The Clash of the Kung Fu Titans: Vincent Zhao Blasts Donnie Yen’s Domineering Ways
Since the production crew of Special Identity <特殊身份> unilaterally announced on February 29th that Vincent Zhao (赵文卓) had officially stepped away from the Chinese film, rumors abounded as to the root cause. Numerous negative rumors had surfaced, claiming that Vincent Zhao was a difficult actor to work with and reportedly refused to respond to filming notices. With his anger boiling over allegations that undermined his reputation, Vincent Zhao finally broke his silence. In an interview with Jinghua News, Vincent Zhao blasted Donnie Yen (甄子丹) for his domineering ways and unpleasant work ethics!
Failed To Click With Donnie Yen
The first time that Vincent Zhao had met Donnie Yen was at the Beijing press conference announcing their partnership in Special Identity. During the filming process, Vincent and Donnie did not share any deep conversations. Vincent cited personality differences, as Donnie often responded in a curt manner without follow up.
One of Vincent’s friends informed him that Donnie Yen possessed a habit of frequently modifying scripts. Vincent revealed, “While I anticipated our scenes together, I was also anxious about his script revision habits. I included a clause in my filming contract stipulating that script revisions need to be approved by me. This was a rare practice and the first time I inserted such a clause in my contract.”
“Donnie Yen Requested Frequent Script Changes”
Vincent alluded that Donnie’s domineering reputation was not without reason. Over the course of his 20-year acting career, Vincent professed that he has never worked under such unpleasant filming conditions. The production crew for Special Identity, consisting of Donnie Yen as Executive Producer and Action Director; Cheung Mong (张望) as Producer; and Clarence Fok (霍耀良) as Director, often argued vehemently on the set.
Vincent declared that he had agreed to film Special Identity due to the first-time opportunity to have “awesome sparring fights” with Donnie Yen in the film project. Filming started on February 8th. Vincent recounted that on the second day of filming, Donnie and Director Clarence Fok had an argument on set. “I understand Cantonese and the overall dispute involved problems with the characterizations. Clarence did not wish to make the changes, while Donnie demanded that the script changes were to be made.”
Vincent was asked to return to his hotel, upon which he waited for 7 hours before receiving notice to return to the filming set. Significant changes in the script were apparent, in which the characters’ personalities and behaviors changed dramatically. Vincent said, “One scene featured a dialogue exchange between Donnie and I, in which my character originally suppressed him in the exchange. After modification, Donnie’s character now suppressed me verbally. Fine, I put up with it at the time!”
Afterward, Vincent waited in the hotel for 6 days before receiving another filming notice. Around February 15th, the script was revised to reflect dramatic changes to Vincent’s character, without prior discussion with him. “Previously, Special Identity featured two main leads. After the script changes, many of my scenes were removed; I was completely altered into a supporting character! The most critical change was towards the personality of my character, who was originally very cold, but it was altered to a person who now slaps another man’s butt! I can no longer film for this project anymore!”
Kicked Out Without Notice
Vincent was originally the main villain in Special Identity and possessed significant screen time. After rounds of script revisions, his role was diminished to a supporting role. Vincent stated, “They violated the filming contract! On February 27th, I sought out the film’s producer, director, and Donnie Yen to discuss the direction of the script.”
During this meeting, Vincent also requested that the production crew issue a statement clarifying recent negative rumors regarding his poor work ethics. Vincent stated, “The people present at the meeting agreed to issue a statement on my behalf, except Donnie Yen, who did not say anything.” Even the film’s financiers had personally agreed to issue the statement to clear Vincent’s name. However, the following day, Vincent was notified that Donnie Yen did not agree to issue the statement. Vincent decided to issue his own personal statement denying the allegations, while thinking he would return to the crew to discuss the script further.
On February 29th, the production crew issued a press release stating that Vincent Zhao had officially stepped away from Special Identity, an unilateral decision made without discussions with Vincent Zhao, which further provoked his fury.
