Chinese director Zhang Yimou's latest film, inspired from Coen Brothers' 1984 film "Blood Simple", will premiere in Chinese cinemas on Dec. 11, the film's distributor said Friday.

But the company had yet to decide a screening date for the overseas market, said Chen Lingjuan, a distribution officer of Beijing New Picture Film Co., which produced the film.

"San Qiang Pai An Jing Qi" (Amazing Tales: Three Guns) stars Sun Honglei, the star of Chen Kaige's 2008 film "Forever Enthralled," and comic actor Xiao Shenyang who rose to fame after his comedy performance in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala this year.

The comedy-thriller tells a story of a stingey noodle shop owner who hires a killer to murder his wife and her lover. The film is set in the middle of the desert in northwestern Gansu Province.

It cost about 80 million yuan ($11.7 million) to make and was shot from June to August this year. The first trailer was released Thursday.

Zhang's last film, "Curse of the Golden Flower," was released in 2006.

Comments