A still from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" features Chow Yun-Fat. [CRI]

Producer Ma Ke confirmed that Chow Yun-Fat has joined the cast of director Jiang Wen's upcoming gangster film "Let Bullets Fly," the sina.com reported.

The Hong-Kong-born Hollywood star will play a cruel and ruthless gangster boss with a kind face. Although a high-handed tyrant, he will also bring some funny comedy scenes, the report said.

Director Jiang Wen was very demanding with the screenplay, Ma Ke was quoted as saying.

"It took nine writers half a year to revise the script, which was only just finally settled recently," he said. "We can say Chow's role was tailor-made for him."

"For example, there were no less than ten options for the ending of the movie. The director and Chow came up with the final version when they were drinking and chatting.

Chow will star alongside the director-actor Jiang Wen and China's leading comedian Ge You. Also in the cast are actors Hu Jun, Chen Kun, Shao Bing, Liao Fan and Zhang Mo.

The 11 major male roles will go towards assembling a Chinese "Ocean's Eleven", according to earlier reports. Investment in the movie has hit 150 million Hong Kong dollars, or about 20 million US dollars.

"Let Bullets Fly" started filming in suburban Beijing in early October with a release date set for the fall of 2010.