Vincent Zhao (Heroes Don’t Cry) plays Ming Dynasty general Qi Jiguang, who is best known for leading a successful defense against the pirates. Costars include Wan Qian (The Glory of Tang Dynasty) as his wife and a skilled fighter in her own right, and Sammo Hong (My Beloved Bodyguard) as General Yu Dayou. The first teaser can be found here.

Under the rule of the Jiajing Emperor, Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou recruit volunteers from the Yiwu county, and begin training the villagers in preparation for battle against the pirates. The Japanese forces are led by Keisuke Koide and Yasuaki Kurata.

It’ll be more interesting if the movie also mentions the benefits a majority of the officials received from dealing with ethnic Chinese pirates, though I won’t be holding out hope on that front, especially with director-writer Gordon Chan at the helm (Painted Skin, The Four series).

The 2007 drama Ming Dynasty 1566 happens in the same period, and is an excellent entry point for anyone wanting to get a deeper look at the widespread corruption in the Ming Dynasty.

God of War will hit cinemas on May 27th.