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The Chinese global blockbuster
By Xu Wei (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-21 16:46

With a budget of more than US$70 million, the movie is the costliest Chinese film ever made. Its A-list cast includes Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Hu Jun.

"It is my longtime dream to make a film based on the stories of the famous Three Kingdoms Period," Woo says.

The movie centers on the epic Battle of Red Cliff (Chi Bi Zhi Zhan) in today's Hubei Province in which 2,000 ships burned in a river battle. The tale is replete with ancient Chinese politics, philosophy and war strategies.

The biggest scenes involved 2,000 actors and crew. Around 1,300 special effects are used.

The 62-year-old Woo, who looks like your affable neighbor, is a genius of cinema. He first became known for his Hong Kong action classics, featuring slow motion action, artistic gunplay and themes of brotherhood in films such as "A Better Tomorrow," and "The Killer."

Woo's Hollywood sojourn began in 1993, when he took his directorial style to box-office hits like "Face/Off," "Mission: Impossible II" and "Paycheck."

"I have been making movies in Hollywood for about 16 years," Woo says. "I know Western audiences' taste, and I know the formula and expertise for a commercial blockbuster. I want to prove that in China, we also have the ability, talent and endurance to make a Hollywood-style blockbuster."

Woo's other mission is to improve Western cinemagoers' understanding of Chinese culture - it's more than just kung fu.