Vincent Zhao Breaks Silence to Bring Forth Justice
Asked what reaction he expected from Donnie Yen by revealing his filming experience in Special Identity, Vincent said, “I don’t care about his reaction, as I am speaking the truth! I considered for a long time before deciding to step forward. Stepping forward this time required my utmost courage! In the past, many actors were unwilling to speak up because they were afraid of being black listed and would not receive future jobs. I will stand in an upright manner, unafraid of being black listed. Even if I do not act anymore, I have to reveal the truth! China’s film industry is not up to standard; a lot of things are finalized by the domineering forces. Then what purpose does a contract serve?”
Donnie Yen’s Posse Counters Vincent Zhao’s Claims
Director Clarence Fok stood behind Donnie Yen, praising him as a loyal person. Donnie Yen had rejected two film projects in order to film Special Identity, and did not receive extra pay for 6 months due to the delay in the filming schedule. Mr. Fok admitted that Donnie had scolded the action choreographer for not possessing a serious work ethic. Mr. Fok denied that there were frequent arguments on the set, “A group of men filming an action movie together–was there a need to say ‘please’ all the time? The use of rough words meant that we were arguing? I and cinematographer, Peter Pau (鲍德熹), get along well with Donnie Yen.”
Mr. Fok reiterated that Donnie had insisted on casting Vincent Zhao. Mr. Fok stated, “As for the filming clauses in Vincent Zhao’s contract, both Donnie Yen and I are not aware of the terms.” Cinematographer, Peter Pau, also complimented Donnie for his professionalism.
Special Identity producer, Cheung Mong (张望) noted that the script was not perfect, thus it was necessary to continuously revise it. Mr. Cheung claimed that the script revisions did not originate from Donnie, but rather from the production crew. “It is impossible that Vincent Zhao has not experienced such script revisions in his acting career. It was unimaginable that Vincent Zhao possessed a complete uncooperative stance; it was impossible for the production crew to work with him!”
Regarding Vincent’s allegations that his fighting scenes with Donnie Yen were cut, Mr. Cheung noted that it was an unnecessary worry, as these scenes were the film’s major selling point. “I can tell you that from the beginning until the end, Donnie Yen insisted on using Vincent Zhao. Otherwise, the production crew would not have agreed to Vincent Zhao’s domineering filming contract!”
Mr. Cheung also admitted that he had released public details regarding the high hotel expenses that Vincent had incurred, which Vincent noted that he would rather receive lower pay and nicer hotel accommodations. Vincent further challenged and countered why the production crew made an issue out of his hotel accommodations after filming had occurred.
Donnie Yen’s Response
Although contacted by the press regarding Vincent’s claims, Donnie Yen did not personally respond. His representative stated, “There is no need for Donnie Yen to respond to statements that do not represent the facts. It was Donnie who had initially recommended casting Vincent Zhao in Special Identity. When Donnie heard that Vincent refused filming notices, Donnie went to investigate the matter. If Vincent Zhao did in fact make such statements as referenced in the news, Donnie Yen is extremely disappointed.”
Note: This article is written for JayneStars.com. DO NOT re-post this article on any other websites. No part of this article may be copied, reproduced, rearranged, redistributed, modified by any means or in any form whatsoever without prior written permission. You may use the content online and for your non-commercial, personal use only. Copying these materials for anything other than your personal use is a violation of copyright laws.
Should you wish to share this article, we recommend that you: (i) link directly to the article at JayneStars.com on your website; or (ii) share this article link via social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Jayne: There was a big misunderstanding, in which key decisions were not communicated properly to Vincent Zhao. Or rather many of the script changes and refusal to issue production crew statement backing Vincent’s integrity, were allegedly made under Donnie’s name. Did Donnie order such changes? No according to Clarence Fok and Cheung Mong.
I do sense that Cheung Mong did not have anything flattering to say about Vincent, while the other key production staff sounded more respectful.
Vincent’s testimony was quite clear and coupled with the others’ response, we get a good idea of what had occurred. Vincent appeared to also lack trust in Donnie in the beginning of their partnership, reading many negative signals in the crew’s behavior. Culture and communication issues that were not addressed properly?
I was looking forward to see this movie 🙁 I like to think this incident was caused by some misunderstanding.
Still for some reason I believe Vincent’s version more as I can picture Donnie acting like a big shot after his success as Yip Man.
Vincent is better than Donnie in every aspect. The only thing im not sure of is who is the better fighter for real.
Hope Vincent won’t get blacklisted as I love seeing him act in MA series/movies.
