International martial arts action star and filmmaker Donnie Yen took to his blog this week to share news of his business venture alongside his wife, Cissy Wang, and Peter Lam, chairman of Media Asia Group and new business partner for their newly launched production company, Superhero Films. The new partnership is the latest to come since Yen became incredibly busy with a new slate of films to be pushed this year, including Special Identity and the 3D releases for The Monkey King, Iceman Cometh, and Ip Man which is still in development.
Yen’s new company is being touted as the new step forward in applying well over thirty years of experience and global recognition in the film industry as a stuntman, actor, martial arts performer, choreographer and filmmaker, with the help of expert producers, directors, talent scouts and other filmmakers to create high-quality martial arts action films to deliver to grander audiences. The step is also a highlight that clarifies Yen’s willingness to progressively step back from the screen in order to play a larger role behind the camera for future films. In the follwing passage from the 2009 interview with The New York Times Arts columnist Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Yen shared his thoughts on where he saw himself in the field in the years to come:
Despite his growing success, Mr. Yen is realistic about the type of films he will potentially be offered. “I don’t think there will be heavy, complicated characters written for me, even if they now know I can do emotional,” he said. “I don’t think you’re going to see me in a film without action because I don’t think investors are going to put their money in such a film. That’s not what the audience wants to see me in.”
And as a veteran action star, he’s also aware the career clock is already ticking. He said that he had noticed that, with age, the time he needed to recuperate from an action sequence was increasing. “I’ve actually given myself a retiring deadline for acting of 50,” he said. “I want to push myself to the limit, but I don’t want to be hanging around.”
But, he said, he still planned to be involved in movies.“I know I can still have some influence in the action directing department and raise the bar,” he said. “I still have a lot of ideas.”
At the news conference held for the launch of Superhero Films, Peter Lam expressed his elation for working with Donnie Yen at the height of his career as things stand.
(Transcribed via Google Translate)
“This cooperation with Donnie Yen, Mr., feel his commitment and enthusiasm of the movie, and the role of his more well-known in the international film market, have enjoyed wide recognition and respected, so I hope that the knot to his full support, and join hands with him to build a film production unit for the global Chinese market more and more exciting movie works for the majority of the audience.”
Yen turns 50 in July. And with four more films to take care of, the busy filmmaker and new owner of Superhero Films still possibly has a few more films to put out, including Enter The Master with co-star Nicholas Tse, and the upcoming Silver Vase, Iron Knight, should he, along with actress and new bride-to-be Michelle Yeoh make it official. So while Yen is announcing his way out, fans probably shouldn’t be worried too much about not seeing him in a few more films from here on out before he makes his leave.