Chan spearheads China's most expensive movie

Jackie Chan and John Cusack promote Dragon Blade at the Shanghai Film Festival on June 15. Photo provided to China Daily

Jackie Chan is spearheading a cast that includes Hollywood star John Cusack and Academy Award-winning Adrien Brody in Dragon Blade, a film inspired by a legion of Roman soldiers who traveled to China in 48 BC.

The film, to be released on Feb 19 during Spring Festival, has a budget of $65 million, a record for a Chinese movie.

"Every day about 500 people are working on the set," Chan said, "once I bought 200 pieces of bread and in 30 seconds they were handed off. There were 40 sewing machines working every day for our costumes."

The film, directed by Daniel Lee, is based on documented evidence of Roman descendants and Roman ruins in Gansu province during the Han Dynasty. Chan plays a general who guards the city of Xi'an, then China's capital. Cusack and Brody play Roman warriors.

"China is the future of world cinema," Cusack said. "Having an opportunity to work with such film talents as Jackie Chan, the Huayi Brothers, Daniel Lee and Susanna Tsang is a great privilege. I grew up watching Jackie Chan films and stood in awe of his talent, energy and spirit. This will be a great adventure for me."

Chan and the movie crew have completed filming at Hengdian, China's largest film studio, and are about to relocate to deserts in Gansu and Xinjiang. The film also stars Choi Si-won, a singer and actor who gained fame as part of the South Korean boy band Super Junior.