The main cast of US$30 million big budget martial arts film Shaolin met the press at the recent Shanghai International Film Festival.

Despite the absence of Andy Lau, the star power was heat up by Nicholas Tse, Wu Jing, Jackie Chan, Fan Bingbing and Chinese opera-trained actor Yu Shaoqun who attended the press conference along with the film's director Benny Chan.

The event drew huge media attention not only from the star-studded cast. The name Shaolin itself is a powerful brand in and outside China. The Shaolin Temple, located in China's Henan province, is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Shaolin version of Chinese kung fu.

Shaolin is the first movie filmed on location at Shaolin Temple in 28 years, since Shaolin Temple which made Jet Li a big star in his debut film. But the new picture is not a remake of the 1982 classic, given its entirely different plot set in the warlord era of the 1920s.

To prepare for their roles, Shaolin's main cast received special martial arts training at the thousand-old monastery prior to filming. A life-sized temple was also built to complement the original temple as a major set.

Now in post production, the picture is produced by Emperor Motion Pictures, China Film Group and Huayi Brothers. A year-end release is scheduled for the lucrative Christmas and New Year holidays.