Zhang Yimou talks The Great Wall, China’s most expensive movie ever, and again defends Matt Damon’s casting
Chinese filmmaker discusses shooting against the world’s largest green screen, his decision to cast a boy band member as Emperor, and of course, white American actor’s controversial role in The Great Wall
Sometimes size does matter. In a career that has seen him orchestrate the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, as well as direct lavish spectacle films like Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Zhang Yimou is on the verge of releasing his biggest project yet.
Aptly set on the world’s longest landmark, The Great Wall is an historical fantasy that is perhaps the biggest Chinese film ever made. An American-Chinese co-production, it is said to have cost in the region of US$150 million – though the director simply shrugs.
“For me personally it’s not the biggest challenge or something I needed to worry about,” he says. “I think as a director what you really need to concentrate on is: make sure the story is good, make sure the characters are interesting and unique, and find something special to say in the movie.”