I don’t have good impression on Vincent somehow due to his previous rumor with Anita Mui. According to some sources, Anita was hurt, got dumped by Vincent..
Well in a break-up someone is going to get hurt if one party is unwilling to let go.
As an animal-lover you should reevaluate your view on Vincent 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCglHMv9lhg&feature=relmfu
Are you implying Vincent is an animal?
Not sure what happened with Vincent and Anita but the past is the past and we should let it all go. Anita has passed away and Vincent is now married. Also, we don’t know for sure what truly happened so we should not blame it all on Vincent…
So.. one is supposedly a prima donna/diva and the other supposedly a crybaby? Who to believe? Donnie Yen’s photo makes him seem like one!! But yes probably misunderstanding but then donnie may want to share movie, he may not like to share same or bigger portion. I believe the script changes demands which is normal for any big stars.
What a strange turn of events. I hope it gets more interesting than this! though I have a feeling Mr Zhao probably has a version of events closer to the truth.
Donnie and Vincent are indeed “sparring” now..although not physically haha..
Wing chun vs no shadow kicks – which would win?
I don’t mind. The physical sparring wasn’t likely to be anything mind boggling as both men are past their prime and Donnie, whilst a good action director/choreographer, lacks the finesse of his elders. I’d much prefer to find out who has the stronger ego.
josie, not sure, but both parties will get “bruises” and “scars” from this “word sparring”..:P
Who will win depends on who has more market value which translates to more people speaking up for you. I like Vincent Zhao since his Wong Fei Hung days. Donnie Yen – I don’t know why I just don’t like his face. And I still don’t understand why Ip Man was a hit. Unfortunately though I think donnie yen will win this time.
Jayne, thanks for the quick updates.
Hrmm…hard to tell which side is telling the “real” truth.. 😐
I’m inclined to believe Vincent’s side of the story more especially with the way the crew is talking about him and Donnie… sounds like a cover up.
I also believe that Vincent’s side is closer to the truth. This is unfortunate, I was really expecting an awesome Donnie vs. Vincent fight.
And I don’t see a reason for Vincent to lie, considering that (from what I know), none of his recent movies were that well-accepted.
Donnie Yen is too big for his own good now!
What a pity, it’ll be great if Vincent is in this movie.
Somehow I believe Vincent is the victim here.
Me too, I incline to believe Vincent. Why would he wants to sabatoge his career? I can’t stand Donnie Yen, every time when I see him on television, he comes across as snobbish whereas stars like Jett Li and Jacky Chan appear to be humble and pleasant. I may be wrong but I think at one time, Sammo Hung (I think his name is Hung Kam Bo) has problem with Donnie Yen as well.
Is it me or what, it seems like Donnie Yen has a lot of botox done on his face, his forehead appears to be too smooth for a man who is in his late 40s.
I don’t like Donnie the first time I saw him, I didn’t think his acting any good, normally, a seemingly cold hearted hero win my heart, his character always so snobbish. I believe Vincent, n good on him on speaking up. What Donnie did is like a bully, n the only reason y he would want Vincent in the movie is to show his territory in the kungfu actor market, n in audience’s mind. God, if he could, he probably insist on having jet li n jacky to be in the movie, n make them his villain, n then cut down their scenes time, but he knows he can’t win, since those two will always has higher voice than him. If anything, it’s good that Vincent step away from that movie, since he would probably end up being the shoe boy n polish his celeb status for Donnie.
Donnie yen is big in the market now, so i guess everyone needs to back him up even he,s a @#@%^ ,seriously we all consumer don,t really understand the dark side about the film industrial ,poor Vincents no one really deafest him on this matter….
Some of you may not have known this. Donnie Yen used to be notorious for his attitude on set. He’s a man that sticks to his vision. If I’m not mistaken, he had disagreements with Yuen Woo Ping at one point in time. Although, don’t quote me on that.
Donnie Yen’s happy, fatherly, happy-go-lucky demeanor as of late is equal parts genuine and of a marketing ploy in my opinion.
However, don’t get me wrong, I admire Yen’s work and idolize the ethics he adheres to. Though, in this case, I’m inclined to believe Vincent Zhao’s side of the story.
