It is as "realistic" as possible, for a monster movie set in China, but with American screenwriters and a Chinese director blending East and West elements. Other than the monster, all aspects of this film are backed by either scientific or historical research." We want it to feel like the events actually happened. Even though it's a fantasy movie, we filmed it in a very realistic way. But, what makes our film unique is that these are ancient Chinese monsters. The fantasy element does play a major role because of the monsters. Zhang explained to EW, "At its core, it is a period piece and an action film.
As EW noted, if you're expecting a historical epic about the building of the wall, think again.
Entertainment Weekly shared the first photos from the movie, and Legendary Pictures and Universal posted the first full trailer. The film, from "House of Flying Daggers" director Zhang Yimou, is set about 1,000 years ago, starring Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Andy Lau, Jing Tian, Luhan, and Willem Dafoe. Aside from Matt Damon, the movie's cast includes Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Andy Lau, Jing Tan, Mackenzie Foy and many more."The Great Wall" is the most expensive Chinese movie of all time, and you can see where the money went in this epic first trailer. The movie's synopsis simply states that the mysteries surrounding the Great Wall of China will be explored during the Northern Song Dynasty. and Chinese movie studios, it's clear that many people are not impressed with how the main casting was handled.Īlthough first believed to be a historical feature showing how the eponymous Chinese barrier was built, The Great Wall's first trailer revealed that this is really a monster-fighting adventure. While The Great Wall marks the biggest collaboration yet between U.S. As far as The Great Wall is concerned, actress Constance Wu expressed her disappointment with how Hollywood continually makes white actors as lead protagonists no matter what the story's content is, while non-white actors are frequently passed over, despite the fact that it's been proven diversity helps sells tickets. Some noteworthy examples include Scarlett Johansson being cast as The Major in Ghost in the Shell to Tilda Swinton playing The Ancient One later this year in Doctor Strange. Whitewashing has been a common trope in Hollywood for a long time, but in recent years, it's been put under more scrutiny from both regular moviegoers and big-name entertainment talent. By Caryn Schwartz (Peoples Daily Online) 14:56, August 02, 2016. While it's good to hear the movie's director provide his take on what's happening and vaguely described how Matt Damon's character fits into the story, his comments will unlikely sway the tide of controversy that much. The first trailer for the latest Zhang Yimou-directed film, The Great Wall, was. Zhang went on to say that as the director of over 20 Chinese films and the Beijing Olympics, he wouldn't he wouldn't cast any of his movies in a way that was untrue to his "artistic vision," and hoped that those who eventually saw the movie would understand. The collective struggle and sacrifice of these heroes are the emotional heart of our film. There are five major heroes in our story and he is one of them - the other four are all Chinese. The arrival of his character in our story is an important plot point. Legendary notes that The Great Wall will be 'the largest film ever shot entirely in China for global distribution.'And with Universal Pictures set to distribute the 3D film on Novem. Matt Damon is not playing a role that was originally conceived for a Chinese actor. Starring global superstar Matt Damon and directed by one of the most breathtaking visual stylists of our time, Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers), Legendary’s The Great Wall tells the story of an elite force making a valiant stand for humanity on the world’s most iconic structure. In ancient China, a group of European mercenaries encounters a secret army that maintains and defends the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures. Our film is not about the construction of the Great Wall. AKA: i, The Great Wall 2016, The Great Wall of China. Zhang sent EW an official statement earlier today detailing how the negative Great Wall reaction has been overblown, saying that the movie is still deeply rooted in Chinese culture, while being accessible to a world audience.