)
2012-04-05 10:24:02 Chinese Films

Wong Kar Wai, renowned director of "In the Mood for Love," has been shooting his new project "The Grandmasters" for the past three years. During this time, only several promotional posters and one promotional trailer were released, leaving everybody clueless as to when the film will be screened.

However, the production company behind another series of films which also center on the kung-fu master Ip Man, is set to shoot its third installment at the end of this year, four years after the first movie within the series hit the silver screen, Mtime.com reports.

The new project, which focuses on the master-disciple relationship between Ip Man and kung-fu megastar Bruce Lee, will be filmed in 3D format.

The sequel will see the original cast and crew reunited, with Donnie Yen once again portraying Ip Man, as he did in the previous two films.

According to the producer Wong Bak-Ming, director Wilson Yip is set to decide who will take on the role of a young Bruce Lee.

[doug maverick]

3d is eh...especially selective 3d is even worse...because people have to sit there and watch the whole thing with the glasses on for only a few scenes....my mom once said(after she saw tron) that they should do what they did in the old days, which was when a 3d scene came up you would see a flash that said "put your 3d glasses on now!!" it would kind of take you out of the film...but still better then ruining the entire image just for like what...5 scenes.

[GeneChing]

Pegasus Rides in With ‘Z Storm,’ ‘Ip Man 3′ (http://variety.com/2014/film/news/filmart-pegasus-rides-in-with-z-storm-ip-man-3-1201142732/)
March 23, 2014 | 03:58PM PT
Pegasus Motion Pictures takes the wraps off its big budget crime thriller "Z Storm,” which is set for summer release.
Patrick Frater
Asia Bureau Chief

http://i0.wp.com/pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/z-storm-img_2716-res.jpg?crop=0px%2C53px%2C2880px%2C1604px&resize=670%2C377

Pegasus Motion Pictures on Monday (March 24) took the wraps off its big budget crime thriller “Z Storm,” which is set for summer release.

The company, formed in 2009 by Raymond Wong after he broke away from Mandarin Films, also updated plans for the much anticipated “Ip Man 3.”

Directed by David Lam, “Z Storm” starts as a simple enough police corruption investigation, but takes on political connotations when investigators unearth a massive financial fraud.

Significantly, it portrays the ICAC, Hong Kong’s 40-year-old anti-corruption body, in a three-way conflict among the police and the government. “This is fiction, not reality,” says producer John Chong, “and is different to the TV series that the ICAC funded.” (The ICAC’s four-decade-long role in funding film and TV production in Hong Kong is being celebrated this month by the Hong Kong Intl. Film Festival.) However, Chong likens the pacing and feel of the film to Fox’s U.S. TV series “24.” Others have made comparisons with “Infernal Affairs,” the hit film series that was produced at Media Asia when Chong, was one of the founding executives, was there.

“Z Storm” stars Louis Koo, Lo Hoi-pang and 1990s superstar Michael Wong, and has an official production cost of HK$60 million ($7.75 million).

That’s a big budget by modern Hong Kong standards, but is far from being the biggest on Pegasus’ slate.

Chong confirmed that the third installment of Pegasus’ internationally successful “Ip Man” franchise will move ahead in 2015 with the key elements from the first two films intact. Edmond Wong and Wilson Yip, now confirmed as major talents, are again on board as screenwriter and director, respectively. Raymond Wong will again produce and Donnie Yen is confirmed to star. The narrative continues the life story of martial arts master Ip, who late in life became Bruce Lee’s mentor, and who was the subject of two biopic films by Herman Yau, as well as Wong Kar-wai’s “The Grandmaster.”

The picture will be presented in 3D with delivery scheduled for late 2015 into the busy Christmas-Chinese New Year season. Budget is expected to be more than $30 million.

Pegasus will also produce “Wisely,” a suspense action thriller that is adapted from the novels (often transliterated as “Wesley’) by prolific Chinese novelist Ni Kuang. With a budget of $19.4 million, the film will need to be structured as a co-production with China and the screenplay has now received approval from China’s Film Bureau. "key elements from the first two films intact" basically means Donnie's in.

[GeneChing]

Donnie Yen returns for "Ip Man 3" (https://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/donnie-yen-returns-ip-man-3-041800506.html)
By Heidi Hsia | From Cinema Online Exclusively for Yahoo Newsroom – Fri, Mar 28, 2014 12:18 PM SGT

https://s1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/.QohDr2wlQ0WsJTOoFbRAA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zMDA7cT03NTt3PTQwMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_MY/News/YBrandCinemaOnline/7cn_donnieyenreturnsipman300.jpg
Donnie Yen returns for "Ip Man 3"

28 Mar – After much 'will he' and 'won't he', Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen recently announced that he will make his comeback as the iconic martial artist, Ip Man for the third instalment of the martial arts franchise.

According to Mingpao, speaking to the media at the press conference held on 25 March with Pegasus Entertainment boss, Raymond Wong, Donnie stated, "After four years [of hiatus], I will again play the role of Ip Man at the end of the year."

Donnie admitted that he was reluctant to play the role at first, thinking that he has already built a good image of the character and should try other roles for a change.

"But no matter where I go, nobody knows me as Donnie Yen. They call me Ip Man. So I decided to play the role one more time to fulfil everyone's wishes," said Donnie, who hinted that it may be his last time reprising the role.

When asked about rumours saying that he charged RMB 30 million (approx. USD 4.8 million) to star in the movie, Donnie responded, "I have always charged a cheaper rate. Don't talk about salaries. I am doing this for friendship's sake."

Meanwhile, Raymond Wong revealed that the movie will receive 3D treatment and will be helmed by its original director, Wilson Yip.

Now to get this sorted :rolleyes:

Donnie Yen denies meddling with "Ip Man 3" cast list
By Heidi Hsia | From Cinema Online Exclusively for Yahoo Newsroom – Fri, Mar 28, 2014 2:32 PM SGT

https://s.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/S0ZMTckUEVQ4vL.PxU1Icg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zMDA7cT03NTt3PTQwMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_MY/News/YBrandCinemaOnline/7cn_donniedeniesipmanmeddling00.jpg
Donnie Yen denies meddling with "Ip Man 3" cast list

8 Mar – Martial arts actor Donnie Yen recently debunked rumours saying that he has meddled in the casting of his upcoming movie, "Ip Man 3".

As reported on Mingpao, the actor, who attended the press conference announcing his return as the legendary martial artist, Ip Man on 25 March at the Hong Kong Entertainment Expo, was asked to address rumours saying that he pressured the production company into changing the cast list.

According to previous reports, Donnie allegedly agreed to Pegasus Entertainment's offer, with the condition that co-star Lynn Hung and action director Sammo Hung were dropped from the movie, and Jessica Jann, his wife Cissy Wang's cousin, would be added to the cast.

To this, he responded, "The report is not true at all and should be treated as a joke. Lynn is an original cast member and it is absurd for me to arrange so that my wife's cousin would be in it."

The actor said that he would have made such an arrangement in his previous movies if he wanted to.

"In regards to firing Big Brother (Sammo Hung) from the movie, that would be even more ridiculous. I even told the big boss [Raymond Wong] that I would not make the movie without him," said Donnie.

However, he revealed that the action director was too busy with other projects to join the movie, and Raymond later suggested that Donnie asked his mentor, Yuen Wooping to help instead.

[GeneChing]

This is a long ways away, but good to know.


Ip Man 3 heading to US (http://m.screendaily.com/5071955.article)
17 May, 2014 | By Liz Shackleton

EXCLUSIVE: Latest instalment of biopic action franchise sells to Well Go USA.

Well Go USA has snapped up North America and a slew of other territories on Pegasus Motion Pictures’ Ip Man 3, an ambitious 3D installment in the biopic action franchise starring Donnie Yen.

Well Go has also bought France, Germany, UK, Benelux, Nordic territories and Latin America on the $36m film which reunites Yen with producer Raymond Wong, director Wilson Yip and writer Edmond Wong.

Production is scheduled to start in early 2015.

“This film focuses on the master-student relationship between Ip Man and Bruce Lee,” said Edmond Wong. “It also portrays Ip Man at a stage when he is searching for the real meaning in life.”

Well Go has also acquired North American rights to Pegasus Motion Pictures’ Z-Storm, a crime thriller about an anti-corruption investigation, starring Louis Koo and Gordon Lam.

Meanwhile, Korea’s Daou Tech has also acquired both Ip Man 3 and Z-Storm. The two titles have also both gone to Taiwan’s Sky Films.

[Fa Xing]

Jay needs to train in not only wing chun, but also jun fan jeet kune do to figure out how Bruce Lee moved, particularly in the Lee's movies since it was a bit different from how he would have fought in reality.

[GeneChing]

Well, this is an interesting move. Going for that global audience. Tyson has great villain potential.


Hong Kong Filmart: Mike Tyson Signs Up for 'Ip Man 3' (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/boxing-champ-mike-tyson-signs-783886)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/675x380/2015/03/ap651382118558.jpg
AP Images/Invision
by Karen Chu
3/24/2015 9:00am PDT

Former heavyweight boxing world champion Mike Tyson will join the cast of Ip Man 3 Pegasus Motion Pictures has announced setting up the prospect of some intense fighting scenes between Tyson and martial arts legend Donnie Yen, who reprises the eponymous role from the previous two Ip Man installments.

Principle photography of the $36 million Ip Man 3 commences today (March 25) in Shanghai, China. Reuniting the team that made the first two Ip Man films, producer Raymond Wong, director Wilson Yip and writer Edmond Wong.

“Two years ago Mike Tyson opened up a Weibo (the Chinese micro-blogging site) account and the first question he asked was, ‘who is the best fighter in China?’” Pegasus chairman and Ip Man 3 producer Raymond Wong told THR. “Someone answered him ‘Donnie Yen,’ and that gave me an idea. For the third installment in the Ip Man series, we want to have an explosive fight, and Mike Tyson versus Donnie Yen fits the bill.”

Tyson said in a statement: "Who is the best boxer and kung fu master in China? Wait for me, I am coming. Thank you for introducing me to Chinese kung fu."

Ip Man, also known as Yip Man (1893-1972), was a Chinese martial artist who popularized the practice of Wing Chun, a martial arts discipline that specializes in close-range combat. One of his most famous pupils was Bruce Lee, who developed his own discipline, Jeet Kune Do. Ip was born in Foshan, Guangdong, China but then moved to Hong Kong and opened his schools of Wing Chun in 1949.

Tyson, who made cameos in The Hangover 2 and 3, is set to have a significant role in the threequel, playing a property developer who is also a street fighting boxer. Apart from the introduction of Tyson in the film, kung fu icon Bruce Lee will also appear as a young pupil of Ip Man. The film producers were unable to find an actor to portray Lee's intensity onscreen so have decided to use computer graphics to recreate the most authentic Lee in the film.

The two previous Ip Man films produced by Wong grossed $37 million worldwide. The threequel is tentatively scheduled for release in 3D in the first quarter of 2016.

Asked about the spate of Ip Man films in recent years Wong said: “It’s been five years since Ip Man 2, and during these years there have been other Ip Man movies released.” Donnie Yen's portrayal of Ip Man is perhaps the most widely known, but there was also Wong Kar-wai’s well received The Grandmaster starring Tony Leung and Herman Yau’s 2013 release Ip Man – The Final Fight. “The audience suffered ‘Ip Man fatigue’ for a while, but the waves of Ip Man films has calmed down now, so now is the time to present our third installment,” Wong added.

[GeneChing]

We've heard the same from Jet (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?37638-Jet-Li-to-quit-Kung-Fu-Movie-biz!) and Jackie (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?53875-Chinese-Zodiac-Armour-of-God-3&p=1170629#post1170629). I wonder if Bruce would have ever said this, had he lived longer...


