“Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend,” the sequel to 2021’s “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” has secured distribution deals across multiple territories ahead of its January 2026 China release, it was revealed at the American Film Market (AFM).

Well Go USA has acquired North American rights to the martial arts film, which is currently in post-production. Splendid Film will handle distribution in Germany, while Chantier Films has taken Turkey. Exponenta Film secured Russia and the CIS region, and Prima Cinema will release the film in Indonesia.

The project marks director Li Liming’s return after helming the previous installment, which Magnolia distributed in the U.S. Dennis To reprises his role as Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man who trained Bruce Lee, a character he has portrayed multiple times including in Herman Yau’s “Ip Man: The Legend is Born” and Jeffrey Lau’s “Kung Fu League.” To trained under Ip Man’s son.

The cast also features Zhou Xiaofei, who appeared in Wong Kar Wai’s “The Grandmaster,” “The Karate Kid,” and “Ip Man 4: The Finale,” along with Steven Dasz from “Chinese Zodiac,” “Man of Tai Chi,” and “The Wandering Earth 3.” Zhang Tingfei, known for Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home” and “The Listener,” rounds out the ensemble.

Sun Fei choreographed the action sequences, bringing experience from “Warriors of Heaven and Earth,” Feng Xiaogang’s “The Banquet,” and “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master.”

The film follows 2021’s “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” which also starred To and gained international recognition for its fresh perspective on the martial arts icon. Beijing Huiyong Film and Television Media Co. is producing the project in partnership with Oscar-nominated U.S. distributor Well Go, known for delivering premium action, genre and independent films to North American audiences.

All Rights Entertainment, which previously managed global distribution for “Ip Man: Kung Fu Master,” is overseeing international sales for the new installment.

The original “Ip Man” franchise, fronted by Donnie Yen, has become one of the most iconic martial arts film series of the 21st century. Launching in 2008 with Wilson Yip’s breakout hit “Ip Man,” the saga blends stylized action with historical drama, tracing its hero’s moral journey through Japanese occupation, Hong Kong’s post-war years, and the shifting tides of Chinese identity. Spanning four main installments and multiple spin-offs — including “Ip Man: The Final Fight” and “Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy” — the franchise has punched its way to both critical acclaim and global box office success, elevating Yen to international stardom and revitalizing the kung fu genre for a new generation.

The spinoff “Ip Man” films starring Dennis To carve a more traditionalist path through the martial arts biopic space, spotlighting a younger, humbler version of the Wing Chun master.