Get Ready, Ip Man is Coming
Development
Donnie Yen initially expressed his lack of interest in making a third film, feeling that, "Because Ip Man 2 will incontrovertibly become a classic, bettering the first. I believe it's best to end something when it's at perfection, and leave behind a good memory."[3] Yen later stated that after Ip Man 2, he would no longer be involved in a film based on Yip Man's life due to the over-saturation of subject matter with many different film companies starting to produce Yip Man-related films due to the success of Yen's Ip Man films.[4] While both Yen and Raymond Wong were not initially keen on making a third Ip Man film, director Wilson Yip had expressed interest in making one that would focus on the relationship between Yip Man and Bruce Lee. While Ip Man 2 very briefly shows Lee as a child, Wilson Yip hoped to find a suitable actor to portray Lee as an adult for the third installment.[5]
In March 2014, Variety announced that Ip Man 3 would be shot in early 2015, and would be released in 3D during Chinese New Year that year, with Wilson Yip, Yen and Wong reprising their duties.[1] In March 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Mike Tyson would also be starring as a street fighter and a property developer. They also noted that because the team could not find an actor who could portray Bruce Lee's intensity onscreen, they decided to use CGI to portray Lee.[2] In the same month, Yen said that Ip Man 3 could be his final martial arts film.[6] Donnie Yen agreed to return to the role of Ip Man after careful consideration, after some time have passed since the release of various Ip Man films by other film companies, and because of fans' anticipation. Yen stated that this will be the final Ip Man film in the trilogy. During Ip Man 3's announcement press conference, Yen stated that at age 51, this might be his last Kung Fu film.[7] Lynn Hung, Simon Yam, and Louis Fan are expected to reprise their roles from the first two films.[8]
