Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen at the Hong Kong premiere
In its first week, Ip Man 2 brought in 105 million yuan (approx. 15.38 million USD), setting a new box office high for this year and becoming the highest-selling movie during this year’s three-day May Day (Labor Day) weekend. Originally set to premiere on April 29, the release date was pushed forward to April 27 due to favorable responses after the Beijing premiere. Over 300,000 people watched the film on its opening night.
Although the weekend also welcomed the arrival of Hollywood blockbuster (and similarly named) Iron Man 2, the industry still predicts that Ip Man 2 will be able to break 200 million after two weeks. Director Wilson Yip seems confident that it will surpass 300 million, and even says he’ll go streaking if the box office reaches 500 million.
Word of mouth says Ip Man 2 is superior to Iron Man 2, as its relaxed and humorous plot, stunning action scenes, and patriotic mood are enough to move the audience to tears. Donnie Yen‘s portrayal of Yip Man has been widely applauded for keeping with the way Chinese people perceive their martial arts masters: calm, humble, not showing off, and in general maintaining personal integrity. Only when the occasion calls for it will he bravely step forward.
Analysts say Ip Man 2′s success is not by chance, but of course it is directly related to the favorable reputation and popularity of its first installment two years ago. Director Yip has expressed that he would like to film Ip Man 3, thus completing the Ip Man trilogy and cementing the “Yip Man” trademark. This third movie would focus on the story of Yip Man and disciples Wong Leung and Bruce Lee. However, Donnie Yen has previously said that he would not want to film a third Ip Man movie. Director Yip has also revealed that finding someone to act out Bruce Lee would be a difficult problem: “We have to find someone who already resembles Bruce Lee and can fight.”
Pictures from the movie behind the cut: