IP MAN 3 (2016): Film Will Feature Mike Tyson and CGI Bruce Lee

Next Film Will Star Tyson And Lee. Fans familiar with the Ip Man film phenomenon will no doubt be aware that the third installment in Donnie Yen’s “IP” franchise is well into production. However, even the most die-hard Ip franchise fans will be shocked to hear that third film will include the legendary Bruce Lee and former world heavyweight boxing champion “Iron” Mike Tyson in a prominent role.

The Ip Man story is “loosely” based on the life of Yip Man, a grand master of the martial arts Wing Chun and future instructor of the iconic martial artist Bruce Lee. Initial drafts of Ip Man 2 featured Lee in a prominent role until changes had to be made after producers couldn’t secure the rights to include him in the film. The third installment of the franchise has rectified the rights issues with the Bruce Lee estate and it appears that the film will utilize a CGI version of Bruce Lee. The Hollywood Reporter’s post on the recent casting stated,

The film’s producers were unable to find an actor to portray Lee’s intensity onscreen so have decided to use computer graphics to re-create the most authentic Lee in the film.

The THR article also mentions that Tyson will have a prominent role in the film. Tyson is slated for the role of a property developer that is also a street fighter. Ip Man 3 producer Raymond Wong had this to say about the decision to cast Tyson,

Two years ago Mike Tyson opened up a Weibo [the Chinese microblogging site] account and the first question he asked was, ‘Who is the best fighter in China?’ Someone answered him ‘Donnie Yen,’ and that gave me an idea. For the third installment in the Ip Man series, we want to have an explosive fight, and Mike Tyson versus Donnie Yen fits the bill.

Tyson also chimed in with a statement regarding his casting,

Who is the best boxer and kung fu master in China? Wait for me, I am coming. Thank you for introducing me to Chinese kung fu.

There has been several Ip Man film’s released over the last decade with the Raymond Wong series  earning $37 million worldwide.

Ip Man Synopsis

A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. The film focuses on events surrounding Ip that took place in the city of Foshan between the 1930s to 1940s during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Directed by Wilson Yip, the film stars Donnie Yen in the lead role, and features fight choreography by Sammo Hung.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Imdb