Hard to say whether or not Donnie was hard to work with at the time. These were rumors that rose after he and Yuen Woo-Ping had a fall-out during the shooting of Wing Chun starring Michelle Yeoh over creative differences of the fight choreography. The fall-out was actually initiated when staff members from each side started backstabbing each other and spreading bad rumors which made it hard for Woo-Ping to work onset so he left. However, they still have contact with each other from time to time so their relationship ain’t all that bad. Woo-Ping confirmed it himself.
I think Clarence Fok and the rest of the gang are just backing Donnie Yen so that they don’t loss the only draw card to their movie! They have already spend big and got lots of sponsors. I hope the sponsors pull out in support of Vincent.
Donnie may have asked to have Vincent casted but he might be having second thoughts. So maybe he is trying to revise the script so he still looks like the ‘big star’. If he has confidence in himself and professional, he should step up to the challenge and fight (in the movie of course) Vincent like a man!
This is shocking. I didn’t know that Donnie has an attitude.
Somehow I feel like the crew is ganging up on Vincent to save themselves from the investor. Or is Donnie Yen himself the investor?
[quote]Donnie may have asked to have Vincent casted but he might be having second thoughts. So maybe he is trying to revise the script so he still looks like the ‘big star’.[/quote]
So you’re saying that he casts fellow martial arts actors as co-stars just to diminish their screen-time? Nonsense. That’s not what I saw him doing in SPL, Dragon Tiger Gate, Flash Point or in pretty much anything he did prior to making Special Identity. Plus hsi co-stars haven’t complained at all.
Vincent Zhao has good reasons to feel this way. However, I have suspicion regarding these statements:
1. Why was Zhao so eager to put the blame on Clarence Fok and the production team for the script changes and for violating the contract when it happened and at the press conference but said nothing about Donnie being involved, but has now shifted all blame on Donnie and doesn’t say nothing about the production team being involved in the script revisions?
2. If Clarence Fok and had an argument with Donnie on set over the script, why is he backing Donnie rather than Zhao? That’s makes no sense as it should be the other way around.
3. Who really has the authority to initiate changes in a script? The producer? The executive producers (studio heads)? I can’t see Donnie making these changes by himself as he doesn’t have total control of the production nor the power to do so.
4. If Donnie recommended Zhao to the investors and to play the main villain, why even bother to change his character from a co-lead to a supporting role? I don’t recall anything like this happening until now.
As much as it sounds like Vincent Zhao is telling the truth, I’m still not thoroughly convinced so I won’t side with either of them. I’d be interesting to see Donnie join in to respond to Zhao’s statement instead of just ignoring them.
Your suspicion has their grounds, but I don’t know why Vincent sounds like he’s going all out and tell the truth. Maybe Donnie should come out by himself and make his statement.
Both Donnie and Vincent believe that they are “right” which is the ultimate source of conflict in their clash, resulting in their inability to resolve the situation privately. Donnie stated that script changes were necessary to “improve” the outcome of the film. Donnie likely believed in adovocating strongly for ideas that he felt would improve the film, while Vincent regarded this as Donnie being domineering and throwing his weight around.
Vincent was being blamed by the production crew for obstructing the creative development, being unyielding, and impossible to work with. Vincent was regarded as lacking “team spirit” and holding on to rigid contract clauses, being unable to adapt to the “necessary” evolving script, etc.
It really was dependent upon perspective as to who is right. However, what remains is that Vincent had inserted a very clear filming clause in his contract. It is outright irresponsible for the productive crew to sign off on the clause and then knowingly violate it. As the Executive Producer, Donnie Yen should be held responsible for enforcement of such contract clauses. Big stars such as Vincent can demand his own terms, which were fair since they were clearly stated from the beginning.
Vincent sounded as if he had sought out the productive team to negotiate the matters privately, but the crew did not wish to involve him in the creative development process, as Vincent was seen as an actor and not really part of the decision-making process. In fact, the crew likely found it troublesome to have to discuss with Vincent the script changes, thus they ignored his filming clause. It sounded as if this happened more than once, thus Vincent felt disrespected.
