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SINGAPORE: John Woo's latest film "Red Cliff" looks set to make a killing at the box office here. The cast of the epic saga includes top-notch actors like Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung and Chang Chen.
The director and some cast members were in Singapore on Thursday to promote the film, which is co-distributed by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures.
The US$80 million movie tells the story of an important battle during the period of the Three Kingdoms in China.
With such a large-scale production, unexpected problems had cropped up on the film set from time to time.
Woo said: "It was a little tough to make this kind of movie in China because we have to work against the weather. The weather is really unpredictable. Sometimes, it could be really hot. Lots of people got fever and a lot of people had to go to the hospital."
The 62-year-old director said the film will have a sequel in Asia. But in the West, the entire story will be condensed into one instalment for release at the end of the year.
Even though there were casting problems initially, the Hong Kong native managed to complete the epic in good time.
"I really admire the people in China. All my crew worked so hard and they were all very devoted," Woo said.
Film critics are waiting to see if the movie will break new ground and propel Woo into the mainstream limelight again - some are already predicting that "Red Cliff" will be the next big thing.
Daniel Yun, managing director of MediaCorp Raintree Pictures, said: "'Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon' was very important for Asia, while 'Infernal Affairs' was very important for Hong Kong.
"After so many years of big films, this is the film to top them all. It's like our answer to 'Lord of The Rings'."
As part of his one-day promotional tour in Singapore, Woo also gave an exclusive talk at the National Library where he spoke about his experiences while making the film.
"Red Cliff" will open in Singapore cinemas on July 11.
- CNA/so
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