Yuen Woo-Ping (born January 1, 1945) is a veteran Hong Kong film director and martial arts choreographer, best known for the spectacular fight sequences he has staged in such films as The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Kill Bill.
His work as a director is also highly regarded, with his Drunken Master being one of the first movies to make Jackie Chan a star, and also helped create the subgenre of martial arts comedy. Other renowned martial artists/actors he has worked with include Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen.
Despite frequently working with with them, he is not related to the Seven Little Fortunes
, which includes Jackie Chan (Yuen Lo), Sammo Hung (Yuen Long), and Yuen Biao, all of whom used Yuen as stage surnames. However, like them, he was also a student at the China Drama Academy. His father Yuen Siu-tien was Beggar So in Drunken Master.
Notable Films Directed by Yuen Woo-Ping
- Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) (his directorial debut, and his first collaboration with Jackie Chan)
- Drunken Master (1978)
- The Champions (1983)
- Drunken Tai Chi (1984)
- Tiger Cage (1988) - he also directs the 1990 sequel
- Fire Dragon (1990)
- In the Line of Duty 4: Witness (1989)
- Iron Monkey (1993)
- Tai Chi Master (1993)
- Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2015)
- Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018)
Notable Films as Fight Choreographer
- The First Two Once Upon a Time in China and Fist of Legend, all starring Jet Li
- The Matrix trilogy (1999-2003)
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- Dragon Hero (2001)
- Kill Bill (2003-2004)
- Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
- House of Fury (2005)
- Fearless (2006)
- The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
- The Grandmaster (2013)
- Man of Tai Chi (2013)