Rumors in the news claimed that Vincent refused filming notices and thus the filming progress was halted. He was very angered by such rumors, as he may have felt that there was an inside source from the project who may have intentionally leaked the news. He was tired of his name being slandered. While he felt that he was overall disrespected, I suspect that he would not have come forward with such blunt statements had the rumors not become so increasing negative about his reputation.
Initially, I thought that perhaps there was a big misunderstanding, possibly an individual who may have knowingly caused the rift between Donnie Yen and Vincent Zhao. However, as the Executive Producer, Donnie is responsible to oversee the entire film project, especially to make sure things are done abiding by various contracts etc.
For example, in a company that hired an employee that does not work well with other management staff, do you support firing that employee, or talking with him/her about the problems and trying to work things out?
Tony,
I sense that Vincent and Donnie possess very different personalities and perspectives on “good work ethics,” which may have given rise to the conflicts. Vincent sounds like a very principled person who felt disrespected in “Special Identity.” He has a right to protect his own interests, by inserting a filming clause, and to pursue the matter due to violation of his filming contract. He has a right to be upset about initially committing to a filming project that was significantly altered (e.g. character traits and reduced screen time) beyond his wildest imagination.
Vincent had proposed his terms very clearly in his filming contract. If Donnie Yen and crew had wanted Vincent and agreed to sign off on Vincent’s contract, they are legally (and morally obliged) to comply by the terms. Clarence Fok stated that he and Donnie Yen were not aware of Vincent’s terms, which sounds like handing off the responsibility. As the respective Director and Executive Producer, they held responsible to such filming contracts, whether they claim to be aware of the terms or not.
Although Vincent’s work style may be different than Donnie’s, in that Vincent likes to go by very clear agreed upon terms, the crew of “Special Identity” had signed off on Vincent’s contract, thereby they are obligated to enforce it.
I suspect that the crew were very eager to find a worthy martial arts opponent for Donnie and Vincent was eagerly sought after. However, Donnie’s work style, which included frequent script changes and spontaneous adjustment on set, did not suit Vincent, who saw the changes as threatening his own self interests while reinforcing Donnie’s interests.
Regardng the points that you raised, here is my take on the matter:
1. Why was Zhao so eager to put the blame on Clarence Fok and the production team for the script changes and for violating the contract when it happened and at the press conference but said nothing about Donnie being involved, but has now shifted all blame on Donnie and doesn’t say nothing about the production team being involved in the script revisions?
In Vincent’s initial statement prior to his March 15th interview, Vincent collectively referred to the changes made by the “production crew.” As Donnie serves as the Executive Producer, he is part of “production crew” referred to by Vincent. I suspect Vincent did not wish to call attention to any particular individual earlier, until his own negative rumors grew so rampant. Vincent noted that he had considered a lengthy amount of time before stepping forward. According to Vincent’s testimony, he noted that Clarence Fok did not wish to change the script on the 2nd day of filming, but Donnie Yen was very insistent.
2. If Clarence Fok and had an argument with Donnie on set over the script, why is he backing Donnie rather than Zhao? That’s makes no sense as it should be the other way around.
Donnie is the Executive Producer and in charge of the film project; he has higher say over Clarence Fok. Due to Donnie’s great box office performance in recent years, he has a lot of clout and control over his recent projects. Thus, I suspect Donnie is also regarded with great importance by the film’s investors. Clarence can be motivated by various reasons for backing Donnie. Perhaps Clarence did have an amicable relationship with Donnie despite their rough words. Differences in script opinions do not mean that you do not get along with the person. Clarence is still the Director of the film and has a vested interest to support the positive image of remaining staff on the project, including Donnie. Using corporate organizational titles to make the comparison more clear, would the manager (Clarence) speak poorly about the Chairman (Donnie) over a “fired employee” (Vincent)? Obviously, the manager would think of his own financial interests too, if he wishes to remain on the project.
Also the bottom line is, will the investors feel that “Special Identity” have more to lose if Donnie Yen or Clarence Fok gets dropped from the project?
3. Who really has the authority to initiate changes in a script? The producer? The executive producers (studio heads)? I can’t see Donnie making these changes by himself as he doesn’t have total control of the production nor the power to do so.
