Directed byHouse of Flying DaggersandHerofilmmaker Zhang Yimou, it is the most expensive Chinese movie of all time.
But if youre expecting a lofty historical epic about the 13,000-mile walls construction, well, expect again.
In these exclusive images, you could see the vibrancy and imagination in Zhangs vision.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This is your first time working with a Hollywood studio, Universal.
What has the experience been like?
Does it feel like the biggest project youve ever worked on?
ZHANG YIMOU:Indeed, this is the biggest film I have worked on.
Working with a Hollywood studio, I have learned a lot.
Hollywood studios are very experienced in filmmaking and this is worth studying.
However, there are also many differences between Hollywood and Chinese filmmaking.
So to make it collaborate, good communication is important.
It opens the door, creates more opportunities for the future, and builds a great foundation.
How do the films Hollywood elements blend with its Chinese elements?
First and foremost, this is an English-language film, and a Hollywood blockbuster.
It was already very clear in the script phase.
This is a Hollywood monster movie and needs to be made in that style.
I dont want to change that approach, and theres no need to do that.
And so its beneficial to both sides?
It is synergistic filmmaking.
Theres a saying in Chinese: Use the water to move the boat.
In this case, we are using Hollywood filmmaking to introduce Chinese culture.
Can you talk about the tone and the time period of the film?
How much does the science-fiction/fantasy element play a role?
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 its 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.
Do the characters have superpowers?
No, no one has superpowers in our film.
For this movie, I really want to switch it up and do something as realistic as possible.
What was the most difficult sequence to shoot?
The biggest difficulty is the limited amount of time.
In China, when I make a film of this scale, I would have five to five-and-a-half months.
This time, we only had four-and-a-half months.
And of course, we also had to take the weekends off.
In China we wouldnt do that.
Of course, we do take breaks on Chinese films, but not this much.
As for which specific sequence is the most difficult I think filmmaking is the same throughout the world.
If you want to do something great, nothing is easy.
The Great Wallis very different from your last filmComing Home.
Did you feel a lot more pressure on this film than on your others?
Fortunately, I directed the 2008 Olympic Ceremonies.
Perhaps theres nothing grander than that.
So the size of a production doesnt make a difference to me.
I didnt feel any pressure.
But there are major difference between Eastern and Western culture.
And this is reflected in every little detail in our work.
Was it a big challenge to communicate in English.
I dont understand English, so a lot of time is spent on communication.
It takes three times longer to get anything done.
How much did your own Chinese identity contribute to the development of the film?
This script was written by American screenwriters.
So the story is really told from an Americans perspective.
When I came onboard, I wanted to double-check everything Chinese in this film feels genuine.
What did you contribute?
Of course we also did a lot of work on making the Great Wall unique.
I wanted it to feel like an aircraft carrier on land.
To defeat it and cross it will be nearly impossible.
What can you say about working with these three big Western actors?
I am very fortunate to work with Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, and Willem Dafoe on this project.
They are wonderful actors and helped me tremendously.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all three actors.
