Since Donnie Yen first assumed the role of Ip Man, in 2008, the legendary Grandmaster of Wing Chun and mentor to the young Bruce Lee, has come to rule the roost of martial arts cinema, with Donnie stepping into the role once more with the upcoming “Ip Man 4”. Indeed, the “Ip Man” franchise has proven so popular that a spin-off focusing on one of its breakout characters was inevitable. That spin-off is set to hit theaters across Asia in December in the form of Yuen Woo-ping’s “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy”, which has just dropped a new trailer that you can see below!
The film sees rising star and wushu wunderkind, Max Zhang, return to the role of Cheung Tin-chi , one of Ip Man’s fellow wing chun exponents who made his mark well known across the martial arts movie landscape in 2015’s “Ip Man 3”. Zhang is joined in the film by his “SPL 2” co-star Tony Jaa, along with Dave Bautista of “Kickboxer: Vengeance”, refined veteran kicker Michelle Yeoh, Chrissie Chau (who previously appeared in 2013’s “Ip Man” television series) and original “Ip Man” star Shi Yan Neng in the new role of Naason.
While there’s not much story to infer from the new trailer, action lovers and aficionados of the “Ip Man” series are clearly being set up to get their money’s worth. Fans of Michelle Yeoh will doubtlessly thrill to see her return to an action heavy-role, following her recent forays into sci-fi and comedy-oriented material with “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2”, “Star Trek: Discovery”, and “Crazy Rich Asians”. However, for fans of “SPL 2”, the prospect of Max Zhang and Tony Jaa crossing paths once again will doubtlessly be one of the featured attractions of “Master Z”, and judging from the trailer, they aren’t likely to be disappointed.
“Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” is set to be released in China and Hong Kong on December 21st. Stay tuned for more info on the film’s release in the Western world as it arrives! Excited to see Max Zhang return to the ” Ip Man” franchise; what’s your favourite fight scene in the “Ip Man” series so far? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Want the X, Y or Z factor? Then click on into our world of reviews and exclusives and you’ll become MasterFUll in no time!)