The collective leaders of the “production crew” would likely have great influence on the outcome of the script. This would mean Executive Producer, Producer, Director, Head Screenwriter, etc. Donnie Yen sits above everyone else as the Executive Producer in this regard, aside from the film’s financial investors. It also depends on that individual’s personal management style as to how involved he/she wants in regards to things “beyond” their direct realm. Some Executive Producers may focus more on the overall finances and allocating responsibilities, rather than trying to exert their influence on the creative process.
4. If Donnie recommended Zhao to the investors and to play the main villain, why even bother to change his character from a co-lead to a supporting role? I don’t recall anything like this happening until now.
Donnie had allegedly stated that he made script changes to improve the outcome of the movie. Perhaps he felt that certain script changes fleshed out his own character more, adding to more depth and dimension, with the “necessary” reduction in Vincent’s screen time. This can be argued to “enhance the quality of the film,” which may be regarded as improving the film from Donnie’s perspectie.
In Vincent’s testimony, he had used Hollywood film making processes as an example, where the script was subject to a very thorough control process and protection to all involved stakeholders, including the actors. In Hollywood, when a complete script is produced, it is subject to auditor that signs off on the final product, which is then signed off by the actors. If there are any changes to the script, the auditor and actors are notified and again signatures are asked for. This is to protect the actors and other parties from the risk of signing off on an initial product that may be altered in the production process beyond their wildest expectations. I suspect this may apply only to the big stars only in Hollywood films, due to clauses in their filming contracts.
Donnie u idiots, don’t try to cover up…Vincent i support you even i’m not your fans.. won’t see any Donkey donnie films anymore…
i agree, i don’t think that vincent is that type of person
If Vincent really didn’t like the script changes as they were coming to him, he could easily walk away from the set. I don’t have an issue with that. Vincent was only an actor in the film. I do have an issue with him throwing a tantrum and badmouthing the project afterwards. Shows a lack of maturity and opens himself to attack. There were much better ways to deal with it in the public.
Donnie as Executive Producer and Action Director has the power to discuss / make script changes – he’s not just an actor in the film. If Donnie’s changes are “too much to handle” it’s up to the rest of the producers involved in the film to work together to control him. It’s not up to Vincent. At least Donnie has refused to take part in the public fighting – so far 😛
I think the rest of the crew is also acting childish by trying to fight with Vincent in public. It’s a mess.
TVBfanatic,
“I do have an issue with him throwing a tantrum and badmouthing the project afterwards. Shows a lack of maturity and opens himself to attack. There were much better ways to deal with it in the public.”
Vincent stated that he had raised concerns regarding script changes on Feb. 27th. He had expected to be able to continue to discuss such changes but to his shock, a press release was issued by the production crew on Feb. 29th that he was cut from “Special Identity.”
He had resorted to private means of dealing with the situation, seeking out the production team to talk etc. Vincent had a very clear filming contract which was violated. He only defended his own reputation prior to March 15th and did not wish to target any specific individuals up until then.
Actually, I think Vincent felt that whoever had leaked his negative rumors (complaining about his work attitude, lack of team player, etc.) had backstabbed him first. So the dirty laundry was aired about Vincent publicly, rather than resolved in private.
In addition, the production crew refused to issue any clarifying statements on behalf of Vincent to clarify his name, making him have to finally step forward publicly to defend his own name.
From such accounts, Vincent appears to have taken reasonable steps to resolve the situation with the key decision makers, who apparently did not wish to abide by the filming clauses in his contract. Vincent saw this as a legal and moral violation; that he is speaking up to defend himself, the rights of actors, and the need to uphold legal contractual terms.
From a legal standpoint, Vincent already has strong grounds to speak up.
In additon, the public perceived that Vincent was a troublesome actor for being ousted from “Special Identity.” If the production team did not cut Vincent from the project, he probably would never had been such public in airing his anger. I gather that he regards himself as an “oppressed actor” whose rights were violated, where the domineering forces knowingly violated his rights. Thus his anger and the fact that he felt a strong sense of injustice.
“Whistleblowers” are often regarded as troublesome. Whistleblowing against such popular personalities such as Donnie Yen would undoubtedly have backlash. Vincent knew there would be divergent reactions to his public testimony, but he took a risk. He felt it was the right thing to do, as the actions of the production team violated his contractual rights.
Whether Vincent was truly such a difficult actor to work with, it is a matter of perspective and subjective work ethic standards.