Donnie Yen Plans to Step Down from Action Films after “Ip Man 3” (http://www.jaynestars.com/movies/donnie-yen-plans-to-step-down-from-action-films-after-ip-man-3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JayneStars+%28JayneStars.com% 29)
By Joanna on March 26, 2015

http://www.jaynestars.com/wp-content/uploads/cache/51542_500.jpg

The cast and crew of Ip Man 3 <葉問3>, the final installment in the Ip Man film series, recently held a press conference in Shanghai. Donnie Yen (甄子丹) announced that Ip Man 3 may be the last action movie of his career.

Film Will Feature CGI Bruce Lee

Ip Man 3 will mainly focus on Ip Man’s later years and his friendship with his famous disciple, martial artist Bruce Lee (李小龍). After much consideration, the film crew ultimately decided to use computer-generated effects in order to recreate a true-to-life Bruce Lee.

“We looked at a lot of people and researched many possibilities,” said producer Raymond Wong (黃百鳴). “But we still felt that there would be a problem no matter who acted him out, unless it was Bruce Lee himself.”

Lee’s younger brother, musician Robert Lee (李振輝), was also present at the press conference. He defended the crew’s decision, saying that they looked at many special effects companies in the United States, Germany, and other places, before settling on one that would guarantee the best results.

Donnie Yen Idolized Boxer Mike Tyson

Apart from the Bruce Lee storyline, another highlight of Ip Man 3 will be the appearance of heavyweight boxing world champion Mike Tyson, who will portray an American boss that manipulates the boxing black market and challenges Ip Man’s authority. Though Tyson himself could not make it to the press conference, he did record a video in which he declares war against Donnie.

In response, Donnie jokingly asked the crew to purchase a larger insurance package for him. However, he also added that Mike Tyson was one of his idols, making Ip Man 3 a particularly meaningful film for him.

“I followed his competitions more than ten years ago,” shared Donnie. “I studied his boxing and used those techniques in my films.”

Putting Every Effort into Final Action Movie

On the day of the press conference, Donnie appeared visibly thinner. He explained this was by request of director Wilson Yip (葉偉信), who “felt that in this installment, Ip Man should look more meager.” He also shared that in order to prepare for the role, he put a lot of effort into studying Ip Man’s psychological state in his later years.

When asked if he will continue filming action movies until he becomes too old for them, Donnie replied that Ip Man 3 may be his last action film. “Right now, the most important question for me is not whether or not my body can handle it, but whether or not a movie has creativity,” he stated. “Thus, Ip Man 3 may indeed be my last action film.”

Donnie also shared that when he traveled to different countries, many fans simply called him “Ip Man” when they saw him, which he found extremely moving. “I became popular because of Ip Man,” he said. “So if I’m to leave, I hope it can be with Ip Man as well.”

Source: Sina.com

This article is written by Joanna for JayneStars.com.

[Jimbo]

Well, this is an interesting move. Going for that global audience. Tyson has great villain potential.

Yep, this makes it very interesting. Tyson's acting skills are actually quite solid. I saw him on an episode of Law & Order SVU sometime back, and he's very natural in front of the cameras.

I don't know how even Donnie Yen as Ip Man will be convincing against Tyson as whatever character he'll play. I know...suspension of disbelief. But this is Mike Tyson. It will be impossible to separate his onscreen character with who we know him as. I suspect that the Ip family would've been very happy that Ip Man never had to 'cross hands' with a guy like him.

[PalmStriker]

:) I don't know where they're going with some of the IpMan story lines but if they could stretch it a bit more I'd like to see IpMan fight the Incredible Hulk. Hulk with Bruce Lee haircut:http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ubL99NCFNJI/0.jpg

[GeneChing]

Bruce Lee's Estate Seeks to Stop Icon's Depiction in 'Ip Man 3' (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bruce-lees-estate-seeks-stop-785719)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/300_portrait/2013/02/bruce_lee_a_p.jpg
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

by Karen Chu
3/31/2015 10:50pm PDT

The estate of legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee is seeking to stop his name, likeness and story from featuring in the upcoming Hong Kong action biopic Ip Man 3.

Hong Kong-based Pegasus Motion Pictures said at Filmart that the now-filming Ip Man 3 will feature a young, computer-generated likeness of Bruce Lee, a real-life disciple of Wing Chun master Ip Man (played by Donnie Yen).

Bruce Lee Enterprises (BLE) has asserted that it has undisputed ownership of all intellectual property rights related to Bruce Lee and is the sole owner of all worldwide rights relating to Bruce Lee’s name, image, likeness, persona, signature, voice, attributes, marks, logos, symbols, works, photographs and writings. BLE COO and general counsel Kris Storti tells THR that the Bruce Lee estate is "justifiably shocked" to learn that Pegasus is intending to include Bruce Lee in Ip Man 3, and that the decision is "completely unauthorized" by BLE. "To state it in no uncertain terms, BLE intends to seek all remedies available to it to stop Pegasus from including the computer-generated version of Bruce Lee in Ip Man 3," Storti stated.

The producers of Ip Man 3 have the cooperation of Robert Lee, Bruce Lee's brother, who is working as a consultant on the film. While Pegasus asserted that Robert Lee owns the intellectual property rights of Bruce Lee, BLE contended that "Robert Lee does not own or control any intellectual property rights associated with Bruce Lee, including, without limitation, any rights to Bruce Lee’s name, likeness and image. Robert Lee does not represent BLE, nor is he authorized to represent any intellectual property rights in connection with Bruce Lee in any way."

Ip Man 3 producer and Pegasus chairman Raymond Wong told THR that the matter is now being handled by lawyers, with an announcement to be made soon.

Ip Man 3 will star Mike Tyson opposite Donnie Yen and is set for a 2016 release.

Innerestin issue...I'll be curious to see how this turns out.

[Jimbo]

Pretty ridiculous, if you ask me. Bruce Lee was a man, but now he's been turned into a mere product. I heard something about even his former students are no longer allowed to use the name 'Bruce Lee' when they mention their late teacher, or else they can be sued. It's only a matter of time before nobody can say or write the name without facing litigation from Linda. I wonder if she'll start suing everybody who is also coincidentally named Bruce Lee.

It's more than ridiculous, actually. It's crossed the line into despicable.

[GeneChing]

CANNES: Mike Tyson Confirms Role in Kung Fu Biopic ‘Ip Man 3’ (http://variety.com/2015/film/asia/mike-tyson-joins-ip-man-3-1201491872/)

http://i2.wp.com/pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/donnie-yen-mike-tyson-214720.jpg?crop=0px%2C88px%2C800px%2C445px&resize=670%2C377
Ip Man 3
PRNewsFoto/Shanghai Kuailu Investment Group
May 11, 2015 | 01:00AM PT
Patrick Frater
Asia Bureau Chief

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been confirmed as joining the cast of “Ip Man 3.” The film is the final instalment of a biopic of martial arts ace and one time mentor of Bruce Lee, Ip Man.

After the previous episodes focused on Ip’s early life, “Ip Man 3” focuses on the master-student relationship between Ip (aka Yip) and Bruce Lee. Martial arts ace, Donnie Yen reprises his role as Ip in the film to be directed by Wilson Yip.

Tyson is set to have a significant role in Ip Man 3, playing a property developer and street fighter. He is expected going to have several intense fight scenes with Yen.

The film which has a budget of $36 million is produced by Hong Kong-based Pegasus Motion Pictures. It is executive-produced by Shi Jianxiang, founder and CEO of Shanghai Kuailu Investment Group.

Ip Man 3 is tentatively scheduled for release in 3D in the first quarter of 2016. Pegasus, which is also handling international sales, will open the film for business this week in Cannes.

An offer to Tyson to appear in the film was made earlier this year at the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles. Confirmation of his casting was announced this week at an event in Shanghai.

Tyson has had previous acting roles in films including “The Hangover II,” “Scary Movie 5,” and the upcoming “Meet The Blacks.”
Should be amusing.

[GeneChing]

oh man, i can hear all the trad. kf guys now claiming 'see? boxing doesn't work against kf w/out gloves!' :p


Mike Tyson: Donnie Yen fractured my finger! (https://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/mike-tyson-donnie-yen-fractured-finger-095600854.html)
Cinema Online – 11 hours ago

https://s1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Yr9IQaleetuZRh_1TAdb9Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zODQ7aWw9cGxhbmU7cT 03NTt3PTUxMg--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-MY/News/CinemaOnline/7n_donnieinjuredmike00.jpg
Mike Tyson: Donnie Yen fractured my finger!

18 May – Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson recently flicked his left forefinger to the media and revealed that Hong Kong's "Strongest Man in the Universe", Donnie Yen had injured it while they were filming "Ip Man 3".

As reported on Oriental Daily News, Tyson, whose left index finger was heavily bandaged during a set visit recently, stated that it was fractured when Donnie accidentally hit it during a combat scene.

"All of you were worried that Donnie will get injured. Nobody cared about me. Now I am injured, still nobody came to console me," he joked.

Donnie later explained that he accidentally elbowed Tyson's finger while trying to accommodate the camera.

"I knew that I bumped into him, but I didn't know it was that serious. He was very professional about it and we even continued filming. It was only later at the hospital that he was told that his finger had fractured. I am truly sorry!" said Donnie.

The actor was also full of praises for the former boxer, saying that they often shared knowledge about fighting during breaks.

[Jimbo]

oh man, i can hear all the trad. kf guys now claiming 'see? boxing doesn't work against kf w/out gloves!' :p

OR...I can imagine people in China saying, "Even the great Mike Tyson was injured and defeated when he faced China's hero!"

[GeneChing]

Donnie Yen-Mike Tyson showdown on Ip Man 3 set: Guess who won? (http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/movies/story/donnie-yen-mike-tyson-showdown-ip-man-3-set-guess-who-won-20150518)
Published on May 18, 2015 6:48 PM

http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/imagecache/2014_revamp_615x346/20150519/donnie01190515e.jpg
Action star Donnie Yen (far left) and former boxer Mike Tyson (in white) on the set of upcoming film Ip Man 3. -- PHOTO: PEGASUS MOTION PICTURES

HONG KONG – In a fight between Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson, who would win? That question seemed settled on the set of Ip Man 3 the other day, when action star Yen accidentally broke a finger of his new co-star, knockout king Tyson, said Apple Daily.

Tyson had his left index finger in a brace when the newspaper visited the set. Hamming it up as the victim, he was quoted as saying by the report: “You were worried only whether Donnie would be hurt, nobody thought of my safety. Now that I'm hurt, no one is comforting me.”

Yen said he was trying to give the camera a good shot when his elbow struck Tyson’s finger. “I knew I hit him during the shoot, but didn’t think it was serious, and we continued shooting.”

Tyson found out about the fracture when he went to hospital later, said Yen, who added: “I’m really very sorry.”

Yen and the crew all praised the professionalism of Tyson, who has continued to perform his own stunts despite his injury, said the newspaper.

Tyson, 48, has played cameo roles in movies including The Hangover (2009) after hanging up his professional boxing gloves. He is the biggest name in boxing to face off with Yen, 51, in the Ip Man movies.

It remains to be seen if their duels on the big screen will top Yen's showdowns with martial arts superstars Sammo Hung in SPL: Kill Zone (2005) and Jet Li in Once Upon A Time In China II (1992).

Ip Man 3, the latest instalment in the story of Bruce Lee's teacher, will open in February next year, according to the movie website IMDb.


"no one is comforting me' awww, poor Iron Mike. Wonder if he comforted his rape victim. :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

So far, these sound like minor injuries, stuff Jackie would have used for his ng scenes at the end of the film. Nowadays, they make for good viral marketing I suppose, as long as no one gets seriously injured.


