Some cast and crew members are on a national tour to promote the film. Since Ye Daying posted his views to his micro blog last week, they have been frequently asked for answers during the tour.

Bai, who stars as the early Party leader, Qu, says he understands.

"He (Ye Daying) is worried that a young man like me may not know and admire the revolutionary heroes. But as a Communist Party member, I have followed their faith (in communism)," Bai said at Saturday's promotional event in Guangzhou.

As one of the most commercially successful directors in Hong Kong, Lau says he thinks it's normal to expect good box-office returns for any movie, and this is no different.

The Founding of an Army has been produced by the State-run China Film Group and Bona Film Group, a private company that has successfully developed a formula to use top Hong Kong talent to rework traditional Chinese patriotic movies for a wider viewership and bigger revenue.

Such movies produced by Bona include Tsui Hark's The Taking of Tiger Mountain and Dante Lam's Operation Mekong.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn