Woo’s new Chinese epic, “Red Cliff” has gone through a dizzying and embarrassing round of casting changes that saw another twist Monday.

After dropping out earlier, Chow Yun-fat has tentatively agreed to rejoin the cast, a publicist for one of the investors in “Red Cliff” said.

At the outset, the two big stars of “Red Cliff,” about an ancient Chinese battle, were Chow and former Cannes best actor winner Leung Chiu-wai, who were slated to play the general Zhou Yu and strategist Zhuge Liang.

Leung first dropped out, saying “Red Cliff” came too closely to his last movie. He was replaced by Taiwanese-Japanese heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Then Chow followed, saying he got the movie’s script late, an allegation Woo’s producer has disputed.

In the first unexpected development, Leung, sympathetic to Woo’s predicament, agreed to return to the movie to take Chow’s old role as general Zhou.

Now Chow wants back in too, after a round of negative press that has given the impression that the Hong Kong actor was behaving like a prima donna.

Spokesman Wen Wengli of the state-run China Film Group said Monday Chow has verbally agreed to return to “Red Cliff” for a role to be determined, although he hasn’t signed a contract yet.

“This big production has more than 400 characters,” he said, adding, however, the major casting decisions won’t be changed.

While Chow said he pulled out of “Red Cliff” because he got the script late, filmmakers say they couldn’t work with Chow because he made unreasonable demands.

Woo’s producer, Terence Chang, said earlier the movie’s Hollywood insurer opposed 73 clauses in Chow’s contract.

Chow’s departure generated headlines because of his famous on-screen partnership with Woo. Woo made Chow an icon after casting him as a trench-coat wearing, gun-toting gangster in the 1986 Hong Kong classic “A Better Tomorrow.”

At a press conference Thursday, Woo said Chow’s withdrawal dealt him a heavy blow while he paid an emotional tribute to Leung for taking Chow’s place.

The casting changes put pressure on Woo because “Red Cliff” is a politically important big-budget production. “Red Cliff’s” producer says the Chinese government wants the film released before the 2008 Olympic Games so that foreigners can learn more about the country’s history.

Woo, however, said Thursday, the shoot is going smoothly despite the casting problems.

Chang said earlier the budget for “Red Cliff” was more than US$80 million — huge by Chinese standards — although Woo said Thursday that figure is overstated.

“Red Cliff” also marks Woo’s return to Chinese-language cinema after a stint in Hollywood, where he made movies like “Broken Arrow,” “Face/Off” and “Mission: Impossible 2.”

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