This is the most expensive film in Chinese history with a budget of 282,572,490 Yuan ($35 Million).
China's official submission for the 2005 Academy Awards, Foreign Language film category.
The literal English translation of the original Chinese title "Wu Ji" (in Mandarin Chinese) is "completely devoid of worries, thought, or desires" (Wenlin dict.)
The Weinstein Co. has handed back distribution rights for all major English speaking countries to its producers, China Film Group Corp. and Moonstone Entertainment. Reportedly, the producers of the film, including director Kaige Chen, demanded a wider released in the US and the Weinstein Co. was only willing to give it a limited exposure. Warner Independent then picked up the rights and as a result the film's title was changed back from "Master of the Crimson Armor" to "The Promise", the English title used in most countries.