This is it! Donnie Yen will play Ip Man for the last time when Ip Man 4 hits cinemas in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China on December 20, 2019.
The Ip Man series started in 2008 and has grossed $228 million at the box office, with Ip Man 2 and 3 being released in 2010 and 2016 respectively.
Ip Man 3, which famously starred “Hall of Fame” Boxer Mike Tyson, earned 157 million USD at the box office, making it the most successful of the series.
Donnie Yen himself confirmed this will be the final instalment in the series when he posted on his Instagram account the following message:
“Thank you all for many years of love and support for this incredible journey! This December 20, my fourth saga and the final!”
Ip Man 4 sees Ip Man arriving in the United States during the Vietnam war in 1964, and will cover the early days of Bruce Lee in America. Lee opens a Wing Chun school in San Francisco, which upsets the other local martial artists.
The new villain will be played by British martial arts star, Scott Adkins and Bruce Lee will be played by Hong Kong actor, Danny Chan, who also played Lee in Ip Man 3.
It has been a great time to be a Wing Chun practitioner. Our beloved Art has never been so popular, with the Ip Man series inspiring a wave of new practitioners.
Though the movies have often mixed fact with fiction, they often depict Ip Man as a humble man who tries to help out the community. This is perhaps the greatest achievement of the series. Beyond the amazing choreography and technical capability of Mr Donnie Yen, who comes across as a more than credible Wing Chun Master, the series has a big heart and emphasises the need for great responsibility that comes with great power.
We certainly need more of this in today’s world. This might be the final instalment, but the series will live forever in Cinema history and just as importantly, in Wing Chun history.
Thank you for the ride Donnie. You have portrayed Ip Man with honour and dignity. The Wing Chun community is forever in your debt.
