Ip Man (film)
Encyclopedia
Ip Man is a 2008 Hong Kong semi biographical
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...

 martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...

 very loosely based on the life of Ip Man
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...

, a grandmaster
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...

 of the martial art Wing Chun
Wing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...

 and master of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...

. The film focuses on events in Ip's life that supposedly took place in the city of Foshan
Foshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....

 during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

. The film was directed by Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip Wai-Shun is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and screenwriter. His films include Bio Zombie, The White Dragon, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Dragon Tiger Gate, Flash Point, Ip Man, and Ip Man 2.-Early career:...

, and stars Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...

 as Ip Man, with martial arts choreography
Combat in film
Staged fights in Cinema include performances of classical fencing, historical fencing, martial arts, close combat and duels in general, as well as choreography of full-scale battles.-Asian martial arts:...

 by Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...

. The supporting cast includes Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....

, Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung , sometimes credited as her birth name Xiong Dailin, is a Chinese model and actress.-Early life:Hung was born in Nanjing, China with family roots in Guizhou, China...

, Lam Ka-tung, Xing Yu
Xing Yu
Xing Yu a.k.a. Shi Xing Yu gained his fame after playing the role of Coolie in the movie Kung Fu Hustle.He was a 32nd generation martial monk at the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song ....

 and Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
is a Japanese actor. He is also a practitioner of judo.-Film:*2010 Space Battleship Yamato*2008 Ip Man*2008 Team Batista no Eikō*2008 Handsome Suit*2006 Love My Life*2004 Warau Iemon*1999 Charisma*1998 Blues Harp-TV dramas:...

.

The idea of an Ip Man biopic originated in 1998 when Jeffrey Lau
Jeffrey Lau
Jeffrey Lau Chun-Wai is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, actor and producer. He was born on August 2, 1952. Liu Zhenwei is famous for writing and directing "mo lei tau" comedies...

 and Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen Kwai is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and producer. He was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes.-Life and career:...

 discussed the idea of making a film based on Bruce Lee's martial arts master. However, the studio producing that proposed film closed, and the project was abandoned. Producer Raymond Wong decided to develop his own Ip Man film with full consent from Ip's sons, and had filmmakers head to Foshan to research Ip's life. Ip Chun
Ip Chun
Ip Chun , also spelled as Yip Chun or Yip Jun, is a Chinese Wing Chun martial artist. He is the oldest son of Yip Man .-Biography:Ip began studying Wing Chun with his father when he was seven years old...

, Ip Man's eldest son, along with martial arts master Leo Au-yeung and several other Wing Chun practitioners served as technical consultants for the film. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....

 for Ip Man began in March 2008 and ended in August; filming took place in Shanghai, which was used to architecturally recreate Foshan. During filming, conflicts arose between the producers of Ip Man and filmmaker Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...

 over the film's working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...

. Wong, who had been developing his own Ip Man biopic, clashed with the producers after learning that their film would be titled Grandmaster Ip Man , which was too similar to the title of Wong's film. The producers of Ip Man agreed to change the film title, despite Wong's film being in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...

. Wong's film, titled The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters is an upcoming Hong Kong action drama film based on the life story of Wing Chun grandmaster Yip Man. The film is directed and written by Wong Kar-wai and stars Tony Leung as Yip Man.-Cast:* Tony Leung as Yip Man* Zhang Ziyi...

, is scheduled to be released in late 2011.

Ip Man premiered in Beijing on 10 December 2008, and was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 19 December 2008, receiving widespread acclaim from critics and audiences. Prior to the film's release, Raymond Wong announced that there would be a sequel; a second installment titled Ip Man 2
Ip Man 2
Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role...

, was released in April 2010. Ip Man grossed over US$21 million worldwide, despite not being released in North America and most of Europe. Following its success, the film was nominated for 12 Hong Kong Film Awards
28th Hong Kong Film Awards
Ceremony for the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards was held on 19 April 2009 in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and hosted by Eric Tsang, Teresa Mo, Sandra Ng, Vincent Kok, Kay Tse, Denise Ho, Lam Chi Chung, Chin Kar-lok, Louis Fan, Tin Kai Man, Michelle Lo and Wong Cho Lam.-Best Film:-Best Director:-Best...

, winning awards for Best Film
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to the films which is considered the best of the year.-History:...

 and Best Action Choreography
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to a choreographer or a group of choreographers for the best achievement in action choreography.-History:...

.

Plot

Ip Man is set in the 1930s in Foshan
Foshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....

