A sickly commander uses his doppelgänger to wage war in the new trailer for martial arts master Zhang Yimou’s new movie, Shadow. The film debuted in China last year and will open in American theaters May 3rd.
Blending palace intrigue and stunning fight sequences, Shadow stars Deng Chao as Commander Yu, the top counsel to the cowardly king of the Pei Kingdom (Zheng Kai), who’s willing to do whatever it takes to avoid actual war with an invading force, including offering his sister in marriage. Yu, however, is unwilling to stoop to so low and instead arranges a duel with his old foe, General Yang (Hu Jun) — only it’s not actually Commander Yu who steps up to battle General Yang, but a lowly look-alike named Jing, who was plucked from the streets and trained to be Yu’s “shadow” (Chao also portrays Jing in the film).
While the real Yu tries to navigate tensions and nurse his poor health in the palace’s secret chambers, Jing repeatedly goes to battle with General Yang. The stunning Shadow clip is packed with remarkable fight sequences, especially those that highlight Jing’s secret weapon, an umbrella made entirely out of daggers.
Shadow marks Yimou’s first film since 2016’s The Great Wall. He’s best known for directing marital arts classics like House of Flying Daggers, Hero and Raise the Red Lantern.
