Poster for Jianbing Man. Photo provided to China Daily

The entertainer－a disciple of sitcom actor-turned-entrepreneur Zhao Benshan－is best known for hosting online talk shows using the pseudonym "Da Peng".

He considers the film a more serious undertaking.

"I'm not in charge of providing entertainment in the film," he says.

"Fortunately, I've brought some of the country's top comedians into the cast."

Three of these funnymen－Yue Yunpeng, Song Xiaobao and Shen He (aka, Little Shenyang)－joined Dong at a Beijing news conference last week but kept low profiles.

The film's protagonist is a young man who grows up in a poor family and earns a living selling pancakes, and later becomes a hero.

A star-studded lineup will appear in the movie adapted from Dong's comic skit series on Sohu.com.

"You'll find Easter eggs everywhere," he says.

"Anything is possible. We want to bring something original－something fresh that neither copies Hollywood or is anything like any domestic production."

Yet he promises Hollywood-level special effects.