Director John Woo is considered a legend of international filmmaking with such fan favorites as Face/Off and Mission Impossible II on his lengthy resume. Despite his stature in American cinema, Woo’s status in contemporary Chinese cinema is without peer. Now he is looking to cement that lofty artistic stature even further with the release of the upcoming epic The Crossing.
The film stars mainland Chinese stars Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Takeshi Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers), Huang Xiaoming (Iron Man 2) and Tong Dawei (Red Cliff).
The $50 million budget picture is a 1949-set story of multiple couples whose destiny is closely tied to dramatic events unfolding in revolutionary China.
The Crossing, which will be released in two parts in stereoscopic 3D, will come out in China and some parts of Asia, with a single international version being released throughout the rest of Asia. The first is set for release in late December this year, while the second is being aimed at the Chinese New Year-Valentine’s Day slot in early 2015.