Zhang 's next major project was the ambitious wuxia drama '' Hero '' , released in China in 2002 . With an impressive lineup of Asian stars , including Jet Li , Maggie Cheung , Tony Leung Chiu-Wai , Zhang Ziyi , and Donnie Yen , '' Hero '' told a fictional tale about Ying Zheng , the King of the State of Qin ( later to become the first Emperor of China ) , and his would-be assassins . The film was released in North America in 2004 , two years after its Chinese release , by American distributor Miramax Films , and became a huge international hit . '' Hero '' was one of the few foreign-language films to debut at number 1 at the U.S. box office , and was one of the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2003 Academy Awards
2003 Academy Awards
75th Academy Awards
Zhang Yimou