, a hub of southern Chinese martial arts, where various schools actively recruit disciples and compete against each other. Although the Wing Chun
Wing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...

 master Ip Man is the most skilled martial artist in Foshan, he is unassuming and keeps a low profile. As an independently wealthy man, he feels no need to accept any disciples and instead spends his days training, meeting with friends, and spending time with his family. However, his wife is often resentful of the time he spends training and discussing martial arts with friends and colleagues. Though not a professional martial artist, Ip is respected in Foshan due to the abilities he displays in friendly, closed-door competitions with local masters. Ip's reputation is further enhanced when he defeats an aggressive, rude, highly skilled Northern master, Jin Shanzhao, thus upholding the regional pride of fellow Southern stylists and others in Foshan.

The Japanese invasion
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

 in 1937 adversely affects the life of everyone in Foshan. Ip's house is claimed by the Japanese and used as their Foshan headquarters. Ip and his family lose their wealth and are forced to move into a decrepit house. Desperate to support his family, Ip accepts work as a coolie
Coolie
Historically, a coolie was a manual labourer or slave from Asia, particularly China, India, and the Phillipines during the 19th century and early 20th century...

 at a coal mine. The Japanese general Miura, who is a master of karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

, establishes an arena where Chinese martial artists compete with his military trainees. The Chinese earn a bag of rice for every Japanese opponent they defeat. Ip at first declines to participate in the matches. However, when his friend Lin goes missing, he agrees to take part in order to investigate. He is enraged when he sees a fellow Foshan master mercilessly executed for picking up a bag of rice from a prior victory after giving up in a second match against three karatekas. He also comes to understand that Lin was killed in an earlier fight. To further complicate matters, Ip learns that Li Zhao, a former police officer and Ip's acquaintance, is now working as a translator for the Japanese. Barely able to contain his rage, Ip demands a match with ten Karatekas at once. Despite having not practiced Wing Chun since the invasion began (in order to conserve what little food his family had to survive), he proceeds to mercilessly crush each of them with a brutal yet efficient barrage of his martial art mastery, showing barely any of the restraint he exhibited in previous engagements. His skill arouses the interest of Miura, who seeks to learn more about Ip and see him fight again.

Ip visits his friend Chow Ching-chuen, who owns and runs a cotton mill in Foshan. Chow tells Ip that a highway robbery gang led by Jin Shanzhao is harassing his workers and extorting money from them. Ip trains the workers in Wing Chun for self defence. Meanwhile, Miura grows impatient when Ip does not return to the arena and sends men to find Ip. These men harass Ip's family, and Ip incapacitates them. Ip and his family then go into hiding at Li Zhao's house. Meanwhile, the robbers return to the cotton mill to demand money. The workers fight back using the techniques that Ip taught them. Just then, Ip appears and defeats Jin Shanzhao, warning him never to harass the workers again.

The Japanese soldiers eventually find Ip at the cotton mill. Miura tells Ip that his life will be spared if agrees to instruct the Japanese soldiers in martial arts. Ip refuses and challenges Miura to a match, which Miura accepts, both because of his love for martial arts and because refusing the challenge would be a humiliation to the Japanese. The match between Ip and Miura is held in public in Foshan's square. Ip defeats Miura in the fight.

As the beaten general lies down after his defeat, Ip looks over to the crowd and hears the Chinese cheering him; within the crowd, he spots his wife and child with Chow. Just then, Miura's deputy Sato shoots Ip. This sparks a scuffle between the Chinese audience and the Japanese soldiers. During the scuffle Li Zhao kills Sato with Sato's own gun
Nambu pistol
was a semi-automatic pistol used by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy during the First and Second World Wars. The pistol had two variants, the Type A , and the Type 14 .-History:...

. Ip is taken away amidst the chaos. It is revealed that he survives and escapes to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 with his family. There, Ip establishes a Wing Chun school, where his students come to include Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...

.

Cast

  • Donnie Yen
    Donnie Yen
    Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...

     as Ip Man
    Yip Man
    Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...

     (葉問) – a martial artist and solo practitioner of Wing Chun
    Wing Chun
    Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...

