Legendary director John Woo (A Better Tomorrow, The Killer) returns to Asia after fifteen years in Hollywood to make Red Cliff, his adaptation of the Chinese classic The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The year is 208 A.D. Liu Bei and his followers narrowly escape the armies of Prime Minister Cao Cao, whose lust for power poses a constant threat. Fearing that Liu Bei and the Kingdom of Shu cannot oppose Cao Cao for long without help, strategist Zhuge Liang (Kaneshiro Takeshi) proposes an alliance with the Kingdom of Wu. To achieve this he must convince the Wu's chief strategist Zhou Yu (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), and in Zhou he discovers a kindred spirit versed in the arts as well as battle. The two men form an instant bond, and decide to battle Cao Cao at the water port of Red Cliff. Their alliance comes not a moment too soon, as Cao Cao approaches with an army that vastly outnumbers the combined Wu and Shu forces. But Zhuge Liang has a plan - one that will hopefully enable the smaller force to emerge victorious.

Red Cliff has been described as the most expensive Asian film ever produced. A game of casting musical chairs was started when Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai had announced their departure from the project, only for the latter to return to fill in Chow's shoes, and Takeshi Kaneshiro to take over the void left by Leung. The end result is an astonishing historical epic which won five Hong Kong Film Awards and heralds a welcome return to form for Woo. Despite the exquisite period setting, for Woo fans there is plenty that is familiar, brotherhood, valour, bravery and of course spectacular action scenes.