"As an actor, you must keep going forward"
SCMP reports that Star Wars: Rogue One actor Donnie Yen has said that the fourth Ip Man film will be his last kung fu movie.
Looking back at his career, the Hong Kong actor said he has been involved in many kung fu roles.
“As an actor and filmmaker, I have made so many movies, some that people love and some that people don’t love,” Yen said. “On this challenging road, I filmed a number of kung fu films that are about the same.”
The 56-year-old said he now plans to move on and expand his career.
“As an actor, you must keep going forward,” he said. “This is something that I must do in life; I must keep exploring to grow.”
Ip Man 4: The Finale will bring the series to a close next month. The Ip Man series spans over one decade, with the first film being released in 2008.
For Yen, Ip Man 4 is not only the finale for the series, but will also be the finale to his kung fu film career.
“This is the meaning of life, so I am very grateful Ip Man 4: The Finale is my final kung fu movie,” he said. “I hope it can be written on a valuable page in Chinese film history, and I will continue my journey as an actor.”
“A movie series typically doesn’t have more than two sequels because it tends to go downhill by the third film,” he added. “But the first three Ip Man movies were loved by everyone. I believe people won’t be disappointed this time either.”
Ip Man 4: The Finale will be released on 20 December 2019.