Even if the dirty laundry first came from the production crew, I still believe it to be a lack of foresight to respond back by attacking others. I think you can explain why without resulting to attacks.
The bottom line here, however, is that he has a contract to perform the role as written. If the script changes, then he really has no recourse other than to leave the film himself. And even then, he might be stuck if the contract signed makes provision for script changes. Vincent would not have been the first actor to walk away from a script after several revisions. I personally think he’s doing more harm to himself right now by posting on Weibo that he will “air it all out” – it’s not the best way to promote yourself.
If the production team wants to throw mud, let them. Respond in a calm and refined manner, defend yourself to the fullest – but I don’t think that in defending yourself you too should pick up mud to throw back… it lowers you to their level.
Great points, Jayne and TVBFanatic.
Clarence Fok and the crew must be blasting Vincent because they want to protect their own rice bowl. I understand why Vincent must feel betrayed and cheated by the production who’s siding entirely on the more popular Ip Man.
But isn’t there a clause in the contract about script changes?
If there is a claus why is Vincent so brave to stand up alone against Donnie and his supporters?
didn’t last time donnie yen have some issue with sammo hung too when they filming last time?. I think the change of scrip that Donny afraid that vincent will become more popular than him. Since sometimes even vilain can became popular.
Frankly donnie face look a bit scary w/ his super thick double eyelid surgergy. I think vincent zhao just want to make sure this time movie will make him more famous and recognizable. All this while he can’t really make it big. His wong fei hung is secondary to jet leee, most of his movie does not make it that big either.
That was a rumor but it didn’t concern the script of Ip Man 2 but it was over a statement Donnie gave after the film premiered in China/HK. It was about how it didn’t matter what style and character he would play to make a film successful but it’s the overall collaboration between people in a production that matters. This caused a short-term controversy after the interviewer misinterpreted Donnie’s statement indicating that Donnie was discrediting wing chun kung fu and the credit to Ip Man’s successful was mainly because of Donnie. Ip Chun and Sammo themselves however clarified this issue and it has since died down.
or maybe both of them Donnie and Vincent are hard to work with and have big egos
Probably this. 🙂
Like Jessica and Maggie Cheung. Can’t work together LOL
All of these things give us a lesson: Work is work and friend is friend. Can’t mess up.
yep totally agree! I’m currently working with my friend n sometime is so hard to get alone when we’re working.
Good point Fox! Two of my closest friends are best friends with each other, but when they had to work together… Different story because it can be really hard to work with your friends…
i never really like donnie.
Donnie Yen is having second thought aABOUT THIS PAGE
These search results were provided because the domain name you entered into the address bar is either improperly formatted, currently unavailable, nonexistent, or part of a key word search. Rogers Supported Search Results is a service designed to enhance your web surfing experience by eliminating many of the error pages you encounter as you surf.
C.
Vincent’s side of the stories is credible. He had the dates and time down. Whereas, the prod. crew were just trying to cover up the incident by turning Vincent Zhao into a diva, lol.
I was Vincent, I would be pissed to. The prod. crew made drastic changes to the script without informing him, as per contract, then had the gall to “fire” him when he confronted them with the situation and then compromised his reputation??!! I think he didn’t even get paid when he was let go. That’s why he stated that China needs better law for film making contracts. In hollywood, if the prod. co. didn’t abide by any of the clauses in the contract with the actors, they have to pay that actor the full amount before letting them go.
So yeah, I support Vincent for speaking up. And if this is true, I hope they deserve just karma by the movie tanking at the box office.
Donnie Yen is insecure and having second thought, therefore he’s making changes to the script, however Vincent is not a newbie and won’t put up with bs plain and simple. I’m 100% certain that Vincent will upstage donnie if they go head to head…maybe Donnie knows that too Lolz
ROFL agreed Donnie sounds insecure that Vincent will take his limelight. I think he truly want to spar with Vincent but later realize that same screentime may make Vincent stole the Donnie limelight LOL.
After reading both sides I believe Vincent!
Ugh Donnie’s big shot attitude is terrible. He thinks he’s BIG and can control everyone. I don’t even like his acting and IP Man made him cocky. CYF and Jet Li are BIGGER than Donnie and dont have this BIG SHOT attitude!
