The production company of the upcoming 3-D film "The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" ("Long Men Fei Jia") has released photos of lead actress Zhou Xun as a "handsome young man".

In the photos, Zhou dons a blue gown with her hair hidden in a black hairnet. Her character, Ling Yanqiu, is a woman who dresses as a man to live in the male-dominated "jianghu" - the martial-arts world.

Director Tsui Hark's movie is loosely based on "Dragon Inn", a 1992 film classic which follows a Ming Dynasty general's confrontation with a power-hungry eunuch at a deserted inn called Dragon Gate.

Tsui, who produced the original film, has said he would not simply remake the story.

The US$35-million new film also features a constellation of stars, including Jet Li, Chen Kun, Kwai Lun-Mei, Li Yuchun and Mavis Fan.

Tsui's 3-D crew has received training from Chuck Comisky, the visual-effects supervisor of James Cameron's "Avatar".

"The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" is scheduled to be released in late 2011.