    .
  • Simon Yam
    Simon Yam
    Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....

     as Chow Ching-chuen (周清泉) – a businessman and close friend of Ip Man. He owns a cotton mill.
  • Fan Siu-wong as Jin Shanzhao (金山找) – an aggressive northern martial artist who arrives in Foshan to challenge other practitioners. He becomes the leader of a robber gang during the war.
  • Lynn Hung
    Lynn Hung
    Lynn Hung , sometimes credited as her birth name Xiong Dailin, is a Chinese model and actress.-Early life:Hung was born in Nanjing, China with family roots in Guizhou, China...

     as Cheung Wing-sing (張永成) – Ip Man's wife. She wants her husband to spend more time with the family and strongly disapproves of him fighting with others.
  • Lam Ka-tung
    Lam Ka-Tung
    Gordon Lam Ka-tung is a Hong Kong actor known for his supporting roles in films from the likes of Andrew Lau to Johnnie To.-Career:Lam graduated from TVB's 15th Artist Training Class in 1988. For the next seven to eight years, he was no more than an extra in most television productions...

     as Li Zhao (李釗) – a police inspector and friend of Ip Man. He becomes a translator for the Japanese during the war.
  • Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
    Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
    is a Japanese actor. He is also a practitioner of judo.-Film:*2010 Space Battleship Yamato*2008 Ip Man*2008 Team Batista no Eikō*2008 Handsome Suit*2006 Love My Life*2004 Warau Iemon*1999 Charisma*1998 Blues Harp-TV dramas:...

     as Miura (三浦) – a Japanese general and karate
    Karate
    is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...

     fanatic. During the Japanese occupation of Foshan, he sets up an arena for Chinese martial artists to spar with his military trainees.
  • Shibuya Tenma as Sato (佐藤) – a sadistic Japanese colonel and deputy to Miura. He recruits people to fight in the arena.
  • Chen Zhihui as Master Liu (廖師傅) – a martial arts master who has a friendly match with Ip Man.
  • Li Chak as Ip Chun
    Ip Chun
    Ip Chun , also spelled as Yip Chun or Yip Jun, is a Chinese Wing Chun martial artist. He is the oldest son of Yip Man .-Biography:Ip began studying Wing Chun with his father when he was seven years old...

     (葉准) – Ip Man and Cheung Wing-sing's son.
  • Xing Yu
    Xing Yu
    Xing Yu a.k.a. Shi Xing Yu gained his fame after playing the role of Coolie in the movie Kung Fu Hustle.He was a 32nd generation martial monk at the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song ....

     as "Crazy" Lin (武痴林) – a martial artist and close friend of Ip Man. He runs a teahouse.
  • Wong You-nam as Sha Dan Yuan (沙膽源) – Lin's troubled brother. He runs away from home after being scolded by his brother. He joins Jin Shanzhao's gang during the war.
  • Calvin Cheng as Chow Kwong-yiu (周光耀) – Chow Ching-chuen's son.
  • To Yu-hang as Hu Wei (胡威) – Jin Shanzhao's henchman.

Production

The idea of an Ip Man biopic originated in 1998 when Jeffrey Lau
Jeffrey Lau
Jeffrey Lau Chun-Wai is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, actor and producer. He was born on August 2, 1952. Liu Zhenwei is famous for writing and directing "mo lei tau" comedies...

 and Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen Kwai is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and producer. He was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes.-Life and career:...

 discussed the idea of making a film based on Bruce Lee's martial arts master. However, the studio producing the proposed film closed, and the project was abandoned. Producer Raymond Wong decided to develop his own Ip Man film with full consent from Ip's sons, and had filmmakers head to Foshan to research Ip's life. Ip Chun
Ip Chun
Ip Chun , also spelled as Yip Chun or Yip Jun, is a Chinese Wing Chun martial artist. He is the oldest son of Yip Man .-Biography:Ip began studying Wing Chun with his father when he was seven years old...

, Ip Man's eldest son, along with martial arts master Leo Au-yeung and several other Wing Chun practitioners served as technical consultants for the film. Principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....

 for Ip Man began in March 2008 and ended in August; filming took place in Shanghai, which was used to architecturally recreate Foshan. During filming, conflicts arose between the producers of Ip Man and filmmaker Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...

 over the film's working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...

. Wong, who had been developing his own Ip Man biopic, clashed with the producers after learning that their film would be titled Grandmaster Ip Man , which was too similar to the title of Wong's film. The producers of Ip Man agreed to change the film title, despite Wong's film being in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...

. Wong's film, titled The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters is an upcoming Hong Kong action drama film based on the life story of Wing Chun grandmaster Yip Man. The film is directed and written by Wong Kar-wai and stars Tony Leung as Yip Man.-Cast:* Tony Leung as Yip Man* Zhang Ziyi...

, is scheduled to be released in late 2011.

Ip Man is the first film based on the life of Ip Man
Yip Man
Yip Man , also spelled as Ip Man, and also known as Yip Kai-Man, was a Chinese martial artist. He had several students who later became martial arts teachers in their own right, including Bruce Lee.-Early life:...

