'Flowers of War' Trailer: Christian Bale Protects Girls From Invading Japanese in 1937 China (Video)

The trailer for Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, hit the Internet on Thursday.our editor recommendsChristian Bale Goes to ChinaChristian Bale to Star in Zhang Yimou Film The movie, which will be China's submission for the best foreign-language film Academy Award, is adapted by screenwriter Liu Heng from Yan Geling's historical novel 13 Flowers of Nanjing. PHOTOS: Toronto Film Festival: 13 Films to Know Flowers of War is set in Nanking in 1937 as the Japanese Imperial Army overruns China's capital city. Bale plays John Haufman, an American missionary who helped protect a group of schoolgirls and prostitutes from the invading army. In the movie, Bale takes on the guide of a priest as he looks to escape the soldiers. The trailer features a lot of gunfire and action. FilmNation Entertainment, which is handling international sales, previewed footage during the recent Toronto International Film Festival, and several U.S. buyers are currently circling the project. STORY: Top U.S. Buyers Get First Glimpse of Christian Bale's 'The Flowers of War' The film, with dialogue in both Mandarin and English, will be released in China in December. No U.S. release date is set, although the Oscar nomination will spur interest. Related Topics International Asia Christian Bale Zhang Yimou