If you have any doubts that any actor could revive a once-living cinematic legend on screen like the incomparable Bruce Lee, you’re probably right. Nonetheless and actor Philip Ng’s own prospects notwithstanding with respect to the current production of Bruce Lee biopic, Birth Of The Dragon, certainly bearing the late martial arts master’s image is a benefit for actor Danny Chan Kwok-Kwan who is reprising him as a younger version of the real-life star to be in Wilson Yip‘s latest, Ip Man 3.
It’ll notably be the third time Chan has portrayed Bruce Lee’s persona in some capacity following the 2008 TV series, The Legend Of Bruce Lee and Stephen Chow’s 2004 sports comedy, Shaolin Soccer as a Game Of Death-inspired character. As the saying goes – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Check out Chan winning over the camera lens as the young and ambitious once and future patriarch of Jeet Kune Do and martial arts legend.
There’s no hint just yet as to what degree Chan‘s portrayal of Lee will mean for the plot, but the film will obviously return martial arts action star Donnie Yen back into character as Lee’s titular Wing Chun teacher for a time in the eponymous trilogy. As the plot goes according to Jaynestars, a clash with local Triads at a nearby school leads to further friction with an American businessman that results in a definitive battle of Wing Chun and Western boxing fisticuffs, followed by an explosive Wing Chun finale between that further determines Ip Man’s place in the martial arts world.
Actress Lynn Hung rejoins Yen with actors Max Zhang, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, martial arts cinema veteran Bryan Leung, Thai rising action star Simon Kuke and more rounding out the cast, along with action choreography by Yuen Woo-Ping and his team. Ip Man 3 opens this Christmas and New Years’ Eve throughout Asia with releases in select parts of Europe and the U.S. to follow.
H/T: Facebook