At a press conference on March 23, 2010, Donnie Yen boldly stated:
While there are a lot of projects with Ip Man, everyone actually watched only this one film. Therefore, from my point of view, there is only one film with Ip Man - the one in which I starred. Ip Man is an otaku, a very good fighter, the success of the film has nothing to do with Wing Chun (Spring).
If I used Hungg Gar, Hungg Gar would become popular, if I used Vin Ha (Summer), Vin Cho (Autumn), Vin Dong (Winter), the result would be the same. You are influenced by Ip Man, not by his martial arts school, but by the compelling character we created - an otaku fighter. Now I don't feel any pressure, I don't think anyone can compete with me, with the exception of big brother Sammo Hung, no one else scared me so much with his presence, he is a powerful actor in the literal and figurative sense of the word. Unless, of course, big brother Jackie Chan or Jet Li returns.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind in Ip Man Part 3?
Not wanting to repeat himself, Donnie Yen confirmed that he is not going to star in “Ip Man 3”:
For me, filming in two parts was a great honor, I am very pleased with “Ip Man 2”. If you ask about Ip Man 3, I will say that I have no idea who to fight... aliens, maybe. I recently watched the promotional video for “Ip Man 2” and am sure that it is simply unrealistic to make the third part without Bruce Lee. I think that making more than two films on the same topic is a big risk, the quality is not guaranteed, so I will not take part in “Ip Man 3”.
I want to grow as an actor; without fighting spirit, I can only hope to return to old work like “Ip Man.” Many actors are not brave enough. I want to test myself. There are two approaches to film, one is to choose a role that suits you, the other is to bring your character to life. I agree that Ip Man's personality is a little close to me, but I still hope that my acting will be appreciated.
The action wasn't the most difficult part of filming Ip Man; it was less physically taxing than running through the streets in Bodyguards and Assassins or wandering through the desert in 14 Blades. I'm not saying that Wing Chun is easy, but the hardest challenge was recreating the character. Don't think that the film's commercial value lies solely in the martial arts sequences; The most difficult are the characters and discovering the subtle, elusive traits. Playing while fighting is what's really hard.
I will fight until no one stops looking at me. But how much income is enough for an actor? I make money for the sake of my children and to leave a legacy for Chinese kung fu films. An actor is in some way an important part of social standards. If I were to play the role of a villain who is very powerful, many young people would follow my example. Besides, villain roles always pay less than good guy roles, so why would I play an evil character? It just so happens that all these years people assumed that I would soon retire, but I would star in a few more films and continue to bother you.
I've made a few films in the past and lost a lot of money. Making a film requires more than a one-time investment of money. After Ip Man, I have already acted in five films. What about director Wilson Yip? He's still making Ip Man 2. Time is money and I would rather not be a director.
Since “Dyed Skin” I began to reveal my acting skills. I was in a happy and relaxed mood during filming, so the result was very good and funny, and from then on I realized that I could act. After looking at my early works, I was horrified by my acting. How I would like to act in them again. So now I control myself every day in terms of improving my acting.
Answering a question, Donnie Yen doubted a possible collaboration with Wong Kar Wai:
He won't look for me, and if I had to make his film, I might go bankrupt, since such an activity would drag on for a long time.
Source: wu-jing
Translation: EvilDollaR
What's so attractive about Donnie is that he always says what he thinks...:)
Thank you!