In 2007, director Huang Baiming began to prepare for the filming of "Ip Man", and in this process, he put a lot of effort into finding the right actor. The original choice was kung fu superstar Jet Li, however, Jet Li proposed a friendship price of 100 million yuan, which made it difficult for Huang Baiming, who was not famous at the time, to bear. This accident put the filming plan in jeopardy.
Faced with Jet Li's inability to make the trip, Huang Baiming turned to another kung fu star - Jackie Chan. Although Jackie Chan only offered 30 million, he asked for a 30% box office dividend. This condition seems to be preferential, but for Huang Baiming at that time, the 30 million salary plus dividends may be unbearable. At the time of the trade-off, Huang Baiming once again gave up a potential superstar.
At this time, a low-key but powerful actor - Donnie Yen became his new choice. Donnie Yen's salary of 3 million and the contract with no additional strings attached made Huang Baiming ecstatic. This time, they officially signed the contract, opening a new chapter for Ip Man.
During the filming, Donnie Yen showed a high level of focus on the role. He is personally involved in all the action scenes, does not use stand-ins, and strives to achieve the best results. As soon as "Ip Man" was released, the audience's recognition of Donnie Yen made him the new darling of the kung fu film industry.
The success of "Ip Man" inspired Huang Baiming's determination to continue the series. However, by the fourth part, Ip Man's role no longer exists, which marks that "Ip Man" can no longer have a follow-up. Despite Donnie Yen's eagerness to continue filming new sequels, Huang Baiming holds on to his belief that every series should have a happy ending. He worries that he will be stuck in a fixed audience and the age of the actors will also become a constraint.
Although Donnie Yen was dissatisfied with this, Huang Baiming insisted on his decision. As Donnie Yen's fame continues to rise, the salary requirements gradually increase, which makes it more difficult to continue filming. In the end, they chose to draw a perfect end to the fourth part.
This journey was full of challenges and hardships, but it also showed the determination and wisdom of the team in the face of difficult situations. Huang Baiming has become a well-known director through the success of the "Ip Man" series of movies, and Donnie Yen has also become a famous kung fu star with his outstanding performance in movies.
This story teaches us that in the film industry, every choice is a gamble. The salary, the choice of stars, and even whether to continue filming a sequel are all deliberate decisions. Through precise casting and decisive decisions, Huang Baiming successfully created a high-profile film series, and Donnie Yen also found a new peak in his career. In this tough industry, every decision can change the course of the story.