Yuen Woo‑ping
The Number One Martial Arts Director Under the Sky
Sep 17–Oct 13, 2026
A 23-film retrospective of the legendary action choreographer and director
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About Yuen Woo-ping
In a Hong Kong film industry overflowing with martial arts talent, Yuen Woo-ping stands apart. His legendary influence, in a career spanning more than five decades, has earned him the moniker “天下第一武指,” or “The Number One Martial Arts Director Under the Sky.” As both film director (beginning with 1978’s Drunken Master) and action choreographer (The Matrix, Kill Bill, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Yuen has helped elevate martial arts cinema into a sophisticated global art form, blending technical rigor with character, poetry, and astonishing physical invention to reshape the visual grammar of action filmmaking.
Films and showtimes
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Blades of the Guardians (鏢人:風起大漠 )
Featuring an ensemble of martial arts screen legends, Yuen Woo-ping’s latest is a sweeping wuxia epic, a relentless spectacle that reaffirms his mastery of cinematic action.
Thu, Sep 17, 7:00 p.m.Get ticketsFollowed by a conversation with Yuen Woo-ping
Wed, Sep 30, 7:00 p.m.Get tickets -
Drunken Master (醉拳)
Pairing Jackie Chan’s impeccable comic timing and Yuen Woo-ping’s breathtaking choreography, Drunken Master is the kung fu classic that kick-started Chan’s rise to global stardom.
Fri, Sep 18, 4:00 p.m.Get ticketsFri, Oct 9, 6:30 p.m.Get tickets -
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍)
This Oscar-winning epic—featuring an iconic duel atop a swaying bamboo forest—reimagines the wuxia tradition as a fusion of martial arts and romantic drama.
Fri, Sep 18, 7:00 p.m.Get ticketsFollowed by a conversation with Yuen Woo-ping and Ang Lee
Tue, Oct 13, 6:30 p.m.Get tickets -
The Matrix
Red pill or blue pill? The Wachowskis recruited Yuen Woo-ping to choreograph their philosophical sci-fi action film, and the result completely reshaped the Hollywood action film.
Sat, Sep 19, 3:30 p.m.Get ticketsSat, Oct 3, 4:00 p.m.Get tickets -
Kill Bill: Volume 1
Yuen Woo-ping put Uma Thurman and the rest of the stellar cast through a months-long fight camp, adding real blood, sweat, and tears to Quentin Tarantino’s exuberant revenge saga.
Sat, Sep 19, 7:00 p.m.Get ticketsSat, Oct 10, 4:00 p.m.Get tickets
Know before you go
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Late arrivals
Seating ends 10 minutes after the show starts. All screenings will begin promptly at their scheduled time.
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Accessibility
Accessible sound amplification devices are available at the Film Desk upon request. Closed captioning and descriptive audio may be available for select screenings, also upon request.
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Bags and security
All bags will be inspected. Bags or items larger than 11" × 15" × 5" are not allowed in our theaters.
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Museum admission
Same-day film admission is free with your MoMA general admission ticket. Visit a ticketing desk to get your film screening ticket, subject to availability.
Upcoming film series
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The Craft: Claire Atherton
Oct 8–23, 2026
The newest iteration of MoMA’s series The Craft, which shines a light on extraordinary—yet often unsung—talents working behind the scenes in cinema today, celebrates four decades of the French film editor’s career. This series highlights Atherton’s approach to editing as an intuitive and collaborative encounter and features key works from her 30-year working relationship with Chantal Akerman and more recent collaborations with Eric Baudelaire, Wang Bing, Bani Khoshnoudi, and others.
Learn more -
It’s Alive! Animation Archive Matinees
Oct 21, 2026–May 2027
Complimenting our gallery exhibition It’s Alive! A Century of Animation from the Collection, this epic screening series of over 250 animated films celebrates one of cinema’s most enchanting mediums and the artists who have shaped it. From early silents to golden-age comedies to recent standouts from Pixar and Ghibli Studios, offering unprecedented big-screen access to the MoMA’s animation collection.
Learn more