Mike Fleming

The Great WallEXCLUSIVE: While Legendary Pictures just set Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter star Benjamin Walker on Friday to join Man of Steel‘s Henry Cavill in the Ed Zwick-directed The Great Wall, a decision has just been made to push from a fall start date until next spring.

Rumors have been racing this weekend that The Great Wall might be crumbling but I’m told that is not the case. In fact, casting on the film continues with Zhang Ziyi (pictured) and other Chinese talent is also being courted for the film.

Related: CAA China’s Peter Loehr Hired As Legendary East CEO

The issue is weather. The film will shoot in locations in China and New Zealand, and logistically it will be easier to do this in the spring than if the picture keeps its fall start date. Insiders tell me the film will happen, even though a domestic distributor hasn’t yet been secured. It is meant to be the first major film to kick off Legendary East, and with every studio looking for opportunities to make films in China, the project certainly seems viable.

Set in 15th century China, The Great Wall is about British warriors who happen upon the hurried construction of the massive wall. As night falls, the warriors realize that the haste in building the wall isn’t just to keep out the Mongols — there is something inhuman and more dangerous. The picture is based on an idea by Legendary CEO Thomas Tull and Max Brooks.

Now, Legendary postponed the Alex Proyas epic Paradise Lost before eventually scrapping the picture over budget, but I’m persuaded the intention is to make The Great Wall happen.