“In many ways The Great Wall is the opposite of what is being
suggested. For the first time, a film deeply rooted in Chinese culture,
with one of the largest Chinese casts ever assembled, is being made at
tent pole scale for a world audience. I believe that is a trend that
should be embraced by our industry. Our film is not about the
construction of the Great Wall. Matt Damon is not playing a role that
was originally conceived for a Chinese actor. The arrival of his
character in our story is an important plot point. There are five major
heroes in our story and he is one of them — the other four are all
Chinese. The collective struggle and sacrifice of these heroes are the
emotional heart of our film. As the director of over 20 Chinese language
films and the Beijing Olympics, I have not and will not cast a film in a
way that was untrue to my artistic vision. I hope when everyone sees
the film and is armed with the facts they will agree.”