Actually, he carries himself in a much more carefree and humble manner in comparison to the mid-years of his career up to the point of his demeanor prior to filming Ip Man.
Also, unless you have worked with either guy personally, you shouldn’t be too quick to judge. In any industry that requires a collaborative effort, quarrels are always abound. This interview with Zhao should not be viewed as the definitive disclosure to the issue.
At least, Donnie is giving us some of best action films today whereas Jet Li is becoming more disappointing with his action output appearing in junk like The Expendables and trying to get into drama films.
Donnie cant act. He can fight but he cant act. Jet Li actually can act better than him and IS more famous than him. I dont even like Jet Li
To each his own. I couldn’t care that much about these guys acting though, they are action stars. Point is, Donnie is giving action fans what they want while Jet keeps sleeping on his fans to star in crap films that people don’t like to see from him.
The last few shows that Donnie Yen was in were disappointing.
That’s probably why he cant afford to share more screen time with Vincent.
Too bad, big ego always cause trouble!!!
Donnie with big ego and bad attitude. His personality is going lower and lower in my book now. His acting I never think.he can act LOL
True, cant act for nuts. No expression always!!! Due to the botox???
They are both martial artist of great caliber (think Vincent is better). They should settle their dispute by the laws of the martial world i.e. a public fight (wing chun vs tai chi?)
The last man standing will be the one ultimately “right” don’t you agree? 🙂
Good idea! Wing Chun is fast, tai chi hopefully the speed up version will be good. Get Jet Li as the referree and need be, intervene with shaolin kung fu. Jackie by the sideline and we have an event that will generate more ratings than any ratings gold. Very very good idea!!
Let them fight to dead, we will throw rock to the one who get killed.
I really had a good laugh at all the comments in here! Who knew such serious thing can generate such witty remarks? I especially love the top 2 photos. One staring with a hint of anger, and the other smug. I am surprised with so much botox he can still do the smug look. Shouldn’t it be the strained shocked blank stoned look?
It all seems like a huge miscommunication which subsequently led to disastrous misunderstandings to me.
Vincent is from a Chinese movie industry background whilst Donnie’s from the Hong Kong movie industry background. I’m pretty sure any lay man can tell that the movie styles of these two movie industries are significantly different. What more needs to be said? I do not think anyone would rule out the possibility that the working styles of these two great actors may hence differ quite a bit?
Given their fame, it would also be no surprise if they have great pride/ego. It is possible that they had probably found it hard to compromise on certain areas during filming. Ultimately, this all boils down to patience, understanding, effective communication, and last but not least, mutual respect.
As for Donnie’s absence from all these public discussions, I think it could probably be due to these reasons; he doesn’t wish to comment because of guilt (if Vincent’s claims are true), or he feels it is unnecessary/pointless to say anything since the public/media may pick it up in an entirely different light and create yet more “buzz” over the whole issue.
Finally, someone with rationality for a change. Well said.
That means Vincent is out of good luck because Donnie’s filming style is he wants everything controlled by him ROFL. The priduction including Donnie still did wrong for doing unwritten rules out of the contract Vincent signed
Vincent Zhao has been in more Hong Kong films than Mainland films though. His first movie was a Hong Kong film with Jet Li (Fong Sai-yuk), and pretty much all of his movies in the 90s were Hong Kong films. It wasn’t until the late 90s and early 2000s when Vincent actually did mainland stuff.
[…] http://www.jaynestars.com/news/the-clash-of-the-kung-fu-titans-vincent-zhao-blasts-donnie-yens-domin… […]
I am glad that Vincent spoke up and stood up for himself… I hope that this mess will be all settled peacefully..
There are no misunderstanding. Donnie is just too bossy. There is an old saying that if you wanna be an actor, don’t revise the script otherwise just be a writer or director. Because in my opinion, it is true that everybody sharing ideas is a great strategy. However, as an actor, one shouldn’t revise a script while filming is in production. Otherwise, why chose to be a part of it when you already realize the script was terrible at the first beginning? I support Vincent in this incident.
You can never compare Donnie Yen to that so called Vicent Zhoa, i consider Donnie Yen to be the best fighter, even morethan Jet Li.