Commissioned by China's state film regulators to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, the film utilized "celebrity power" as a tactical shift to attract a younger audience to a historical epic. Key features of this production include:
: The film includes brief appearances by international stars such as Jackie Chan (as a journalist), Jet Li (as Chen Shaokuan), Zhang Ziyi , and Stephen Chow . Jian guo da ye
: Even famous directors like Chen Kaige and John Woo took on acting roles for the project. Commissioned by China's state film regulators to mark
A defining feature of the 2009 film (released internationally as The Founding of a Republic ) is its unprecedented star-studded cast , featuring over 170 of the most famous Chinese actors and directors. Jet Li (as Chen Shaokuan)