The film "Shaolin," starring Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse, is set to share in the profits the Chinese box office's busiest season. "Shaolin" will be released at the end of this year during the New Year movie season, it was announced Monday.

Director Benny Chan (3rd from left) leads "Shaolin" cast members Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, Jackie Chan, Fan Bingbing and Yu Shaoqun to promote the film in Shanghai on Monday, June 14, 2010. [CRI]

Director Benny Chan led a star-studded cast to promote the film at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Despite Andy Lau's absence, Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Fan Bingbing, Wu Jing, Yu Shaoqun and Bai Bing were all present.

The press conference on Monday rallied these stars for the first time since filming wrapped. Passionate photographers and excited fans packed the venue, and heartthrob Nicholas Tse attracted screams almost every time he started talking.

A trailer released at the press conference claims the film will be a new classic in line with the 1982 smash-hit "The Shaolin Temple," which made Jet Li a star.

But director Benny Chan says the new film is not a remake, thus he never considered casting Jet Li in the film. "Jet Li has acted in the best film about Shaolin. But I want to do a different story, my own story."

Benny Chan's "Shaolin" revolves around the 1920s warlord Hou Jie (Andy Lau), who is betrayed by his ex-friend Cao Man (Nicholas Tse), and gains a new understanding of life with the help of a Shaolin monk (Jackie Chan).

The film is the first since Jet Li's to be allowed to shoot on location in the Shaolin Temple. The Shaolin Temple, located in Songshan, Central China's Henan Province, is a martial arts hotbed and tourist attraction. Director Chan also built a life-size reconstruction of the temple as the movie's major set.

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