Donnie Yen injures nose while filming fight scene (https://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/donnie-yen-injures-nose-while-filming-fight-scene-041900263.html)
By Heidi Hsia | From Cinema Online Exclusively for Yahoo Newsroom – 18 hours ago

https://s.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/OioAHsnDWh0Gr9mZwE8O7w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zMDA7aWw9cGxhbmU7cT 03NTt3PTQwMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_MY/News/YBrandCinemaOnline/7cn_donnieinjuresnose00.jpg
Donnie Yen injures nose while filming fight scene

10 Jun - It has been two months since "Ip Man 3" started filming, and accidents have been happening frequently.
After Donnie Yen accidentally fractured Mike Tyson's finger, and he himself injured his hands later on, it was recently revealed that the martial arts actor has been injured yet again, this time on his nose, and by Max Zhang's blade.
According to Mingpao News, the two stars were filming a scene where Donnie Yen's Ip Man accepted a challenge made by Max Zhang's character to fight with Wing Chun's Eight Catty Blade.
However, the blade was too close to his face while they were doing it, and ended up injuring his nose.
"I felt truly guilty," said Max, who immediately rushed over to Donnie to help. "But I really admire Donnie. He laughed despite the injury. He is very professional."
Donnie stated that an injury is part and parcel of working on fight scenes, and that he himself has injured others before.
"It's only a minor injury this time, and it didn't bleed that much," he said.

[GeneChing]

Action star Donnie Yen says Ip Man 3 is likely to be his last gongfu movie (http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/action-star-donnie-yen-says-ip-man-3-is-likely-to-be-his-last-gongfu-movie)

http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/x_large/public/articles/2015/08/23/pic1_1.jpg?itok=Y15456tj
Hong Kong actor and marital artist Donnie Yen.PHOTO: ST FILE
Published Aug 23, 2015, 2:16 pm SGT
Paige Lim

Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, famous for playing legendary wing chun grandmaster Ip Man in the blockbuster franchise, says that Ip Man 3 may well be his last gongfu movie.

The actor admits that he is uncertain if he can deliver another character as iconic as Ip Man, a role which catapulted him to A-list status seven years ago.

He tells Life: "I don't know if I can find another character in a gongfu movie which can satisfy the artistic desire as well as the audience's expectations."

According to online reports, the actor had previously announced his intent to step down from the franchise last March (2015) at a press conference in Shanghai. He was in town last week (Aug 15 2015) for the opening of Swiss watchmaker Hublot's largest pop-up store in the world, at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.

He says: "Ip Man is so rooted in the fans' hearts and I believe I've played that role quite successfully. I'm not sure if it will be a wise decision for me to search for another (gongfu) role."

But he is not the first martial arts star to say he is giving up the genre.

Hollywood action maestros Jet Li and Jackie Chan have made similar sentiments in interviews over the years, only to return to what they do best.

In 2006, Li was quoted as saying wuxia epic Fearless would be his last martial arts film. He later went on to star in martial arts film The Forbidden Kingdom alongside Chan in 2008, followed by another wuxia epic Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate in 2011.

Chan, on the other hand, announced his decision to retire from action movies in 2012, while promoting fight flick CZ12. The martial arts expert clarified his comments later on, saying he would be retiring from specifically "big" action movies and would perform less-demanding stunts. He is set to begin filming on action-adventure movie, Kung Fu Yoga, next month (September).

Dressed casually in a T-shirt and jeans, Yen seems right at home during the interview at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. Speaking in English with an American accent, he exudes the same imperturbable calm as the placid and good-tempered Ip Man he plays on the big screen.

While other Hong Kong actors such as Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Anthony Wong and Dennis To have taken on the same role in the last few years, it is clear that none have come close to being as memorable as Yen.

After all, the gongfu-trained former stuntman, who was voted the best Ip Man by Straits Times readers in a 2013 poll, is the first to play the titular character in the hugely popular action flick Ip Man (2008). The film grossed more than US$21 million worldwide and the sequel Ip Man 2, was released in 2010.

Even at the age of 52, Yen is not running out of steam. He is slated to appear in two more blockbuster franchises - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II, the anticipated sequel to Lee Ang's 2000 Oscar-winning film, and the recently announced Rogue One: A Star Wars Story from Lucasfilm.

When asked how he feels towards criticism that gongfu stars cannot act, he says: "That kind of myth was a long time ago. Obviously I don't believe it and I have proven otherwise."

In fact, he believes that "everyone" can act "to some degree", unless one is "not a human".

"When you play a character, you are sharing your own personal past experiences in life. Unless you are totally unsentimental or not a human, you would know how to express the emotion needed for a good acting performance."

Having said that, he still has a desire to stretch his limits as an actor. He was initially uninterested in reprising his role in Ip Man 3 as he felt the need to explore "other possibilities".

He says: "I am very fortunate to have played a character majority of the audience has embraced. But I wanted to continue to grow as an artist and did not want to be stuck only playing Ip Man."

After the commercially-successful Ip Man 2 in 2010, he followed up with varied roles in comedy All’s Well, Ends Well (2011), cop action movie Special ID (2013) and fantasy flick The Monkey King last year.

On why he changed his mind about Ip Man 3, he says: "Ultimately, I thought a lot of fans would love to see me play Ip Man again. If Wilson Yip could come up with an angle for me to be challenged, then I would play the role."

He hopes audiences will experience "the same type of excitement" for the third instalment as they did for the first two, not from watching the thrilling action scenes, but from the additional emotional dimension he will be bringing to the character this time.

"For the audience to be attracted to a character, that character has to have something they can relate to and that was the challenge always at the back of my mind. How do I make this character more sophisticated and interesting?"

While he may be leaving gongfu movies for good after Ip Man 3, he is quick to add that it is not because they pack less of a punch in the entertainment industry.

"No matter what culture, all the movies in the world have martial arts elements in them. Look at all the Hollywood blockbuster films, like the Avengers, when they are in combat" he says. "Martial arts is no longer an Asian thing and it is becoming a necessity for all action movies."

Fans can perhaps look forward to catching glimpses of his fighting skills when he heads off to the galactic landscape in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

He is said to be playing a Chinese Jedi in the first of a spin-off movie series from the Star Wars saga, alongside actors such as Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker and fellow Chinese actor Jiang Wen. The first cast photo was released last week (Aug 15).

The actor is understandably excited about his newest role.

He says: "It's a good learning experience for me to be in such a big franchise. The very first sci-fi movie I saw when I was a teenager was Star Wars and I never thought that I would be co-starring in one many years later."

As many of his previous films contain relatively violent fight scenes, he says: "It's about time I can take my kids to watch my movie. Star Wars is a family movie and I think kids will love it."

He is married to former beauty queen Cecilia Wang and they have an 11-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son. He also has a 20-year-old son from his first marriage.

With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story set for release only at the end of next year (Dec 2016), audiences can catch him for now as the wing chun master he is best known for.

Ip Man 3 opens here on Christmas Eve (Dec 24).

One of the highlights of the movie will be the explosive duels between Yen and heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who is in the cast. This is especially so after news of Yen accidentally breaking Tyson's finger on set emerged in May.

The star, who was reportedly trying to give the camera a good shot when his elbow struck Tyson's finger, is quick to play down the incident.

He says: "Accidents do happen and it was purely an accident. It's movie-making, it wasn't a boxing match or a combat match. I think Mike and I will provide a very exciting fight."

Yea, if I was cast in Star Wars, I would just live off those royalties and going to Cons for the rest of my life....;)

[GeneChing]

IP MAN 3: New Images Of Donnie Yen, Mike Tyson, But No CGI Bruce Lee Yet (http://twitchfilm.com/2015/09/ip-man-3-new-images-of-donnie-yen-mike-tyson-but-no-cgi-bruce-lee-gallery.html)
James Marsh, Asian Editor

New character images have surfaced from Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen's inevitable third collaboration, Ip Man 3, which will pit the wing chun master against an American property developer, portrayed by former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, as well as finally focus on his relationship with his greatest pupil, Bruce Lee.

After failing to find an actor worthy enough to portray Lee onscreen, the film's producers Pegasus Motion Pictures have taken the rather ballsy step of creating a completely CGI version of the iconic martial artist to appear alongside Yen. This move has been challenged by Bruce Lee Enterprises, but producers insist that Lee's brother Robert - a consultant on the film - owns the star's intellectual property rights. As yet, however, we are still waiting to see an image of the all new CG Lee.

Ip Man 3, which also features rising star Max Zhang (The Grandmaster, SPL 2) is currently set for release in Hong Kong on 25 December 2015.

http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2015/09/10455662_10153550368464174_2118547193322355848_n-thumb-630xauto-57281.jpg
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http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2015/09/12002060_10153550370194174_9091713062401782938_n-thumb-630xauto-57282.jpg


The Digital Dragon issue is very intriguing as it may well set a precedent. Also, it makes our 2000 March 'Digital Dragon' issue (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=111) somewhat prophetic, even though that was 15 years ago when the second paragraph opened with the header "WHAT IS DVD?" Man, The Times They Are A-Changin'...

[GeneChing]

https://www.facebook.com/2015ipman3/videos/1505312926445878/

[boxerbilly]

Pretty ridiculous, if you ask me. Bruce Lee was a man, but now he's been turned into a mere product. I heard something about even his former students are no longer allowed to use the name 'Bruce Lee' when they mention their late teacher, or else they can be sued. It's only a matter of time before nobody can say or write the name without facing litigation from Linda. I wonder if she'll start suing everybody who is also coincidentally named Bruce Lee.

It's more than ridiculous, actually. It's crossed the line into despicable.

Bruce Lee ! Jeet Kune Do. Jun Fan. Now if I am lucky enough to be sued I may get the chance to meet Bruce Lee's widow and daughter.

edit: If people are using her husbands name or likeness for financial gain then she should either get a cut or refuse usage. She got screwed plenty for many years. If some guy learned from Bruce Lee then he should have the right to say and advertise that provided it is true. If people teach Jun Fan then they should be allowed to use it. For them to have to join and organization or pay dues is simply wrong but that would also mean they are excluded from those events and that is right. Trust me, there is no one getting rich teaching Bruce Lee material. Movies and merchandise, YES ! Still to this day he makes bucks.

[PalmStriker]

:confused::confused::confused: Wilson Yip can come up with someone to play Ip Man but unlike all the other Bruce Lee spinoff movies in the past can't just pick one of the long lineup of Bruce lee Wannabee's? Elivis has left the room for good this time. Cheezy. The Industry could find an actor to portray Confucius in a recent release but no actors are worthy enough to play B_ _ _ _ L_ _? Go figure.

[PalmStriker]

:D Of course it will be cool to see a Bruce Lee Robot starring in science fiction movies down the road. HDVirtual Lee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAN5EmYKFQ0

[GeneChing]

Mike Tyson Kung-Fu Fightin'
... In Brand New Action Flick (http://www.tmz.com/2015/10/01/mike-tyson-kung-fu-fightin-in-brand-new-action-flick/)
10/1/2015 10:01 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

http://ll-media.tmz.com/2015/10/01/100115-mike-tyson-primary-2.jpg

Mike Tyson's boxing days are over, but he's proving his fists still have fury ... starring in a new Kung-Fu flick alongside some of the biggest names in martial arts movie history.

The trailer just dropped for "Ip Man 3" ... the follow up to Ip Man 1 and 2 ... and it shows Mike calling punks out to see whose hands are the most lighting fast between a boxer and a Kung-Fu master.

Mike's in some GREAT company ... the movie stars Donnie Yen as Ip Man (The guy that trained Bruce Lee!!) and Sammo Hung, who between them have starred in over 239 movies ... most of which are the flying-kick-to-the-face variety.

Check out the trailer ... you get to see a little vintage Mike workin' the speed bag (he's still got it) but if you wanna see him throw down with the big boys on-screen ... you might need to buy a ticket.

We can't wait.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn3J1y8GLkM


I imagine this is exactly the sort of cross-over IM3 is looking for...

[GeneChing]

It's Donnie and Iron Mike versus Jackie, Johnny and Bingbing (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65866-Skiptrace&p=1288636#post1288636) this xmas. :cool:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bt1dPobBYo

[GeneChing]

Once again, courtesy of WellGoUSA (http://wellgousa.com/theatrical/ipman3#showtimes)



http://wellgousa.com/sites/default/files/theatrical/Heropage-980x560_43.jpg

Synopsis

Donnie Yen (upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2) ignites the screen in a return to the role that made him an icon - as Ip Man, the real-life Wing Chun grandmaster who mentored Bruce Lee. In this explosive third installment of the blockbuster martial arts series, when a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer (Mike Tyson) make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand. Fists will fly as some of the most incredible fight scenes ever filmed play out on the big screen in this soon-to-be genre classic.

