But that's for the audience to decide. Right now, the promoters are busy pulling every plug to convince theatergoers the film is a "must-see," while keeping an eye out for pirates.

When the movie crew - including director Zhang, actors Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung and Chen Daoming - show up at Super Brand Mall in Pudong on Monday, they will be greeted by 1,500 invited guests and 100 "soldiers" in Qin Dynasty-style costumes, echoing the set of the movie.

Like its premiere in other cities, only part of the film will be shown here before the worldwide screening next Friday, said Wang Yi, an executive director of Yiming Advertising Co. Ltd., one of the local promoters for the Shanghai premiere.

When "Hero" held a seven-day trial preview in Shenzhen in October, the audience was not allowed to carry handbags or any metal object into the cinema to keep out pirates with hand-held cameras, said Wang.

However, local theaters report that no special measures will be adopted when the movie is screened here.

"As usual, the audience will not be allowed to carry cameras, but no other special measures are planned" said Yan Yonghua of Shanghai United Cinema Line, the local distributor.

Profit isn't a big problem for the producers. Before the film's shooting was finished in January, Miramax Film Corp. acquired its overseas distribution rights for US$25 million, and two Guangdong Province firms picked up the rights for the domestic market for 17.8 million yuan (US$2.1 million) last month.

The deals are close to covering the 300-million-yuan investment.

"Hero," the martial arts debut of director Zhang, tells a story set in the late period of Warring States (475-221 B.C.). Three assassins are sent to kill the soon-to-be-crowned first Emperor of China, who is determined to conquer the other six states. This begs the question, who is the hero - the would-be emperor or any of the three would-be assassins?

(eastday.com December 13, 2002)