. It also marks the fourth film collaboration between director Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip Wai-Shun is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and screenwriter. His films include Bio Zombie, The White Dragon, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Dragon Tiger Gate, Flash Point, Ip Man, and Ip Man 2.-Early career:...

 and actor Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...

. The two also reunite with co-star Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....

 after 2005's SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang , , is a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts and crime film written and directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Jing Wu...

. The screenplay for Ip Man was written by Edmond Wong, the son of film producer Raymond Wong. Wong was the screenwriter of Yip and Yen's second collaboration, 2006's Dragon Tiger Gate
Dragon Tiger Gate
Dragon Tiger Gate is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Wilson Yip and featuring fight choreography by Donnie Yen, who also stars in the film. The film is based on the manhua Oriental Heroes, which bears the same Chinese title as the film...

. Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun
Ip Chun
Ip Chun , also spelled as Yip Chun or Yip Jun, is a Chinese Wing Chun martial artist. He is the oldest son of Yip Man .-Biography:Ip began studying Wing Chun with his father when he was seven years old...

, his student Leo Au-yeung, and Changquan
Changquan
Chángquán refers to a family of external martial arts styles from northern China.The forms of the Long Fist style emphasize fully extended kicks and striking techniques, and by appearance would be considered a long-range fighting system...

 gold medalist To Yu-hang served as technical consultants for the film, providing advice on the film's story and martial arts choreography. The music for the film was provided by veteran Japanese composer Kenji Kawai
Kenji Kawai
, born April 23, 1957 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, is a Japanese music composer, for motion pictures, anime movies, video games and televised programs. He has contributed to the musical scores for numerous films from Japan and other countries in Asia, working in film genres as diverse as anime, horror,...

, who also served as a composer on the 2006 film, Dragon Tiger Gate
Dragon Tiger Gate
Dragon Tiger Gate is a 2006 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Wilson Yip and featuring fight choreography by Donnie Yen, who also stars in the film. The film is based on the manhua Oriental Heroes, which bears the same Chinese title as the film...

 which featured Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen as director and actor respectively.

Pre-production

The film was originally conceived in 1998 when Jeffrey Lau
Jeffrey Lau
Jeffrey Lau Chun-Wai is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, actor and producer. He was born on August 2, 1952. Liu Zhenwei is famous for writing and directing "mo lei tau" comedies...

 and Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen Kwai is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and producer. He was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes.-Life and career:...

 first thought of the idea of making a film based on Ip Man's life. Donnie Yen signed onto the project, hoping to star as Ip, with Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...

 co-starring as Bruce Lee. Yen had signed the contract and received part of the acting fee. However, the studio producing the film closed, and the project was abandoned.

In December 2007, plans to make a new Ip Man film were announced with the filmmakers researching Ip's life in Foshan
Foshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....

. Producer Raymond Wong stated that the film would take on a similar look and feel to SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang , , is a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts and crime film written and directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Jing Wu...

. On 26 February 2008, a press conference for the film was held in Foshan, where it was announced that Wilson Yip would be directing the film, while Yen would appear in the leading role as Ip. Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung , sometimes credited as her birth name Xiong Dailin, is a Chinese model and actress.-Early life:Hung was born in Nanjing, China with family roots in Guizhou, China...

, Lam Ka-tung, Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....

 were announced to be appearing in supporting roles, while Sammo Hung would serve as the film's martial arts choreographer. Casting director Zhang Yan Bin spent three months casting actors in various roles for the film. He had completed casting during principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....

 in March 2008.

Filming

Principal photography for Ip Man began in March 2008, and was completed by the end of August. A majority of the film focuses on events surrounding Ip Man that took place in Foshan in the 1930s and 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

. Since the buildings in modern-day Foshan are architecturally different from the ones of the film's period, the filmmakers decided to shoot the film in Shanghai.

Filming first took place in a storeroom in the industrial district of Shanghai. Having difficulties scouting a cotton factory suitable for shooting, set designers decided to recreate one in the style of the 1930s. They spent weeks transforming an abandoned storeroom into the Zhen Hua Cotton Mill Factory, a 1930s cotton mill factory founded by Ip's friend Chow Ching-chuen (played in the film by Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....

) during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was where Ip Man first taught Wing Chun openly to the public.

Production designer Kenneth Mak included Western elements in his design, since Foshan, in earlier years, was a unique place where Chinese and Western cultures converged. Pillars were made to resemble English lampposts, and Western lighting, chairs and tableware were also used. To convey the culture and feel of the time, the buildings were made to look obsolete and worn out. Apart from historical references, Mak also created a glass house in the factory.