Director: Wilson Yip
Cast: Donnie Yen
Producer: Bak-Ming Wong
Genre: Action & Adventure, Foreign
Sub Genre: Biography, Martial Arts
Theatrical Date: Jan 22, 2016
Original Language: Cantonese
Subtitle: English

[boxerbilly]

it's donnie and iron mike versus jackie, johnny and bingbing (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65866-skiptrace&p=1288636#post1288636) this xmas. :cool:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bt1dpobbyo

cool..............

[GeneChing]

...including Bruce!

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12316298_900529286682967_6750610575839283028_n.jpg ?oh=b596f7a0d0a8df7eedb2f7ca90c1a1ae&oe=5720A3FE
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[PalmStriker]

GET READY ! :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKoPwo9mofA

[GeneChing]

Here's the list from the Well Go USA (http://wellgousa.com/theatrical/ipman3) site. This is a big opening for them.


USA THEATER LOCATION

January 22, 2016
ALASKA

Bear Tooth Theatrepub
1230 W 27th Ave
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 276-4200

ATLANTA

AMC Phipps Plaza 14
3500 Peachtree Rd
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 231-1492

Regal Cinemas Hollywood 24
3265 Northeast Expy NE
Chamblee, GA 30341
(844) 462-7342

AMC Southlake 24
7065 Mt Zion Cir
Morrow, GA 30260

AUSTIN

Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
1120 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 861-7040

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Lakeline
14028 US-183
Austin, TX 78717
(512) 861-7070

BALTIMORE

Cinemark Egyptian 24
7000 Arundel Mills Cir
Hanover, MD 21076
(443) 755-8990

BLOOMINGTON

AMC Showplace Bloomington 11
1351 S College Mall Rd
Bloomington, IN 47401

BOSTON

AMC Loews Boston Common 19
175 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 423-5801

BUFFALO

Regal Cinemas Elmwood Center 16
2001 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY 14207
(844) 462-7342

CHARLOTTE

AMC Concord Mills 24
8421 Concord Mills Blvd.,
Concord, NC 28027
(704) 979-0200

Regal Cinemas Ballantyne Village 5
14815 Ballantyne Village Way
Charlotte, NC 28277
(844) 462-7342

CLEVELAND

Cinemark At Valley View And XD
6001 Canal Rd
Valley View, OH 44125
(216) 447-8820

CHICAGO

AMC River East 21
322 East Illinois Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 596-0333

COLUMBUS

AMC Lennox Town Center 24
777 Kinnear Rd
Columbus, OH 43212

DALLAS

AMC Grapevine Mills
3150 Grapevine Mills Parkway
Grapevine, TX 76051
(972) 539-5909

AMC Mesquite 30
19919 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy
Mesquite, TX 75149
(972) 329-3992

Angelika Film Center
5321 E Mockingbird Ln
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 841-4713

Cinemark Legacy
7201 North Central Expressway
Plano, TX 75025

DENVER

Sie FilmCenter
2510 E Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80206

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Littleton
7301 S Santa Fe Dr
Littleton, CO 80120
(303) 730-2470

DETROIT

Historic Howell Theater
315 E Grand River Ave
Howell, MI 48843
(517) 579-2355

EL PASO

Santikos Silverado IMAX
24720 TX-249
Tomball, TX 77375
(281) 290-0077

HAWAII

Consolidated Theatres Kahala 8
4211 Waialae Avenue #3080
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 733-6243

Pearlridge West 16
98-1005 Moanalua Road
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 483-5339

HOUSTON

AMC Gulf Point 30
11801 South Sam Houston Pkwy E
Houston, TX 77089

AMC Studio 30
2949 Dunvale
Houston, TX 77063
(713) 977-4431

Santikos Palladium AVX Entertainment
7301 West Grand Parkway South
Richmond, TX 77407
(281) 239-4200

IRVINE

Edwards University Town Center 6
4245 Campus Drive, University Center
Irvine, CA 92612
(844) 462-7342

KNOXVILLE

Regal Cinemas Downtown West 8
1640 Downtown W Blvd
Knoxville, TN 37919
(844) 462-7342

LANSING

NCG Eastwood Cinemas
2500 Showtime Dr
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 316-9100

LAS VEGAS

AMC Town Square 18
6587 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 362-7283

LOS ANGELES

AMC Burbank Town Center 6
770 North 1st Street
Burbank, CA 91501

AMC Puente Hills 20
1560 South Azusa Avenue
City of Industry, CA 91748

AMC Atlantic Time Square
450 N Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 407-0240

AMC Orange 30
20 City Blvd West
Orange, CA 92868

Laemmle Playhouse 7
673 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101

Cinemark 18 & XD
6081 Center Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 568-3394

MCALLEN

Cinemark Hollywood 17 + XD
100 W Nolana Ave
McAllen, TX 78504
(956) 682-9438

MIAMI

AMC Aventura 24
19501 Biscayne Blvd #3001
Aventura, FL 33180
(305) 466-9880

NEW ORLEANS

AMC Elmwood Palace 20
1200 Elmwood Park Blvd
Harahan, LA 70123

NEW YORK CITY

AMC Empire 25
234 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036

IFC Center
323 6th Ave
New York, NY 10014
(212) 924-7771

College Point Multiplex Cinemas
2855 Ulmer St
Flushing, NY 11354

NEW JERSEY

AMC Jersey Gardens 20
651 Kapkowski Road
Elizabeth, NJ 07201

PHILADELPHIA

UA Riverview Plaza Stadium 17
1400 S Christopher Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19147

AMC Neshaminy 24
660 Neshaminy Mall
Bensalem, PA 19020
(215) 396-8050

AMC Cherry Hill 24
2121 NJ-38
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
(856) 486-7420

Cinemark University City 6
230 S 40th St
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 386-0869

PHOENIX

Harkins Arizona Mills
5000 S Arizona Mills Cir
Tempe, AZ 85282

Victory Theatre
555 E Entertainment Ave
Safford, AZ 85546
(928) 428-1503

PITTSBURGH

Hollywood Theater Dormont
1449 Potomac Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15216
(412) 563-0368

AMC Waterfront
300 West Waterfront Dr.
West Homestead, PA 15120

PORTLAND

Kiggins Theatre
1011 Main St
Vancouver, WA 98660
(360) 737-3161

Regal Cinemas Fox Tower 10
846 SW Park Ave
Portland, OR 97205
(844) 462-7342

RALEIGH-DURHAM

AMC Southpoint 17
8030 Renaissance Pkwy
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 313-6627

SAN DIEGO

AMC La Jolla 12
8657 Villa La Jolla Dr #129
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 458-1098

AMC Mission Valley 20
1640 Camino Del Rio N
San Diego, CA 92108

SAN FRANCISCO / BAY AREA

Landmark Shattuck Cinemas
2230 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 644-2992

AMC Metreon 16
35 4th St Suite 3000
San Francisco, CA 94103

Camera 3
288 S Second St
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 294-3334

Century 25 Union Landing & XD
32100 Union Landing Blvd
Union City, CA 94587
(510) 487-9347

Cinemark 20 Great Mall
1010 Great Mall Dr
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 942-7441

Four Star
2200 Clement St
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 666-3488

Cinemark Century 20 Daly City
1901 Junipero Serra Blvd.
Daly City, CA 94015
(650)994-2488

SEATTLE

AMC Pacific Place 11
600 Pine Street - Ste 400
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 652-8908

Cinemark Century Federal Way
2001 S Commons
Federal Way, WA 98003
(253) 946-0942

SANTA FE

Regal Cinemas DeVargas Mall Cinema 6
562 N Guadalupe St
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(844) 462-7342

WASHINGTON, D.C.

AMC Hoffman Center 22
206 Swamp Fox Rd
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 236-1083

AMC Loews Rio Cinemas 18
9811 Washingtonian Ctr
Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Angelika Film Center at Mosaic
2911 District Ave
Fairfax, VA 22031
(571) 512-3301

Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market
550 Penn St NE
Washington, DC 20002
(571) 512-3313

February 4, 2016
SYRACUSE

Cornell Cinema
104 Willard Straight Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3522

January 27, 2016
SOUTH DAKOTA

Sioux Falls - Indievents
214 W 10th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(605) 274-0700


February 5, 2016
ALBUQUERQUE

Guild Cinema
3405 Central Ave NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
(505) 255-1848

CHICAGO

Normal Theater
209 W North St
Normal, IL 61761
(309) 454-9720

CANADA THEATER LOCATION

January 22, 2016
OTTAWA

Mayfair Theatre
1074 Bank St
Ottawa, ON K1S 3X3, Canada

TORONTO

Cineplex Scotiabank
259 Richmond St W

Cineplex Cinemas Winston Churchill
2081 Winston Park Dr
Oakville, ON L6H 6P5, Canada
+1 905-829-2009

Cineplex Cinemas Scarborough
Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Drive, Scarborough
ON, M1P 4P5 Canada
416-290-5217

Cineplex Cinemas Markham & VIP
79 Enterprise Blvd #169
Markham, ON L6G 0E7, Canada

VANCOUVER

Cineplex Cinemas SilverCity Riverport
14211 Entertainment Way
Richmond, BC V6W 1K4, Canada

Cineplex Cinemas Odeon International Village
3, 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9, Canada

ALBERTA

Cinema City Movies 12
5074 130 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5A 5A9, Canada
+1 780-472-9779

Cineplex Odeon Sunridge Spectrum Cinemas
2555 32 St NE #400
Calgary, AB T1Y 7J6, Canada
+1 403-717-1200

WINNIPEG

Cinema City Northgate
Northgate, 1399 McPhillips St.
Winnipeg, MB R2V 3C4, Canada
+1 204-334-6234

MONTREAL

Cineplex Forum
2313 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest #101
Montréal, QC H3H 1N2, Canada
+1 514-904-1274

[GeneChing]

I was just passed this by a Well Go USA rep. I don't see the offer on the ipman3.com (http://wellgousa.com/theatrical/ipman3) site yet, but if you're in L.A. and want to go, keep your eye on this.

9694

[GeneChing]

Read our exclusive coverage: IP MAN 3: I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1277) by Greg Lynch Jr.

[GeneChing]

Oh Donnie. That suit! :eek:


‘Ip Man 3’ Actor Mike Tyson Believes His Fighting Background Gave Him an Edge (http://variety.com/2016/scene/news/mike-tyson-ip-man-3-premiere-1201685016/)

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/mike-tyson-and-donnie-yen-ip-man-3-premiere.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1
BUCHAN/VARIETY/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

JANUARY 21, 2016 | 01:48PM PT
Margaret Lenker
The third installment of the “Ip Man” series premiered Wednesday in Los Angeles at the Pacific Theaters at the Grove. While the movie bowed in Hong Kong over the holidays, both Donnie Yen (Ip Man) and Mike Tyson (Frank) attended the Los Angeles debut of “Ip Man 3,” with much appreciation from fans.

Before the screening, Well Go SVP Jason Pfardrescher led the audience in a classic “Ip Man” chant, complete with a brief Kung Fu move. Both Yen and Tyson introduced the film, eliciting applause from the audience.

“Ip Man 3” follows the iconic character Ip Man — the real-life Wing Chun Kung Fu master who mentored Bruce Lee — as he defends his son’s school when a band of gangsters led by crook Frank attempt to take over the city.

Although “Ip Man 3” has an abundance of Wing Chun Kung Fu, Yen explains he is an actor first, and a martial arts professional second. “I mean at the end of the day, acting is acting, right? The most important [aspect] is just playing the character,” Yen said. “I think there’s an advantage of being a martial arts actor, because not only do you have to craft your acting skills, but you’ve also got to know enough of martial arts.”

Yen’s mother was his first martial arts instructor, and he’s thankful for what his mother instilled in him. “I think from a martial arts background, my mom gave me a very strong foundation,” Yen said. “Of course, I thank my mom for giving me that kind of family background.”

