“One of mankind’s greatest wonders. 1,700 years to build. 5,500 miles long. What were they trying to keep out?”
Directed by legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou (張藝謀), “The Great Wall” is a science fantasy adventure-monster action film that boasts an all-star ensemble cast including stars Matt Damon, Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Mackenzie Foy, as well as Chinese superstars Andy Lau (劉德華), former EXO member Luhan (鹿晗), Eddie Peng (彭于晏), and many more.
Filmed on location in Qingdao, China, the movie focuses heavily on the ancient world wonder that winds for more than 5,500 miles across the country, with towers and walkways.
Not much is known about the film’s plot, but Zhang Yimou did reveal the following to EW: “The film takes place about 1,000 years ago. At its core, it is a period piece and an action film. The fantasy element does play a major role because of the monsters. But, what makes our film unique is that these are ancient Chinese monsters. Even though it’s a fantasy movie, we filmed it in a very realistic way. We want it to feel like the events actually happened. Other than the monster, all aspects of this film are backed by either scientific or historical research.”
Not only will this be Zhang Yimou’s first English-language film, it will also mark Andy Lau’s first film role in a Hollywood production. On top of that, “The Great Wall” is currently the most expensive film ever shot entirely in China, with a budget of $135 million.
You ready? Watch Matt Damon fight monsters at..well, where else?:
“The Great Wall” also stars Zhang Hanyu, Jing Tian, Lin Gengxin, Ryan Cheng, Chen Xuedong, Huang Xuan, Wang Junkai (Karry Wang), Yu Xintian, Liu Qiong, Emma Wu, and Wang Zhifei.
The film is scheduled to be released on 17th February 2017 in the US, with an unspecified date in December 2016 for China release.
For more information, visit the movie’s website or Facebook page.
