Leon Lai promotes his directorial debut in Beijing

Leon Lai Ming promotes his directorial debut, the film WINE WAR in Beijing on Sunday afternoon, March 19, 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Xu Fei]

Leon Lai Ming's directorial debut, the film WINE WAR, is to open in May.

At a promotional event in Beijing held on Sunday afternoon, the actor-turned director has vowed to surprise audience with an image of actor Zhang Hanyu they've never seen before.

"Zhang Hanyu and I are actually close friends. Based on my knowledge about him, he's a funny guy who may often entertain people around him. So the character he portrays in my movie reflects how he looks like in real life and generates a lot of fun. And this contradicts his previous film roles that usually look very serious."

In addition to the male lead Zhang Hanyu, Du Juan is the lead actress in Wine War, which tells a treasure hunting story.

The film was shot in France.

Leon Lai Ming (left) praises muscle man Nan Fulong’s performance (right) in Lai Ming’s directorial debut, WINE WAR, at a promotional event in Beijing on Sunday afternoon, March 19, 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Xu Fei]