Tyson retired from fighting in 2005, but has returned to the spotlight through acting. After appearing in pieces such as “The Hangover,” “Entourage” and his one-man show on Broadway, “Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth,” Tyson explained his fighting background has helped his new ventures. “I’m used to being under pressure,” Tyson said. “I’m pretty composed. I believe that gave me an edge.”

Tyson and Yen duke it out in the film, each using his own skill. “If those two have to go head-to-head, that’s going to be a fight,” co-host of “American Ninja Warrior,” Akbar Gbaja-Biamila said. “That’s going to get me out of my seat. That’s too much action for one movie.”

Some of Tyson’s friends attended the premiere to support the new actor. Boxer Danny Musico was 14 years old when he first met Tyson at a training facility in Upstate New York, and he explained his utter excitement for Tyson’s success and appreciation for the martial arts in “Ip Man 3.” “That’s what I actually really love about this movie,” Musico said. “It’s them doing their own fight scenes. A lot of it is they just keep the cameras going when they’re doing it. You wouldn’t know if it’s supposed to be or not supposed to be. It’s just them naturally being fighters.”

[GeneChing]

January 22, 2016
Mike Tyson on Hoverboard Fail: ‘My Pride Was Hurt' (http://extratv.com/videos/0-buwo9od8/)


http://extratv.com/videos/0_buwo9od8

On Thursday, “Extra’s” Charissa Thompson sat down with Mike Tyson and Donnie Yen at Universal Studios Hollywood, where they promoted their film, “Ip Man 3.”

Tyson recently made headlines for falling off his hoverboard... with the clip posted on his Instagram. On the incident Mike shared, “Well, my pride was hurt pretty bad.”

“Ip Man 3” hits theaters today!



Talking 'bout IP3 so naturally the headline is 'hoverboard fail' :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

The ezine articles don't really count, but Greg was spot on about Tyson's voice in his review for us (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1277). Tyson's English was his usual lithpy self but the Chinese was distractingly deeper. His whole story arc was oddly superfluous in the end, surpringly not even the finale fight, but did provide an excuse for a lot of gratuitous fight scenes, just as oppressive mob bosses do in martial arts flicks.

IP3 had such Chinese melodrama and yet that didn't get too distracting from the action, although only barely so. Perhaps I was forgiving because of its random artsy strokes - the moth on the dummy, the lost red balloon, the focus on the water glass, the relationships with the kids. There was more of a love story than I anticipated, but such is the Chinese palette in movies nowadays. This will probably put out the narrow martial arts flick fans who aren't as tuned into Asian film right now.

The fights were good - very YWP with his wire-fu defiance of physics, but some satisfyingly long complicated single-shot sequences were delivered. Donnie is still strong in the role.

I enjoyed it overall and it tempts me to revisit parts 1 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52218-Ip-Man-starring-Donnie-Yen) & 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?56421-Ip-Man-2). 3 wasn't as good as 1 (if memory serves) but decent closure from 2.

[Jimbo]

I actually liked part 3 better than part 2.

I had been expecting Mike Tyson to play a much bigger role, meaning, as an arch-villain. But it was fun to see him fighting in a HK/Chinese movie. However, Mike was an anachronism in 1959 Hong Kong. He was like a modern guy who took a time machine back to the late '50s, rather than a person of the time.

They screwed up the Bruce Lee timeline. If I'm not mistaken, BL actually began WC around 1954 or so, and he had already left HK by '59. But then again, it's clear these Ip Man movies are not intended as accurate biographies.

I didn't mind the drama. IMO, this was Donnie's most human portrayal of Ip Man.

Yuen Woo Ping's choreography is better here than it has been in years. I had started to believe he had run out of ideas, based on most of his work in recent years.

If I have a gripe, it's that these Ip Man movies portray all non-Wing Chun CMA as worse than useless. In part 3, the styles most obviously taken shots at are CLF and Mantis. Even though CLf isn't mentioned by name, it's very clear they're showing it as such, by Mike's right-hand thug and his sifu, played by Leung Kar-Yan. Not only are these portrayals unfair, but also completely inaccurate and biased. Why in the hell would any of these other "sifu" have had students at all if all their arts sucked so badly? I'm asking this in relation to the 'reality' that the movie's characters inhabit. In the movie's version of reality, surely everyone would've figured out long ago how badly the other teachers and their styles sucked, right? The Ip Man movies even portray foreign arts as superior to CMA (again, except for WC). Japanese Karate, Western boxing, Muay Thai. So while the first two Ip Man films masqueraded as Chinese pride films, in reality they were only WC pride films.

*Speaking of anachronisms, another one that nobody but a knife aficionado would spot is the automatic knife (switchblade) pulled out by the right-hand thug. I couldn't tell if it was quality or a cheapie, but it is clearly of modern design.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMM6pptgbi0

[GeneChing]

Just like Monkey King 2 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?67299-Monkey-King-2&p=1290477#post1290477), we got in theaters first. It's a wild time for the Chinese and U.S. film market.


China Box Office: “Ip Man 3” Could Be Hurt By Piracy and Impending Blu-ray Release (http://www.movieswithbutter.com/blogs/china-box-office-“ip-man-3”-could-be-hurt-piracy-and-impending-blu-ray-release-1202334)
Posted 3:18 PM March 1st, 2016 by Senh Duong

http://www.movieswithbutter.com/sites/default/files/images/ipman3.preview.jpg

Originally, Donnie Yen’s “Ip Man 3” was supposed to be released in China on December 24, 2015. But inexplicably, it was pulled weeks before that date, and pushed to March 4, 2016 -- this coming Friday.

Maybe the distributor felt that the period between those dates were too competitive, jam-packed with potential hits. In hindsight, if that was their reason, then they were right. That period produced ten films that grossed over $100M each: “Devil and Angle” ($100M); “Mr. Six” ($137M); “Mojin - The Lost Legend” ($256M); “Detective Chin Tang” ($125M); “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($125M); “Kung Fu Panda 3” ($150M); “The Monkey King 2” ($179M); “From Macau to Vegas 3” ($168M); and of course, the record-breaking “Mermaid” ($488M).

If it’s any consolation to the producers of “Ip Man 3,” Jackie Chan’s action-comedy “Skiptrace” was also suddenly pulled from the same release date. Chan’s film currently does not have a date set for China.

Delaying the release of “Ip Man 3” two months later produces several problems for its producers that could impact the film’s performance at the box office.

First, they would have to redo all of their marketing materials.

Second, I’m not sure if Yen can still promote it as his last martial arts film when he and the film’s producers have repeatedly said that “Ip Man 4” is “very likely” now because of its recording-breaking success in regions nearby China during its initial release.

Third, the film has already been pirated and shared online. On one of the pirate sites, the downloads have already exceeded 400,000.

Finally, neighboring countries will release the “Ip Man 3” blu-ray within weeks of its China theatrical debut. Soon, there’ll be crystal clear versions of the film floating around online. The distributors will try to combat that by showing the film primarily in 3D, which is still a thing in China.

Less of a factor might be the fact that another Donnie Yen movie, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,” was released only a few weeks ago and is still playing.

So how much does “Ip Man 3” need to make in order to break even? The film cost $36M to produce. The film company generally gets 45% of the box office. It has already grossed around $30M in foreign markets. All it needs from China is $50M if we’re basing this solely on theatrical revenue and excluding marketing cost and video sales.

That’s very doable even with the piracy and blu-ray issues because the China market has expanded so much since the first two installments. Since “Ip Man 2,” China’s film market has grown from $1.5B to $6.8B. “Ip Man” (2008) and “Ip Man 2” (2010) grossed $14M and $30M, respectively. Although those figures seem modest now, they were blockbusters in their respective years.

Even though “Ip Man 3” only needs to “roll punch” $50M in ticket sales from the China audience to break even, I think it still needs to get to $100M in order for it to be considered a hit nowadays. And that figure could be affected by online piracy and the impending blu-ray release. We’ll see in a few days.

(Box office figures from Entgroup.cn)

[GeneChing]

It is strangely gratifying to have seen this before China. :cool:


On Screen China: ‘Ip Man 3’ Will Give a Kung-Fu Kick to March Box-Office Blues (http://chinafilminsider.com/on-screen-china-ip-man-3-will-give-a-kung-fu-kick-to-the-march-box-office-blues/)
Home/Featured Stories, Home Page Slider/On Screen China: ‘Ip Man 3’ Will Give a Kung-Fu Kick to March Box-Office Blues
By Jonathan Papish|March 3rd, 2016

Typically slow month for theaters will get a boost from Ip Man 3, though two-month release delay means pirated copies are out there
CFI predicts roughly RMB 4 billion ($615 million) in total box-office revenues for March
Disney’s Zootopia message may be lost across cultures

http://i0.wp.com/chinafilminsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/PastedGraphic-12_1200x750.jpg?w=1200
(Courtesy Ip Man 3 Weibo)

The month of March should come in like a lion for the Chinese box office this year. Historically it has been one of the colder months for moviegoing, as it follows the busy peak of the Lunar New Year’s rush, with March 2015 brining in in ticket sales of just RMB 2.88 billion ($440 million), the second lowest monthly total of 2015. This year, however, looks to change the trend as several films with breakout potential arrive in theaters, including Friday’s hotly anticipated new release, Ip Man 3.

China Film Insider is predicting around RMB 4 billion ($615 million) in total box-office revenues for the month of March, which will be bolstered by the box office performance of Ip Man 3 and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which secured a rare day-and-date release with North America on March 25.

Below, CFI takes a look at this weekend’s two biggest releases — Ip Man 3 and Disney Animation’s Zootopia, also opening simultaneously with North America.

Ip Man 3 (叶问3) 3D
China Distribution: Danyinmu Film Distribution (大银幕电影发行控股有限公司)
U.S. Distribution: Well Go USA

CFI Score – 7/10


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo7z8c87Egg

Chinese A-lister Donnie Yen (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) returns as Yip Man, the beloved martial arts master to Bruce Lee, after a six-year hiatus, with director Wilson Yip at the helm again. The previous two installments were incredibly well-received by mainland audiences — 2008’s Ip Man surprised analysts by grossing more than RMB 100 million ($15 million), a rare feat at the time, and Ip Man 2 was the fifth highest-grossing Chinese-language film for 2010 with RMB 232 million ($35.5 million).

Rookie distributor Danyinmu’s decision to delay Ip Man 3’s original Christmas Eve release date has been met with some doubts amongst critical Ip Man fans. While that avoided putting the film in competition with a raft of high-performing holiday hits in mainland China, the two-month delay has meant that pirated copies are already available online since the film was released across Asia at that time, and in the U.S. a month later. In addition, Hong Kong will be releasing an official Blu-Ray in the coming weeks, giving fans less of incentive to go to Chinese cinemas as there will be better quality unauthorized copies available.

Still, we believe the hype built up in neighboring Asian countries will help Ip Man 3 easily outstrip last year’s SPL 2: A Time of Consequences (RMB 561 million) as the top Chinese-language action film in history. Ip Man 3 already beat Star Wars: The Force Awakens in several markets during the martial arts-action movie’s opening weekend and broke records for the highest-grossing Chinese-language film of all time in Singapore and Malaysia.

The inclusion of American boxer Mike Tyson — who is surprisingly huge in China with over 1.5 million Weibo followers — will also entice casual walk-ins from a moviegoing public looking for something a little different after a month with the same few films dominating the screens. Tyson’s previous forays into the Chinese media landscape have included a valiant effort at promoting his new video game in Chinese as well as being the spokesperson for a Beijing-based cold medicine company.

[GeneChing]

...fraud allegations again (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68878-Monster-Hunt&p=1289226#post1289226). :rolleyes:


China Box Office: 'Ip Man 3' Opens to $75M Amid Fraud Allegations, 'The Mermaid' First to Cross $500M (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-ip-man-873060)
9:05 PM PST 3/6/2016 by Patrick Brzeski

http://cdn4.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2015/12/ip_man_3_still.jpg
'Ip Man 3'
Courtesy of Pegasus Motion Pictures

'Zootopia,' meanwhile, gave Disney Animation its highest China debut ever, pulling in $23.5 million and earning rave local reviews.

