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Ip Man 4 Casts Scott Adkins
Martial arts star Scott Adkins is joining the cast of Ip Man 4, the latest installment in the biographical kung fu film series that tells the story of the famous Wing Chun grandmaster who trained Bruce Lee. Ip Man is played by Donnie Yen.
Actor Scott Atkins became well known to martial arts fans for his co-starring roles in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and a number of action films featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Adkins has shown off his skill as a martial artist with roles in major Hollywood blockbuster films such as X-Men Origin: Wolverine, Doctor Strange, and The Bourne Ultimatum. The actor has also played the lead character in several fan-favorite movies, including Ninja, Undisputed III: The Redemption, and Boyka: Undisputed.
Scott Adkins announced on Instagram that he has joined the cast of Ip Man 4, which is currently shooting in China. Adkins, who was personally asked by Yen to take the role, says the Ip Man movies are “modern martial arts film masterpieces.”
Upon its release in 2008, the first Ip Man film was a huge success both critically and commercially. The film provided a massive boost to Yen’s popularity in China while also exposing him to Western audiences. The two sequels that followed have also been box office hits.
Each film in the series has focused on a different part of Ip Man’s life. Ip Man shows the legendary Wing Chun master dealing with the Japanese invasion of 1937. Featuring Sammo Hung, Ip Man 2 sends the titular character to British-occupied Hong Kong in the mid-1940s. In the third film, Ip Man battles a boxer played by Mike Tyson while simultaneously coming to terms with his wife’s impending death. Toward the end of the movie, Ip Man accepts Bruce Lee as a student.
Ip Man 4 is one of four films Yen is filming this year, along with Big Brother, Iceman 2, and Enter the Fat Dragon. Directed by Wilson Yip, the Ip Man 4 will be set the 1960s, and will be the first installment in the series to take place in America. The film will see Ip Man traveling to Seattle to work with Bruce Lee, who has decided to open a Wing Chun school. While in the United States, fans can expect Ip Man to come into conflict with American martial artists looking to prove themselves by beating the Wing Chun grandmaster. It seems likely that one of them will be Scott Adkins’ character.
No release date for Ip Man 4 has been announced.
