(Chow Yun-Fat(L), Gong Li(M) and Chinese director Zhang Yimou(R) / cnsphoto)

"Curse of the Golden Flower", director Zhang Yimou's long-anticipated martial arts action flick, will preview on September 23 in Shenyang, capital city of China's northeast Liaoning province.

The 45 million US dollar project stars big mainland stars Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li, as well as Taiwan pop king Jay Chou. It is scheduled to premiere across China on December 23.

Beijing-based Morning Post reports producer Zhang Weiping, also Board Chairman of New Picture Film, is confident the film will gross more than 300 million yuan, or 38 million US dollars, at the box office.

Zhang also disclosed that "Curse of the Golden Flower” has applied for the Best Foreign Film category at the 79th Oscars.