Stunts and choreography

The martial arts choreography
Combat in film
Staged fights in Cinema include performances of classical fencing, historical fencing, martial arts, close combat and duels in general, as well as choreography of full-scale battles.-Asian martial arts:...

 was designed by Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...

 and veteran fight and stunt coordinator Tony Leung Siu-hung. Hung had previously collaborated with Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen as an actor in the 2005 film SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang
SPL: Sha Po Lang , , is a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts and crime film written and directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam and Jing Wu...

. He was hired as the choreographer mainly because of his experience on the 1978 film Warriors Two
Warriors Two
Warriors Two is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Sammo Hung and released by Golden Harvest. Film stars Hung, alongside Bryan Leung, Casanova Wong and Fung Hak-on...

 and 1982's The Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son (film)
The Prodigal Son , also released as "Pull No Punches," is a 1981 Hong Kong kung fu comedy film directed by Sammo Hung, starring Yuen Biao and Lam Ching-ying and featuring Hung in a supporting role...

, both of which involved Wing Chun. When asked how he would work with Yen to direct the action scenes, Hung replied matter-of-factly, "With my mouth."

Yen described the role as the most emotionally and mentally difficult in his career. He spent months preparing for the role by going on a strict diet which consisted of eating one meal a day, training in Wing Chun
Wing Chun
Wing Chun , also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, ; ; is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat.The alternative characters 永春 "eternal spring" are also...

, and learning more about Ip Man through his two sons. This was all in the hopes of portraying an erudite and cultured Ip Man, as well as bringing out the special traits of Wing Chun. Yen even went as far as to stay in character after filming, wearing his costume and changing his voice and movement patterns. While rehearsing a fight scene, Yen was reportedly injured when an axe wielder accidentally slashed the side of his left eye. Yen also had a masseur
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...

 on set as he could not raise his right shoulder due to an injury.

Japanese actor Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
is a Japanese actor. He is also a practitioner of judo.-Film:*2010 Space Battleship Yamato*2008 Ip Man*2008 Team Batista no Eikō*2008 Handsome Suit*2006 Love My Life*2004 Warau Iemon*1999 Charisma*1998 Blues Harp-TV dramas:...

, who holds a black belt in Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

, found it "difficult" working under Hung's command. In one scene, he suffered a mild concussion after receiving four consecutive blows. Hung later praised Yen and Ikeuchi's performances in the film, even though Ikeuchi was not trained in Chinese martial arts and was not given a lot of complex moves.

Film title controversy

Ip Mans original title was controversial. It was disputed when film director Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...

 announced plans to make his own Ip Man film with Tony Leung Chiu-wai while filming 2046
2046 (film)
2046 is a 2004 Hong Kong film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. It is a loose sequel to the 1991 Hong Kong film Days of Being Wild and the 2000 Hong Kong film In the Mood for Love...

. Wong had planned his own Ip Man biopic titled The Great Master (一代宗师), with Leung playing the role of Ip. Wong's film, however, had been in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...

, having been announced several years earlier. Producer Raymond Wong wanted to name his film Grandmaster Yip Man, which bore a resemblance to the title Wong Kar-wai wanted to use for his film.

To settle the dispute, Raymond Wong publicly retracted the film title, stating "Actually, all along, we have called our film Ip Man, but our mainland investors said that Yip Man was a great master of his times, so we changed our title to Grandmaster Yip Man out of respect for him." In a more recent interview, Raymond Wong revealed that The Great Master is currently in development. Wong Kar-wai's Ip Man film, titled The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters
The Grandmasters is an upcoming Hong Kong action drama film based on the life story of Wing Chun grandmaster Yip Man. The film is directed and written by Wong Kar-wai and stars Tony Leung as Yip Man.-Cast:* Tony Leung as Yip Man* Zhang Ziyi...

, is scheduled to be released in late 2011.

Release

Ip Man premiered in Beijing, China on 10 December 2008, only two days prior to its release in China. The film was later released in Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 on 18 December 2008, one day prior to its release date in Hong Kong. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 2 October 2009. In 2010, Mandarin Films sold North American distribution rights for the film to distributor Well Go USA.

Reception

Prior to its theatrical release in China, Ip Man held a test screening
Test screening
A test screening is a preview screening of a movie or television show before its general release in order to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population, and are usually asked to complete a questionnaire or provide feedback in some form. Harold...

 in Beijing on 4 December 2008. The film was highly praised, based on survey sheets returned by the audience. Donnie Yen's portrayal of Ip Man was repeatedly hailed as the year's best performance. High praise was also given to the film's co-stars, Fan Siu-wong, Lam Ka-tung, and Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung , sometimes credited as her birth name Xiong Dailin, is a Chinese model and actress.-Early life:Hung was born in Nanjing, China with family roots in Guizhou, China...