Ip Man 3, the latest installment of the hit Hong Kong martial-arts franchise starring Donnie Yen, punched its way to a massive opening weekend in mainland China.

The fight flick, which was produced by Pegasus Motion Pictures and includes the stunt casting of Mike Tyson as a bone-crunching villain, grossed $71.5 million from Friday to Sunday, according to estimates from Beijing-based box-office monitor Ent Group.

The film's high-flying rollout has been marred by widespread allegations of fraud, however.

Several major media outlets, including the state-backed China Daily, carried reports Monday alleging that Ip Man 3's Chinese distributor, Dayinmu Film Distribution, orchestrated an audacious scheme to enhance the film's perceived performance.

The distributor is accused of bulk-buying discount tickets to its own film through various cinema chains across the country. The theater chains then scheduled multiple "ghost screenings" after midnight, with ticket prices set to the highest rates to ensure that the title racked up major revenue. China Daily ran a screen grab from a Chinese mobile ticketing service showing weekend screenings for Ip Man 3 running from 5:40 p.m. to 11:25 p.m. and charging about $6 per seat (38 Chinese yuan) — a common discounted online rate for a movie ticket in much of China — followed by two additional screenings at 12:50 a.m. and 12:56 a.m. asking for a suspiciously steep $31 per seat (203 yuan).

Some cinemas are alleged to have scheduled "sold-out" Ip Man 3 screenings every 10 minutes from midnight to 2 a.m. Reports of other alleged tactics include less desirable front row and aisle seats having been mysteriously sold out in advance to many Ip Man 3 screenings, and cinema chains in smaller regional markets reporting much larger grosses for the film than they have for other recent blockbusters.

Chinese distributors have been accused of deploying such tactics in the past. Most notably, Edko Films admitted to buying some 40 million tickets to last summer's CGI fantasy blockbuster Monster Hunt, which eventually unseated Furious 7 to become China's top-grossing film ever. The studio apologized and said those involved in the activity would be reprimanded.

Although bribing cinemas and mass-buying tickets to one's own films undoubtedly makes for hefty marketing expenses, the investment is believed to pay off if the mainstream Chinese attendance begins to regard the "hit" picture as an event film not to be missed.

Last October, China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which oversees the country's media and entertainment sectors, said that it would introduce stricter regulation to improve oversight of ticket sales at cinemas. Wrongdoers would be blacklisted and their names made public, the regulators said.

READ MORE China Box Office Pulls in Massive $1B in February, Topping North America
Both SARFT and China Film Group, the country's dominant state-backed distributor, issued statements Monday saying they have begun investigating unspecified allegations of box-office fraud.

"We have received many complaints about box office fraud," said the SARFT statement. "We will nullify box office returns as necessary and punish the cinemas, distributors and film companies involved, depending on the seriousness of the offense."

SARFT Film Bureau head Zhang Hongsen also posted an ominously worded message via WeChat, writing: "It was not easy for the Chinese film market to get to the point where it is today. We should treat it with respect."

China Daily's report further alleges that the inflation of Ip Man 3's gross may be part of an even larger accounting scandal, whereby the distributor's parent company, Kuali Group, sought to temporarily inflate the value of one or more of its publicly listed subsidiaries.

Despite the hand-wringing and industry turmoil surrounding Ip Man 3, the Chinese film sector also had much to celebrate over the weekend. Stephen Chow's conservation-themed romantic comedy, The Mermaid, became the first-ever film to gross more than $500 million in China.

The film crossed the half-billion threshold on Saturday and pulled in $9.9 million for the full weekend, lifting its record-breaking cumulative gross to $505 million (3.29 billion Chinese yuan) after 28 days in Chinese cinemas, according to data from Ent Group.

The astounding performance gives The Mermaid membership in an elite group of just six other films that have earned more than $500 million from a single territory, not accounting for inflation. They are: Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($928.8 million), Avatar ($749.8 million), Titanic ($600.8 million), Jurassic World ($652 million), The Avengers ($623.4 million), and The Dark Knight ($533.3 million).

The Mermaid's record run comes amid rapid growth in the Chinese movie market as a whole. In February, the Chinese box office took in $1.05 billion, surpassing North America's monthly haul ($798.6 million) for the second time in history. At its current rate of growth, China's theatrical market is expected to surpass North America as the world's largest sometime in early 2017.

On Feb. 20, The Mermaid pushed past Monster Hunt, from director Raman Hui, to become the all-time top-grossing film at the Chinese box office. Monster Hunt grossed $373.7 million last summer (2.44 billion Chinese yuan), unseating prior record holder Furious 7's $371.7 (2.43 billion yuan). (Local Chinese currency is used to track box-office records, as the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar fluctuates considerably).

Blending Chow's signature brand of ribald humor with a love story and an environmentalist message, The Mermaid centers on a billionaire playboy (Deng Chao) who buys a dolphin preserve with the intention of illegally developing it. A beautiful mermaid (played by newcomer Jelly Lin) plots to protect the aquatic paradise by seducing and assassinating the tycoon — but her plans go awry after she falls in love with him. The film was produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures and China Film Group.

The Mermaid can be expected to extend its record slightly over the coming weeks. According to a statement from China Film Group released last Thursday, the film has been granted permission to screen for an additional three months in Chinese cinemas. In China's highly regulated film market, the gesture is akin to giving Chow and his producers permission to take a few victory laps.

Zootopia, meanwhile, outshone local expectations, giving Disney Animation its biggest China opening ever with a second-place weekend haul of $23.5 million, according to Ent Group. Outstanding word of mouth surrounding the title — it currently has sky high ratings of 8.8 and 9.4, the highest of any title in wide release, on reviews aggregators Mtime and Douban, respectively — bodes well for a strong hold next weekend.

[GeneChing]

So much for the ghost screening strategy. :o


`Ip Man' Investor Sinks 37% Amid Reports of Chinese Probe (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-10/-ip-man-3-investor-sinks-on-reports-china-probing-ticket-sales)
Young-Sam Cho
March 9, 2016 — 8:50 PM PST Updated on March 10, 2016 — 1:38 AM PST

Shares tumble by a record in H.K. after surging almost 700%
Xinhua New Agency says watchdog examining box office sales

Shifang Holding Ltd., which owns rights to the "Ip Man 3" martial-arts film, plunged by a record in Hong Kong trading after Chinese media reported the government is investigating whether the movie’s box-office receipts have been artificially inflated via ticketing fraud.
The stock tumbled 37 percent to close at HK$1.19 in Hong Kong, taking its losses this week to 67 percent. Shares in the Fujian province-based company had surged almost 700 percent in the previous five months.
China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported this week that the film-industry watchdog is probing allegations of fraud after the movie, which stars Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson, raked in more than 500 million yuan ($77 million) within four days after its debut. The Xinhua report didn’t say where it got the information.

http://assets.bwbx.io/images/iGOgE.c6RaHY/v2/-1x-1.png

On Tuesday, Shifang said in a statement that it doesn’t participate in any distribution or release activities of the film and that some online media reports about the movie’s box office results in China may have "greatly affected the reputation of the company."
Shifang is entitled to 55 percent of the movie’s net box office income in China, according to the statement.
Representatives at Shifang and China’s State Administration of Press, Publication Radio, Film and Television didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Late last month, the publishing and advertising company named "Ip Man 3" producer Shi Jianxiang as its chairman and days later issued a press release discussing the stock’s surge over the past few months. Shi, 51, is also chairman of Shanghai Kuailu Investment Group Co. and served as a member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, according to Shifang.

[Jimbo]

That is too bad. But I guess I'm not surprised. I have doubts that KF/MA-related movies are anywhere near as popular in China as are non-MA related movies. I suspect that even in China, KF/MA movies are a niche market.

[GeneChing]

China Punishes ‘Ip Man 3’ Distributor For Box Office Manipulation (http://variety.com/2016/film/asia/china-punishes-ip-man-3-box-office-fraud-1201734787/)
Patrick Frater
Asia Bureau Chief

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/ip-man-3-movie-review.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1
COURTESY OF MANDARIN FILMS
MARCH 19, 2016 | 09:13PM PT
Chinese authorities have punished film distributor Beijing Max Screen for manipulating the box office of recently released “Ip Man 3.”

The company is to be suspended from releasing films for a month, according to a statement from regulator, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

A special panel tasked by SAPPRFT probed the release of “Ip Man 3” which was reported to have earned a gross of over $70 million in its first three days of release. But other cinemagoers and other distributors rapidly cried foul and pointed to manipulation.

According to state news agency Xinhua, Max Screen has now admitted to having bought up $8.61 million (RMB56 million) of tickets to its own film and to have helped create the appearance of 7,600 more screenings, so called ‘ghost screenings,’ that really took place.

SAPPRFT has also given warnings to three online ticketing agencies and to some 73 cinemas, which had participated in the manipulation. Their names will be published on a website.

Box office reporting in China has often been clouded with suspicion, something made possible by the rapid pace of cinema building, incompatible ticketing and reporting systems and simply the vast scale of the business.

However, it is not always clear when it is being manipulated up, in order to inflate a film’s appearance of success and create buzz, or down in order to reduce or avoid revenue sharing and tax payments.

In the case of “Ip Man 3” there was a clear incentive to inflate the figures. The chairman of Max Screen is Shi Jianxing, who is also chairman of Hong Kong-listed firm ShiFang, which in turn has a contract that gives it 55% participation in the theatrical revenues, not net profits, of “Ip Man 3” in mainland China.

“Dozens of cinemas received punishment, ranging from warnings to removal of funding support and business suspension, for box office fraud in 2015” Xinhua said. “Earlier this year, authorities launched a campaign targeting box office misconduct, unlicensed copying and recording of films as well as poor screening quality.”

This is so silly. Only China... :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

Thu Mar 31, 2016 6:51am EDT
Unpaid Chinese investors descend on offices of martial arts movie backer (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-film-idUSKCN0WX18V)
SHANGHAI | BY JAKE SPRING

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160331&t=2&i=1129128994&w=976&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC2U0SJ
A man performs during a promotional event for the movie 'Ip Man 3' in Beijing, China, March 1, 2016.
REUTERS/STRINGER

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160331&t=2&i=1129128996&w=976&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC2U0SL
Actors Donnie Yen (5th R) and Mike Tyson (centre L) attend a promotional event for the movie "Ip Man 3" with other actors and crew members in Beijing, China, March 1, 2016.
CHINA STRINGER NETWORK

More than 100 Chinese investors descended on the Shanghai offices of Jinlu Financial Advisors on Thursday demanding their money back from investments, including those tied to a martial arts film whose box office figures were inflated.

Investors on the scene told Reuters that the asset manager invested in movies, real estate and various other sectors and had failed to pay out on investments maturing on or after March 25. They said they had not been informed of reasons for the delayed payments.

According to the investors and Chinese media reports, those movies include Ip Man 3, whose distributor admitted last week to buying 56 million yuan ($8.66 million) in tickets to bump up sales.

The Chinese film industry has been "blighted" by cinemas and distributors cheating to inflate box office figures through accounting ploys or other tricks, such as claiming ticket sales that exceed an auditorium's capacity, state-owned Xinhua news agency said in its report on the Ip Man 3 fraud last week.

A man at Jinlu Financial Advisors who identified himself as working at the company said he wasn't authorized to comment on the matter. Other representatives of the company were unavailable to comment and calls to the financial firm's offices went unanswered.

Cao Luhua, 31, told Reuters his wealth manager called Thursday morning to say it was possible he wouldn't be able to get roughly 1 million yuan invested with Jinlu Financial Advisors back.

Cao said a friend who worked at the company had suggested he invest.

"It's my whole family's money," he said, speaking outside Jinlu's offices as dozens of angry investors came and went.

"This money I wanted to take back to my hometown and start a business with," said Cao, originally from the central Chinese city of Changsha. "One million yuan in Shanghai isn't enough to have a life in Shanghai, you can't buy an apartment."

