There's a new trailer online for John Woo's Red Cliff (Chi bi) which focuses on the scope and epic aspect of the battles, and it looks stunning, I just hope the story holds up as well.

The film is based upon events (i.e. almost entirely made up) during the Three Kingdoms period in China, a period that changed China forever, and one of the most important moments during this time, The Battle of Red Cliffs.

Here's a blurb for Red Cliff that gives a little more detail:

In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale, led by the Prime Minister, himself. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance. Numerous battles of strength and wit ensued, both on land and on water, eventually culminating in the battle of Red Cliff. During the battle, two thousand ships were burned, and the course of Chinese history was changed forever.

John Woo has certainly had his ups and downs throughout his career, and he's known for a certain style of film in the West, but I think this might change a few views of that rather quickly. Although the stylistic action is still there, it's not a leading Hollywood actor wielding a pistol in slow motion.

This does look spectacular.