.

Ip Man also received positive reactions from film critics. Salon
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...

Andrew O'Hehir deemed Ip Man a "well-paced and satisfying piece of Chinese-nationalist pulp," referring to the film's heavy anti-Japanese sentiment
Anti-Japanese sentiment in China
Anti-Japanese sentiment in China is an issue with modern roots . Modern anti-Japanese sentiment in China is often rooted in nationalist or historical conflict, particularly in Japan's Japanese history textbook controversies....

. Derek Elley of Variety Magazine
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...

 wrote in his review, "Yen, who's taking on real star charisma in middle age, is aces as Ip, with a simple dignity that exactly mirrors the movie's own and a gracefulness in combat that's very different from his trademark whiplash style." Malaysian film critic Lim Chang Moh of The Malay Mail
The Malay Mail
The Malay Mail is a newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first published in 1 December 1896 when KL was the capital of the then new Federated Malay States, making it the first daily to appear in the FMS....

 awarded the film three stars out of four, writing that the film was "nicely balanced with great martial arts action and an engaging narrative." Lim later placed the film at number six in his list of "Top Ten Movies of 2008." Jen Ogilvie of Fortean Times
Fortean Times
Fortean Times is a British monthly magazine devoted to the anomalous phenomena popularised by Charles Fort. Previously published by John Brown Publishing and then I Feel Good Publishing , it is now published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. As of December 2010, its circulation was approximately 18,000...

 wrote, "what carries Ip Man is its dramatic charge: it is the story's entanglement in the real horrors of Japanese occupation that pulls the viewer in and builds tension into the fight scenes."

Historical accuracy

Film4's review detailed the departures from history: "The real Ip Man was never, despite the film's assertions to the contrary, forced from bourgeois idleness into work by the hardships of the Second Sino-Japanese War, nor was he ever employed as a coolie in a colliery – rather he chose of his own accord to work as a policeman (a profession lightly ridiculed within the film) before the Japanese invasion, and he continued in this line for several years after the war until Communist disapproval of his wealth and political affiliations drove him into voluntary exile in Hong Kong (an inconvenient truth that the film elides as tactfully as Ip Man mitigates the impact of his own victories). While, during the war, Ip Man did indeed refuse to teach his martial arts to the military police of the occupying Japanese – a decision which eventually forced him to flee Foshan – he certainly never had a duel with a Japanese general."

Ip Man's eldest son, Ip Chun, stated that while the film was well-received, there could have been areas of improvement: "For example, the film was obviously set in Foshan, yet it was not shot on location on the actual place. Neither was the mansion like the original."

Controversy over the misattribution of the deeds and character of a more senior student to Ip Man led to a public apology by the producers in 2010.

Box office

Ip Man grossed ¥
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...

14,948,157 (US$2,188,982) on its opening weekend in China. The film's revenues increased largely by 86.1%, grossing ¥27,812,224 (US$4,073,201) to retain second place at the box office. The film experienced a small decrease in revenue in its third weekend, dropping 10.5% to ¥24,889,189 ($3,645,112), though remaining in second place. Ip Man continued to decrease in revenue, grossing ¥19,956,454 (US$2,922,695) in its fourth week while staying in second place. After six weeks of theatrical release, Ip Man grossed a total of ¥93,740,529 (US$13,728,640). The film currently remains as China's 13th highest grossing film of 2008.

During its opening weekend in Hong Kong, Ip Man came in first place at the box office, grossing HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

4.5 million (US$579,715). In its second week, Ip Man moved to second place, while grossing HK$6,156,765 (US$789,303) with a 36.2% increase in revenue. The film continued to decrease in revenue in its third week, grossing HK$ 3,494,366 ($447,981), while staying in second place at the box office. Ip Man moved to third place in its fourth week, grossing HK$2,075,250 ($266,055). After seven weeks of theatrical release in Hong Kong, Ip Man had grossed HK$25,581,958.69 (US$3,300,847) domestically. The film ranks as the 8th highest-grossing film of 2008. In total, the film had grossed $21,888,598 worldwide, despite not being released in North America and most of Europe.

