Actress Yang Mi and actor Chang Chen. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A sequel to Taiwan's Golden Horse award-winning Brotherhood of Blades will begin filming on April 3.

Brotherhood of Blades II, with the original director Lu Yang and Taiwan actor Chang Chen but recruits new faces for the rest of the cast.

Actress Yang Mi, known for the coming-of-age romance franchise Tiny Times, will play the protagonist swordswoman.

The cast also includes Zhang Yi, lead actor of Mountain May Depart, and Xin Zhilei, Berlinale Silver Bear-winning Crosscurrent's lead actress.

Set in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the sequel centers on a cruel and bloody world of the henchmen of Chinese emperors.

Unwilling to reveal more details, Lu says the second movie has tailored the costumes and weapons based on real history. Preparation has taken two years.

Chang, an A-lister in Taiwan, reveals the cast has participated in a tough training program to meet the director's demands.

Brotherhood of Blades, released in the 2014 summer, won commercial success and critical acclaim. It got five nominations at the Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival and won the best costume design award in 2014.

Related:

Zootopia becomes top-earning animation in China

Drama follows woman's quest for reputation