Matt Damon Joins Chinese Monster Film ‘The Great Wall’

The cast of the upcoming action flick The Great Wall is shaping up rather nicely, and although it sounds like a historical drama, the film is anything but. Matt Damon has joined the cast alongside Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal and a roster of notable Chinese stars in the film from acclaimed director Zhang Yimou and Legendary Pictures, the folks who brought you Godzilla.

According to Variety, Damon is the latest to join the cast of the upcoming film, which also stars Willem Dafoe and Game of Thrones favorite Pedro Pascal. The Great Wall is being helmed by Zhang Yimou, known for his previous films The House of Flying Daggers and The Flowers of War. The trio of English-speaking stars are joined by Chinese actors Andy Lau, Jing Tian, Zhang Hanyu, Eddie Peng, Lu Han, Lin Gengxin, Zheng Kai, Chen Xuedong, Huang Xuan and Wang Junkai.

Henry Cavill and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter star Benjamin Walker were previously in talks to join the film back when The Last Samurai director Ed Zwick was attached.

The film is set in 15th century China and centers on a group of soldiers who stumble upon the famous Great Wall during its construction. It’s not long before the soldiers learn that the wall isn’t just being built to protect the Chinese from invading Mongol warriors, but to protect them from a far more dangerous threat: ancient monsters.

Max Brooks (World War Z) wrote the script for the upcoming film, which is being touted as the biggest production to ever shoot entirely in China. The Great Wall will hit theaters sometime in 2016.