Home media

Ip Man was released on DVD and Blu-ray disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

 formats on 13 February 2009. Releases include single-disc and two-disc special-edition formats. Features for the special edition include deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, a theatrical trailer, interviews with director Wilson Yip and actor Donnie Yen and featurettes on both Ip Man and Wing Chun martial arts. Ip Man was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States on 27 July 2010. A 3-disc Deluxe Collector's Edition was released in China, but only contains Mandarin-dubbed soundtracks and no English subtitles.

DVD releases

Universe (Hong Kong)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (DTS-ES 6.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX)
  • Subtitles: Traditional Chinese, English
  • Supplements: "Pre-production" featurette, "Shooting Diary" featurette, Deleted scenes, Photo gallery, "About the Movie" notes, Theatrical teaser, Theatrical trailer
  • All regions, NTSC


Universe - 2 disc (Hong Kong)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (DTS-ES 6.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX)
  • Subtitles: Traditional Chinese, English
  • Supplements: Disc 1: "Pre-production" featurette, "Shooting Diary" featurette, Deleted scenes, Photo gallery, "About the Movie" notes, Theatrical teaser, Theatrical trailer Disc 2: "Making-of Special" featurette, "Major Scenes (Behind-the-scenes clips)" featurettes, Interview galleries, "Ip Chun (Son of Ip Man) On Wilson Yip & Sammo Hung" featurette, "Gala Premiere" featurette
  • All regions, NTSC

Guo Shi Culture - Deluxe Collector's Edition (China)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:30:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Mandarin (DTS-ES 6.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
  • Subtitles: Traditional, Simplified Chinese
  • Supplements: Disc 1: The movie Disc 2: "Pre-production" featurette, "Shooting Diary" featurette, Deleted scenes, "Making-of Special" featurette,"Major Scenes (Behind-the-scenes clips)" featurettes, Interview galleries, "Ip Chun (Son of Ip Man) On Wilson Yip & Sammo Hung" featurette, "Gala Premiere" featurette, "Movie Promotion Tour China" featurette, Photo slideshow, "About the Movie" notes, Theatrical teaser, Theatrical trailer Disc 3: "Movie Opening Ceremony" documentary, "Avenue of Stars" featurette Other: 18 photographs
  • All regions, NTSC


Well Go USA - Collector's Edition (America)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: Disc 1: Theatrical trailer, English Theatrical trailer, Deleted Scenes, 'Making of' featurette, Bonus trailers Disc 2: "Shooting Diary" featurette, Behind the Scenes Segments, Interview galleries
  • Region 1, NTSC


Cine Asia - Ultimate Edition (United Kingdom)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Cantonese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: Disc 1: Theatrical teaser, Theatrical trailer, TV spots, Bonus trailers Disc 2: "Pre-Production" featurette, "Shooting Diary" featurette, Deleted scenes, "Making-of Special" featurette, "Major Scenes (Behind-the-scenes clips)" featurettes, Interview galleries, "Gala Premiere" featurette, "From Ip Man to Bruce Lee – Tracing the Legacy" featurette
  • Region 2, PAL

Blu-ray Disc release

Universe (Hong Kong)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (PCM 7.1), Cantonese (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1), Cantonese (Dolby TrueHD 7.1), Mandarin (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1), Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Subtitles: Traditional Chinese, English
  • Supplements: "Pre-production" featurette, "Shooting Diary" featurette, Deleted scenes, "Making-of Special" featurette, "Major Scenes (Behind-the-scenes clips)" featurettes, Interview galleries, "Ip Chun (Son of Ip Man) On Wilson Yip & Sammo Hung" featurette, "History of Wing Chun" notes, "Ip Man – The Master" notes, Cast and crew filmographies, Photo gallery, Theatrical trailer
  • Region A


Well Go USA - Collector's Edition (America)
  • Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2:35:1) anamorphic
  • Sound: Cantonese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), Mandarin (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Supplements: Disc 1: "The Making of Ip Man" featurette, Deleted scenes, U.S Trailer, Original Hong Kong Trailer, Trailers for Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
    Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
    Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is a 2010 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Andrew Lau. The film is a continuation of the 1994 film Fist of Legend starring Jet Li, with Donnie Yen as Chen Zhen, a role made famous by Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury...

    , White Wall, 9th Company
    9th Company
    The 9th Company is a 2005 Russian–Finnish–Ukrainian film directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk about the Soviet War in Afghanistan.-Plot:The film follows a band of young recruits from a farewell ceremony with friends and family back home. They train in Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley where they befriend a...

