Chinese stories, Hollywood thrills

"But where we are now in cinema is that you can kind of do anything, so I hope we are going to see people embracing strong characters and stories, not only visual effects. The honeymoon (with computer-generated graphics) is over. It is good storytelling that actually makes better films."

By co-producing the film with Legendary East, Zhang will lead a group of Chinese filmmakers to learn from Hollywood, which he believes will be of significance to Chinese film industry.

"This film will hopefully lift up some local filmmakers, who will be endowed with the chance to work with counterparts in Hollywood and learn from their advanced technology and filmmaking philosophy," Zhang says.

Zhang is among China's leading filmmakers. In 1988, he was the first Chinese to win the top honor at the Berlin Film Festival with Red Sorghum, a rural saga set in eastern China.

He also directed the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He has directed Western operas and live theater productions in some of China's popular tourist destinations, such as the West Lake and the city of Yangshuo.

His most recent theatrical release was Coming Home, a mid-budget drama about a middle-aged couple's reunion after political upheavals in modern China. The emotional picture has taken 300 million yuan ($47 million) at the box office since its premiere on May 16.