Actor Matt Damon speaks next to Hong Kong movie star Andy Lau during a July 2 press conference for their movie "The Great Wall." (Photo : www.stripes.com)
Zhang Yimou, China's most famous director responsible for classics such as "House of Flying Daggers" and "Raise the Red Lantern," announced the coming of his new movie, "Great Wall," an adaptation of an original American script.
The seasoned director recently headed a star-studded cast to attend a press conference to publicize the U.S-China collaboration in Beijing.
The "Great Wall" is a fantasy epic that tells the story of warriors who once used the Great Wall of China as a weapon in fighting mythical creatures who pose as threats to humanity.
Legendary CEO Thomas Tull developed the idea for the movie and then sought the services of Zhang Yimou to lead the $150-million project.
"I think the story is very intriguing. It's hard to imagine such a story about China's Great Wall has been developed by a western filmmaker. There are many parts of this story that have interested me a lot, including the sentiments and theme of the movie, which are all very good. The part that attracts me the most is about China's traditional culture. Although it is a movie on the Great Wall fighting monsters, it carries so many elements that I hope to convey," Zhang said.
American lead actor Matt Damon said that he had never been to the Great Wall prior to the movie's filming.
"That experience of seeing the Great Wall is absolutely wonderful . . . to be able to do that with my family. But the experience of making our Great Wall has been pretty incredible and I think people are in for some fun surprises when they see what our walls are capable of," Damon said.
Hong Kong legend Andy Lau, together with Damon, is also in the cast, with the addition of many Chinese heartthrobs popular to younger Chinese crowd.
Lu Han, a 25-year-old singer who rose to fame as lead vocals and dancer of Chinese-South Korean boy band EXO, appeals to the younger audience with his baby face that melts teenagers.
The leading female star, Jing Tian, is taking a back seat from the hot male stars, although the actress has already appeared with highly popular actors like Liu Ye and Sun HongLei, and even Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen.
"It's been a pleasure to work with such great actors, especially Matt. Because for the last three months, I learned so much working with him side by side. He's a true professional and dedicated actor. For me, personally, he was always patient. I really appreciate that," Jing admitted.
It was a challenge in terms of language, as well.
"You know, since this is my first English-speaking movie, in the very beginning I was so nervous, and I had a lot of pressure, because I know being a leading actress I have so much responsibility. But luckily, the production sent me to L.A. for a special training program for six months, including like physical training, dialog class, acting class. They've been very supportive and very helpful," Jing said.
The "Great Wall" will be shown in cinemas in Nov. 2016.