     Disc 2: "Shooting Diary" featurette, "Behind The Sets" featurettes, Interview galleries
  • Region A

Accolades

Awards
Award Category Name Result
28th Hong Kong Film Awards
28th Hong Kong Film Awards
Ceremony for the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards was held on 19 April 2009 in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and hosted by Eric Tsang, Teresa Mo, Sandra Ng, Vincent Kok, Kay Tse, Denise Ho, Lam Chi Chung, Chin Kar-lok, Louis Fan, Tin Kai Man, Michelle Lo and Wong Cho Lam.-Best Film:-Best Director:-Best...

Best Film Won
Best Director Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip
Wilson Yip Wai-Shun is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and screenwriter. His films include Bio Zombie, The White Dragon, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Dragon Tiger Gate, Flash Point, Ip Man, and Ip Man 2.-Early career:...

Nominated
Best Actor Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...

Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Lam Ka-tung Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Fan Siu-wong Nominated
Best Cinematography O Sing-pui Nominated
Best Film Editing Cheung Ka-fai
Cheung Ka-Fai (film editor)
Cheung Ka-fai is a Hong Kong film editor and actor.-Film editor:* A Better Tomorrow 2 * Thunder Cops II * The First Time is the Last Time * Mortuary Blues * Super Lady Cop...

Nominated
Best Art Direction Kenneth Mak Nominated
Best Action Choreography Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...

, Tony Leung Siu-hung
Won
Best Sound Design Kinson Tsang Nominated
Best Visual Effects Henri Wong Nominated
Best Original Score Kenji Kawai
Kenji Kawai
, born April 23, 1957 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, is a Japanese music composer, for motion pictures, anime movies, video games and televised programs. He has contributed to the musical scores for numerous films from Japan and other countries in Asia, working in film genres as diverse as anime, horror,...

Nominated
2nd Iron Elephant Awards Best Picture Won
Best Action Choreography Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...

, Tony Leung Siu-hung
Won
Best Actor Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...

Won
2009 Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...

Silver Prize: Best Asian Film Wilson Yip Won
Silver Prize: Guru Prize for Most Energetic Film of the Festival Wilson Yip Won
46th Golden Horse Film Awards
46th Golden Horse Film Awards
-Best Feature Film:-Best Short Film:-Best Documentary:-Best Director:-Best Leading Actor:-Best Leading Actress:-Best Supporting Actor:-Best Supporting Actress:-Best New Performer:-Best Original Screenplay:-Best Screenplay Adaption:...

Best Action Choreography Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...

, Tony Leung Siu-hung
Won

Sequels

Ip Man is the first film in a planned trilogy. Donnie Yen reprised the lead role in the sequel Ip Man 2
Ip Man 2
Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role...

, the second feature film based on the life of Ip Man. The film focuses on Ip's movements in Hong Kong as he attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun martial arts; at the end it also briefly introduces a young Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...

 prior to becoming one of Ip's most famed disciples. Ip Man 2 was released theatrically in Hong Kong in late April 2010. Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung
Lynn Hung , sometimes credited as her birth name Xiong Dailin, is a Chinese model and actress.-Early life:Hung was born in Nanjing, China with family roots in Guizhou, China...

 and Fan Siu-wong reprise their supporting roles, while martial arts choreographer Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...

 appears as a master of Hung Ga martial arts.

Yen has expressed his lack of interest in making a third film, feeling that, "Ip Man 2 will incontrovertibly become a classic, bettering the first." Yen later stated that after Ip Man 2, he would no longer be involved in a film based on Ip's life. While both Donnie Yen and Raymond Wong are not keen on making a third Ip Man film, director Wilson Yip has expressed interest in making one that would focus on the relationship between Ip and Bruce Lee. While Ip Man 2 briefly focuses on Lee as a child, Yip hopes to find a suitable actor to portray Lee as an adult for the third installment.

See also

  • Ip Man 2
    Ip Man 2
    Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role...

    , the 2010 sequel to this film.
  • History of Wing Chun
    History of Wing Chun
    The history of Wing Chun, has historically been passed from teacher to student verbally rather than through documentation, making it difficult to confirm or clarify the differing accounts of Wing Chun's creation. Some have sought to apply the methods of higher criticism to the oral histories of...

  • Wing Chun terms
    Wing Chun terms
    These are terms used in the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. Note that Wing Chun terms are originally colloquial Cantonese...

    , for names of various Wing Chun techniques.
  • Branches of Wing Chun
    Branches of Wing Chun
    The different branches of the Chinese martial art Wing Chun can be thought of as describing both the differing traditions and interpretations of Wing Chun, and the teacher-student relationships which perpetuate them....

    , a student-teacher family tree within the Chinese martial art Wing Chun.
  • Bruce Lee
    Bruce Lee
    Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...

    , one of Ip Man's most famous students.

External links

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