The incident casts doubt on the rapid growth in Chinese box office sales, which Xinhua said rose to around 44 billion yuan last year, up nearly 50 percent from 2014, at a time when North American ticket sales are slowing.

Investors crowded into Jinlu's offices, filled with shouting and cigarette smoke, as security guards blocked them from entering certain parts of the building.

Most investors said the company had provided no information on why payouts were delayed.

"We're all dazed and confused," said one man, who declined to give his name, saying he had invested 200,000 yuan in the company's products.

($1 = 6.4628 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
This would actually make a good documentary now - all the controversy surrounding this film - it would capture what's happening with Chinese film now very elegantly.

[Jimbo]

On second thought, I'm now wondering if that other Chinese movie, the CGI one about monsters, was also artificially inflated in order for Chinese cinema to be seen as competitive with big U.S. box-office fare like The Avengers, Transformers, etc., franchises. If so, the whole thing is even more embarrassing.

[GeneChing]

Enter to win KungFuMagazine.com's contest for IP MAN Trilogy Steelbook on Blu-Ray and an Autographed IP MAN 3 Poster (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/sweepstakes-ip-man.php)! Contest ends 5:30 p.m. PST on 5/2/2016.

ONE winner will receive IP MAN Trilogy Steelbook on Blu-Ray and an Autographed IP MAN 3 Poster GRAND PRIZE. FOUR runners up will receive IP MAN 3 on DVD.

[GeneChing]

See our WINNERS: Ip Man 3 Grand Prize & Runners Up thread (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69492-WINNERS-Ip-Man-3-Grand-Prize-amp-Runners-Up).

[GeneChing]

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/07/12/magazine/caocao1/caocao1-superJumbo-v2.jpg

The American Who Accidentally Became a Chinese Movie Star (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/magazine/the-american-who-accidentally-became-a-chinese-movie-star.html?_r=0)
The journey of Jonathan Kos-Read, better known as Cao Cao, is a good guide for anyone seeking to make it in China’s budding, chaotic film industry.

By MITCH MOXLEY JULY 14, 2016

Every foreigner living in China has his share of China Stories. Jonathan Kos-Read has more than his share. Here’s one: Not long ago, the 43-year-old American actor received a call with an offer to appear in “Ip Man 3,” the third in a series of biopics about Bruce Lee’s martial-arts master. The role was small, but his agent negotiated what Kos-Read considered an “outrageous” amount of money for it, and the producers agreed. Kos-Read was thrilled until he read the script and noticed another part for a foreign actor — a bigger and better role as a mobster named Frank.

This was troubling. Kos-Read, who is known in China only as Cao Cao, is by far the leading foreign actor working in the country today, having appeared in about 100 movies and television programs since his career began in 1999. He is famous throughout the mainland, and his career has been on a steady upward trajectory. Last December he appeared in the action film “Mojin — The Lost Legend,” currently the fifth-highest-grossing movie in Chinese history. Who, Kos-Read wondered, would the producers have cast instead of him?

Kos-Read sent panicked texts to the movie’s casting director, but they went unanswered. “I felt threatened,” he told me recently, only half kidding. A few days later, he boarded a plane from Beijing to Shanghai to begin filming. When he showed up to the set, the mystery was solved almost immediately: There, slouching on a stool surrounded by a scrum of people, was the former heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson. The retired fighter had been cast, perhaps misguidedly, as Frank. (The Village Voice later described Tyson’s performance in the film as “sadly unimpressive.”) Kos-Read introduced himself and over the next three days developed a bond with Tyson. “He was not at all what I expected,” Kos-Read says. The pair discussed their young daughters, Montessori schools and, inevitably, boxing. They also spoke about self-reinvention, something each man knows quite a bit about.

“Ip Man 3” went on to gross $115 million at the box office in China, with more than half of that coming on the opening weekend. China’s booming movie market grew by nearly 50 percent last year and is expected to surpass North America’s as the largest in the world by next year. These days, Hollywood studios hardly greenlight a blockbuster without first asking, “How will this play in China?” The rewards are too vast. “Furious 7,” for example, earned $390 million in China — more than it made in the United States — and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever in the country.

And just as Hollywood has begun to crack the market, Chinese cinema has come into its own. In recent years, Chinese studios have started shifting away from the agitprop that defined their cinematic output for generations and are instead focusing on genres that draw viewers to theaters in any country: action, adventure, comedy. In February, a sci-fi comedy called “The Mermaid” became the highest-grossing movie ever in China within 12 days of its release, earning more than $430 million. Increasingly, Chinese cinemagoers are opting to buy tickets for movies made specifically for them — like those in the “Ip Man” series — not those that pander to them or lecture them. It is in this sort of film that Kos-Read has finally had the chance to act, rather than portray a stand-in for Western imperiousness. If the Hollywood studios really want to understand how to succeed in China, Kos-Read’s journey makes for a kind of accidental guide.

In January, I met Kos-Read at Beijing Capital International Airport to accompany him on a trip to Yiwu, a trading city in Zhejiang Province, 165 miles from Shanghai. From there we would take a van to Hengdian World Studios, the biggest back lot in the world, where he was filming a new TV series.

Kos-Read was tired. He had flown in a few days before from the Bay Area, where his wife and two young daughters live; the actor now splits time between the United States and China, which he has called home for almost two decades. Kos-Read has wavy brown hair, a thick beard streaked with gray and the kind of broad face that looks good on camera. He curses a lot and often wears a look of deep contemplation that borders on exasperation. As we boarded the plane for our 10:30 p.m. flight, he sported a huge calf-length black parka, which he wears on set — Chinese sets are notoriously frigid in the wintertime — and carried a heavy backpack filled mostly with equipment for photography, a personal hobby. The airplane was only half full. Kos-Read lumbered through the center aisle until he reached the last row, where he heaved his backpack onto a seat and plopped down into another as if he were claiming a spot on a long-distance bus.

During the two-hour flight, Kos-Read drank a few cans of Yanjing Beer and discussed his role in last year’s “Mojin.” In the film, he plays a lawyer to a cult leader. After the first act, he turns into a zombie. It was by far the biggest project of his career, with by far the biggest stars, and it increased his already-formidable exposure in China by degrees of magnitude. On our plane, a flight attendant recognized him from the film. (In California, by contrast, he is basically anonymous outside of Chinatowns.) Kos-Read was happy for the opportunity to appear in such a large movie but was disappointed with his performance, which he believes was adequate but not excellent. “In a lot of TV shows, you just have to spit out the lines, really. But in a big movie, you’ve really got to be good,” he told me. “In my first big movie, I stepped up into the big leagues and hit a single.”

Still, acting in one of the biggest Chinese blockbusters of all time is a long way from where Kos-Read began. Raised in Torrance, Calif., he attended an arts high school, where he got interested in acting. He went on to study film and molecular biology at New York University. There, he took a Mandarin course and became determined to master the language. He moved to Beijing in 1997 and drifted, living for a period in a student dorm and forcing himself to speak nothing but Mandarin for a three-month stretch. “Like everybody else, I arrived and bummed around for two years, not knowing what I was going to do, trying to do a bunch of things, failing,” he says. “Teaching English.”

Not long after he arrived, he began dating a Chinese woman named Li Zhiyin, a finance major in college who later became his wife. On one of their early dates, he picked up an English-language listings magazine and saw an ad seeking a foreign actor for a Chinese movie. Kos-Read had never lost his love for performing, and he thought it could be fun to act in China. He auditioned and got the part, which was supposed to pay the equivalent of about $400 for three months of work. In the movie, called “Mei Shi Zhao Shi” (“Looking for Trouble”), Kos-Read plays an American documentary filmmaker following around a group of disillusioned bohemians. He says it took the producers two years to pay him. But two weeks after the movie wrapped, he landed three months of work on a Chinese soap opera.

There were only a handful of foreign actors working in China at the time, and Kos-Read quickly realized he offered filmmakers there a rare combination of traits. He spoke good Mandarin, was a decent actor and had a look that many Chinese consider typically “American”: six feet tall, square jaw, blue eyes. He was able to make a living in the industry, but his early roles weren’t great. At that stage of his career, most filmmakers still had limited exposure to foreigners and foreign cultures, and his early parts tended to reflect Chinese stereotypes of Westerners. He rarely played bad guys, because there are very few American villains in Chinese movies (those roles tend to go to the woeful cohort of Japanese actors working in China). Instead, Kos-Read was often typecast as a “dumb guy,” he says. Most frequently, he was an arrogant foreign businessman who falls for a local beauty, only to be spurned as she inevitably makes the virtuous choice to stay with her Chinese suitor. Sometimes he played the foreign friend whose presence onscreen is intended to make the main character seem more worldly; Kos-Read dubbed another stock character “the fool,” an arrogant Westerner whose disdain for China is, by the end of the movie, transformed into admiration.

When he was studying Mandarin at N.Y.U., Kos-Read adopted a Chinese moniker, as many language students do. He took his, Cao Cao, from a historical general who is also a central character in one of the country’s most revered classical novels, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” Like a Chinese King Arthur or Davy Crockett, the original Cao Cao exists in fact and fiction and in between. Kos-Read chose the name because it was easy to remember and because he liked that Cao Cao was a wise, self-reliant man. Years later, the decision would prove wise indeed. To his Chinese audience, it showed that the American, despite his loutish onscreen personae, took an interest in their history and culture.



continued next post

[GeneChing]

Kos-Read acted in film and television for almost a decade before he truly found fame. Before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he landed his own segment on a Chinese news program called “Sunday.” Dubbed “Cao Cao Lai Le” (“Here Comes Cao Cao”), the weekly reality bit was designed to help increase the show’s ratings and give it a more international flavor by allowing Chinese viewers to experience their country anew through a foreigner’s eyes. The segment eventually devolved into Kos-Read more or less being goofy in front of the camera and enlisting Chinese people to cut loose with him. In one episode, for example, he trains to be a Hooters girl. (In China, the chain is known as “American Owl Restaurant.”) The show was enormously popular, and soon Kos-Read was being recognized on the street. “One of the reasons I liked ‘Cao Cao Lai Le’ — it was me,” he says. “Instead of playing stupid stereotypes on TV and in movies, I could go out and be me. It’s my personal prejudice that I’m more interesting than the characters I play.”

In 2009, Kos-Read began writing a column called “Token White Guy” for an expat publication, Talk Magazine, in which he chronicled his on- and off-screen adventures. He wrote about the time an acquaintance enlisted him to act in an ad campaign, Kos-Read’s first. His friend told him the product was “some sort of medicine.” Then, Kos-Read showed up on set and read his line, which was written in English: “Do you want to be thicker, longer and harder? Then be like Cao Cao and use Strong Balls Hormone.” (He dropped the ad.) He wrote about the time he was cast to play an English Jew who falls in love with a prostitute and, riddled with guilt, drops to his knees and prays for forgiveness — from Jesus. And the time a Chinese magazine wrote a multi*page, entirely fictitious profile of him, and then emailed him a copy.

“Cao Cao Lai Le” ran for about three years before the struggling “Sunday” dropped it (“Sunday” soon went off the air as well), but it led to better roles in film and TV and a long line of travel-show hosting gigs, which took him to virtually every region of China — from the deserts of the west to the grasslands of the north to the hilly metropolis of Chongqing.


‘Instead of “Jaws,” it’s, like, killing Japanese or hanging out with the emperor’s concubines.’

Hengdian World Studios is sprawling and surreal, covering 8,000 acres and featuring a one-to-one scale model of Beijing’s Forbidden City. “You walk around, and you can’t tell the difference,” Kos-Read told me as we drove past the complex on the way to the set the next morning. Around the lot, different shows were being filmed. Tourists are allowed on set for 199 yuan ($30) per person, and groups of them were huddled around as filming took place. It offered a considerably different experience from the one you might encounter at a Universal Studios theme park. “Instead of ‘Jaws,’ it’s, like, killing Japanese or hanging out with the emperor’s concubines,” Kos-Read said.

