KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Kong action martial arts star Donnie Yen had a good time working alongside former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson in the new Ip Man film.
Describing the experience as “enjoyable but dangerous”, Yen who is in town to promote the film also said how he accidentally broke the retired boxer’s finger.
“When it comes to making film, Tyson did not have much experience. So, a lot of time, he was throwing real punches instead of the choreographed moves.
His punches landed very close to my face,” Yen said at the film’s Press conference, held at JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur today.
The 52-year-old actor however said that Tyson, 49, was not too lucky as he had hurt himself.
“We were filming our final fight scene together, and he accidentally punched my elbow, injuring his finger.
But Tyson was a real professional.
Even though he was in pain, he insisted that they finish shooting the scene before seeking medical attention,” Yen added.
Present at the Press conference were model-turned-actress Lynn Xiong and the film producer Raymond Wong. Also in attendance was Yen’s wife, Cissy Wang.
Yen, who has just wrapped up his scenes in the upcoming Star Wars film, tentatively titled Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, to be released in December next year, said he had fun filming the new Star Wars film.
“I can’t reveal any details but all I can say is the filming took about five months in London,” he said.
Ip Man 3 is a biopic on the life of grandmaster Ip Man who popularised Wing Chun (a form of Chinese martial arts).
Set in the early 1950s Hong Kong where local gangsters take control of the street and the police turned their blind eye on crimes.
Picking up from the second film, the story also centre on the relationship between Ip Man and his wife.
Made at a cost of about RM134 million, the film was shot in Shanghai. So, will there be a Ip Man 4?
“Well, I am not against the idea but even if there is one, it has to have a great storyline. We don’t make films for the sake of it.
We have a responsibility towards our audience,” Yen concluded. Ip Man 3 opens in cinemas nationwide on Dec 24.-nst
