The trailer for the most expensive Chinese movie of all time, The Great Wall, has been released.
The blockbuster stars Matt Damon and Andy Lau, and is directed by Zhang Yimou. Zhang was the mastermind behind Beijing’s 2008 Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremony and cult classics such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers.
Set to be released in 3D on 17 February 2017, the film will also feature Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal and Platoon’s Willem Dafoe, as well as pop icon Luhan and actress Jing Tian, who will also appear in 2017’s Kong: Skull Island.
The Great Wall’s screenplay was assisted by World War Z author Max Brooks.
The film is set the Northern Song Dynasty, focusing on the mysteries revolving around the iconic Great Wall of China.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Zhang said that the film is extraordinarily grand.
“Indeed, this is the biggest film I have worked on… I wanted it [The Great Wall] to feel like an aircraft carrier on land.”
Not unfamiliar with blockbuster cult films, Zhang said that his own Chinese identity heavily contributed to the authenticity of the film,
“This script was written by American screenwriters. So the story is really told from an American’s perspective. When I came onboard, I wanted to make sure everything Chinese in this film feels genuine.”
The cast of the film is reportedly overwhelmingly of Asian heritage, which is fantastic for Asian representation in Hollywood, even if they are playing characters from Asian historical culture.
As well as doing his part for Asian actors and Asian culture, the House of Flying Daggers director has also done his part for actresses,
“I really like having strong female characters in my film, so I especially created a unique unit of brave female warriors.”
If Zhang’s previous work is anything to go by, then this one is going to be huge…