Director John Woo led his star-studded crew from "The Battle of Red Cliff" to meet with the media for the first time April 10.

Most members from the film's star-heavy cast, including Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Chang Chen, Chiling Lin, and Zhao Wei, showed up at the press conference in Beijing to talk about their characters in the film.

The historical epic film keeps making headlines as filming encounters its own twists and turns.

At first, Cannes-winning actor Tony Leung announced his quitting before shooting had started in mid April, but later he returned to take on the role dropped by another Hong Kong big name, Chow Yun-Fat.

Chow Yun-Fat was reported to have left the cast just one day after shooting had begun, citing what reports describe as "various reasons."

Despite the changes, director John Woo said on Thursday that shooting has so far been smooth.

The film has reportedly managed to receive a bulk investment of US$80 million.

Besides its star-studded cast, the production team, led by John Woo and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" art director Timmy Yip, are also keeping movie-goers tantalized.

The film is scheduled to premiere next year.

Editor: Donald