If you were wondering which great wall is being referenced in the title, it’s The Great Wall, with capitalization included.
According to China.org.cn, Zhang Yimou had this to say about the movie:
China doesn’t have many stories about fighting against monsters. This time I will do it with Chinese cultural messages and make it outstanding and unique, and allow the whole world to experience China and its culture, Zhang said.
But the biggest pressure for me is to make it understandable for everyone, not just Chinese audiences, but young people all over the world, Zhang said. The script keeps being adjusted. I asked the foreign actors about their opinions on nearly every dialogue line.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he expanded those ideas further.
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 don’t want to change that approach, and there’s no need to do that. What I really want is to bring Chinese color and cultural background to the worldwide audience through a film language that they are familiar with.
It is synergistic filmmaking. There’s a saying in Chinese: 借水行船 Use the water to move the boat. In this case, we are using Hollywood filmmaking to introduce Chinese culture.
This script was written by American screenwriters. So the story is really told from an American’s perspective. When I came onboard, I wanted to make sure everything Chinese in this film feels genuine.
I brought in many unique Chinese elements, such as the use of color, the design of weapons, the battle formations and strategy, the battle drums, as well as the design of the palace. 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. Also, I really like having strong female characters in my film, so I especially created a unique unit of brave female warriors.
The official synopsis and information:
When a mercenary warrior (Damon) is imprisoned within The Great Wall, he discovers the mystery behind one of the greatest wonders of our world. As wave after wave of marauding beasts besiege the massive structure, his quest for fortune turns into a journey toward heroism as he joins a huge army of elite warriors to confront this unimaginable and seemingly unstoppable force.
Internationally renowned director Zhang Yimou assembles a filmmaking team and formidable cast that represents the best of East and West with a unique global production that delivers unmissable spectacle on the grandest scale. Starring global superstar Matt Damon and directed by one of the most breathtaking visual stylists of our time, Zhang Yimou. The first English-language production for Yimou is the largest film ever shot entirely in China. The Great Wall also stars Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe and Andy Lau.
The film will release on November 23, 2016 in China.
The film will release on February 17, 2017 in 3D by Universal Pictures in America.
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
Story by: Max Brooks, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz
Screenplay by: Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, and Tony Gilroy
Cast: Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, Hanyu Zhang, Eddie Peng, Lu Han, Kenny Lin, Junkai Wang, Zheng Kai, Cheney Chen, Xuan Huang and Andy Lau
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