China’s film industry has long been focused on propaganda-laden historical epics, hence the need for a full-size Forbidden City replica. Even as China became a global superpower in the late 20th century, big-budget Chinese movies were, by and large, treacly, patriotic fare. And though tastes were shifting, the studios used their connections with the government to ensure their own films succeeded. In 2010, for example, the behemoth state-owned studio and distributor China Film Group pulled “Avatar” from 1,628 screens and replaced it with its own film, a Confucius biopic starring Chow Yun Fat.

These days, movies and television shows are still often historical in nature, but they’re less overtly nationalistic and more focused on pure entertainment. Kos-Read was in Hengdian to film a period show with the English title “Knight’s Glove.” In it, he plays the British ambassador to China, a close friend of the Chinese lead. The story surrounds a search for a lost treasure, and on this day the crew was filming the pair’s reunion after years spent apart. The scene was filmed at the entrance to a building made to look like the British Embassy. Cheap-looking plastic Union Jacks fluttered outside in the breeze. Inside, the building was numbingly cold, as Kos-Read had warned; there was no insulation or heating. Russian extras in wool military outfits carried fake rifles and shuffled from side to side trying to keep warm. In between shots, Kos-Read donned his parka and applied heating pads called Nuan Baobao (“Warm Little Buddies”) to his stomach, lower back and feet. There was no coffee or tea; at one point some cast and crew members were handed plastic cups of warm water.

Because the Chinese government allows only 34 foreign movies to enter the market per year, and the officials’ criteria for selection are mysterious, many American studios have sought to lessen the uncertainty by co-producing films with Chinese firms, thereby sidestepping the import rules (which apply only when a movie’s producers want a share of the box-office receipts, which is to say they apply, effectively, to all major Hollywood films). And yet few co-productions have achieved anything resembling commercial or critical success. Not only have studios struggled to find ways to appeal to both audiences, they’ve also struggled to work well together on set. This is at least in part because of the collision of two vastly different moviemaking cultures. Whereas Hollywood film sets have rather rigid, union-determined rules, Chinese sets are decidedly unsystematic, ad hoc, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants operations. (I once reported on a film whose special-effects guy was also in charge of payroll.) On this set, there were dozens of people, mostly young men, standing around in the cold who didn’t seem to have any job at all. It’s exactly these sorts of differences that have made Chinese-American co-productions so difficult, and those problems follow them to the box office.

Hollywood can also stack the deck somewhat by pandering to Chinese audiences, but that comes at a cost: It grants enormous leverage to the Communist Party over how China is portrayed. Chinese censors have forced studios to cut scenes that they believed made China look weak. A 2015 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission offered an enlightening selection of anecdotes: In “Skyfall,” Chinese audiences never saw James Bond kill a Chinese security guard, as he does in the original edit; in “Mission: Impossible III,” censors cut a scene shot in Shanghai that showed garments drying on a clothesline; “Men in Black 3” had a scene removed that showed secret agents using a memory-erasing tool, leading some to speculate that the censors didn’t want to invite the allusion to censorship.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Often censors don’t even have to get involved, as studios have begun self-censoring their films to avoid the hassle. “Red Dawn” is perhaps the most infamous case. The 1984 original is about a guerrilla uprising against a Soviet invasion of America; in the 2012 remake, screenwriters updated the movie by casting China as the aggressor. MGM executives realized their error too late, and unwilling to risk offending the censors, they reportedly spent around $1 million in postproduction recasting North Korea as the invader.

Despite the breadth of roles he has played in China, Kos-Read is passed over for most co-productions. Hollywood producers want to bring in their own talent, he says. And once, Chinese producers told him that because of the ubiquity with which he appears in Chinese cinema and television, he would make their production seem too local. He has acted in only two East-West movies: a deep-sea epic funded by a Chinese billionaire with a predominantly foreign cast, and a bigfoot movie shot in Shennongjia, a mountainous region in Hubei Province, where there have been hundreds of purported bigfoot sightings. Each film was plagued with on-set dysfunction, and neither has been released.

Kos-Read says that the reason most co-productions fail is as much about the chaos on the Chinese side as it is the arrogance on the Hollywood side. “They come here and say, ‘We’re from Hollywood, we know better and whatever it is that you think is the right way to do it, it’s by definition not,’ ” he says. “You come in with an attitude like that, you will have a lot of problems. You will misunderstand the kind of stories they want to see.”

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/07/17/magazine/17caocao6/17caocao6-master675.jpg
Kos-Read, beside co-stars, telling a joke at the Beijing premiere of “Xuanzang.” Credit Sim Chi Yin/VII, for The New York Times

And as Chinese filmmakers have figured out what sorts of stories Chinese audiences really want to see, the nature of Kos-Read’s work has changed for the better. Although his part in “Knight’s Glove” wasn’t groundbreaking, he is now often cast in increasingly complex parts.

After the morning’s shoot, we drove across the lot to film another scene. In the back of the van, Kos-Read scrolled through photos on his phone of some of the roles he has played over the last two years, each with a distinct facial-hair style. They included: an American engineer who worked on the first locomotive in China; Gen. Douglas MacArthur; an “[expletive] lawyer”; a World War II radio announcer; a hip-hop dancer; a wisdom-dispensing alcoholic barfly; a Mafia boss; an antiquities expert; a sleazy Russian lounge lizard; a cowboy; a bisexual fashion designer; and a French detective.

Kos-Read believes the growing variety of roles for foreign actors like him is a result of more Chinese exposure to outsiders. “There are more foreign actors now,” he says. “Chinese know some foreigners. So they write more interesting characters. I’m lucky because I usually get to do the better stuff.”

This trend is likely to continue. The money coming from Chinese producers, and the spending power of Chinese audiences, is simply too great to ignore, and anyone venturing to China from Hollywood — whether producer, actor or cameraman — has to learn how to play by Chinese rules. That means adapting stories to the changing desires of film fans, and learning how to cooperate on China’s less regimented movie sets. Hollywood pros may be arrogant, says Jonathan Landreth, editor of the website China Film Insider, who has been covering the Chinese entertainment industry for more than a decade, but “in the melding of minds between China and Hollywood, there’s been a tipping in the balance of power. So much money is driving these productions that the folks in Hollywood have to listen.”

In the afternoon, the director of “Knight’s Glove,” a young man with bleached blond hair, recruited me to play an extra in a scene with Kos-Read. I would be a driver. I wondered aloud who was supposed to have played the driver, but no one answered, and instead I was shepherded outside to a wardrobe truck and outfitted in a World War I-era military uniform with a Brodie helmet.

As I dressed in the truck, Kos-Read approached with a Chinese crew member and said, “They asked me to make sure you knew that they weren’t actually going to pay you or anything.” I laughed. As absurd as it may seem to be yanked from the sidelines in an instant and thrown in front of the camera, this kind of thing happens with surprising regularity for foreigners in China, and moments like these become the kind of China Stories that keep people like Kos-Read around for so long.

We filmed four or five takes of a short scene in the car. I pretended to drive, yanking the steering wheel back and forth with the kind of comical exaggeration you might see in “The Andy Griffith Show.” Two cameras glided on a track and crane outside the car while Kos-Read, sitting in the back, and a young Russian actor, who sat beside me, exchanged a few lines of dialogue. The Russian had until recently been a student in Jinhua, a nearby city, but was now trying his hand at an acting career. Maybe it would have worked out for him had he started a decade and a half ago, like Kos-Read, but his performance didn’t bode well. He struggled with the lines; his English was wooden, the delivery stilted.

Kos-Read, on the other hand, naturally eased into character as soon as they started rolling. He said his lines in a British accent, smoothly and barely above a whisper, looking out the window as the camera swept by.

Mitch Moxley is a writer based in New York. His articles have appeared in GQ, The Atlantic and The Atavist Magazine. He lived in Beijing for six years.

I'll have to watch for Kos-Read from now on.

[GeneChing]

Shanghai: Donnie Yen Describes Shooting Fight Scenes with Mike Tyson as a Near-Death Experience (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/shanghai-donnie-yen-describes-shooting-fight-scenes-with-mike-tyson-as-a-near-death-experience-1234969504/)
The Hong Kong action star spoke about the full sweep of his career at a Shanghai International Film Festival masterclass, while also discussing his current mission to defy Chinese stereotypes on screen.


BY KAREN CHU

JUNE 16, 2021 8:15PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GettyImages-1323027982.jpeg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
Donnie Yen at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Shanghai Film Festival. YVES DEAN/GETTY IMAGES
Speaking at a Shanghai International Film Festival masterclass this week, Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen recounted how one of Mike Tyson’s hooks almost knocked him out with the force of “a head-on truck” during the shooting of Ip Man 3 (2015). The actor has taken on triple duties at this year’s SIFF. In addition to sharing the highlights of his career in the masterclass, he has also premiered his latest cop thriller Raging Fire and is the ambassador for the festival’s “Belt and Road Film Week” sidebar.

Yen recalled that, as a boxing fan of Tyson’s, he relished the chance to spar with the former world heavyweight champion on-screen. But Yen also had no illusion about Tyson being a real boxer, not an actor, and knew that Tyson’s boxing moves were not only for show. “When I was in a scene with him, I had to remind myself that I have to be very cautious. I daren’t allow myself to think I was shooting a scene for a film,” Yen told the masterclass. “I had to treat it as a real fight in a boxing ring with him and it was a matter of life and death. I couldn’t afford to be distracted in any way, otherwise it wouldn’t have been a K.O., it would have cost me my life.”

In a shot when Tyson threw a hook, Yen was supposed to duck, but for the sake of the cameras, he could only duck at the last possible moment. “That was so dangerous! I literally felt the air move with his punch, which was like a truck coming towards me head-on. I felt that wind — woah, that’s still so clear in my mind, so dangerous! His fist was so huge, and it touched my hair,” Yen reminisced, still shaken. “I had to wait until the last moment to crouch down and at the same time not let myself be hurt. For me, that was the biggest pressure.”

Yen, who is set to appear in the fourth installment of Keanu Reeves’s John Wick franchise, also talked in-depth about his start in the film industry under the tutelage of acclaimed action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, who, incidentally, designed the action sequences and trained Reeves for The Matrix trilogy.

Yen came from a martial arts lineage, having learned since a young age from his mother, a famed tai chi master, and later went to Beijing to train further in martial arts. His mother counted among her pupils the sister of Yuen Woo-ping. In the mid-1980s, when Yuen was prepping Drunken Tai Chi, his follow-up to Drunken Master and Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (both 1978), which made Jackie Chan a star, Yuen’s sister recommended the 18-year-old Yen to him, and the film became Yen’s screen debut.

Yen and Yuen went on to make contemporary actioner Tiger Cage in 1988, where Yen first suggested to his film industry mentor “a personal stamp”, inspired by Yen’s hero, Bruce Lee. “Generally, in a fight scene, the last shot would stay on the defeated,” Yen said. “But that shot was always reserved for Bruce Lee in a Bruce Lee film. You get the full blast of his charisma in that shot. The way he pulled a punch, how he retracted his fist – that is completely his personal charm.”

His latest outing, Raging Fire, was also the posthumous work of Hong Kong director Benny Chan, who fell ill and was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer during the film’s production and passed away last August at the age of 58. Yen disclosed that it was the mutual admiration he shared with the helmer of Hong Kong classic A Moment of Romance (1990) and later The White Storm (2013) that led to his signing up for Raging Fire. Chan completed filming but was not able to take charge of the post-production due to declining health.

As one of the Asian stars making a mark in Hollywood films such as Rogue One and the live-action Mulan, Yen considered these jobs an important chance, a mission even, for positive Chinese representation. “I’d always ask the producer whether the role I’m supposed to take and the content of the film as a whole is respectful of Chinese people and Chinese culture,” said Yen, a self-proclaimed patriot. “That’s something I’ve always done. Now that I have more influence, I must speak up for my country and speak out when I think something is not right. I also have a very important mission, which is to use my influence to show the audience that Chinese are not a stereotype. Whatever you can do, we can do it, too.”

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