KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Kong action filmmaker Corey Yuen died at 71 of Covid-19 two years ago.
Hong Kong entertainment portal HK01 reported yesterday that Yuen's death was confirmed by Shaolin Soccer actor Tin Kai-Man on Monday.
Tin revealed that news of Yuen's death was never made public as a result of his family's wishes.
Born on Feb 15, 1951, Yuen was one of the founding members of the influential Seven Little Fortunes martial arts group. Known members included Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.
In a Weibo post, Chan urged fans of Hong Kong martial arts movies to join him in remembering Yuen's legacy.
"It is with profound sadness that we bid farewell to Corey Yuen, whose legacy in action cinema is unparalleled. Let us honour his memory together," said the 70-year-old action hero.
Yuen's journey in the film industry began with minor roles in the 1970s before he gradually transitioned to directing and choreographing action sequences.
He is best known as the action director for 1998 Hollywood film Lethal Weapon 4 and has worked on major productions as X-Men, Romeo Must Die and The Expendables.