Not to mention John Woo; his directed *Three Kingdoms* is the most obvious example.
The lead actors were almost entirely Hong Kong and Taiwan actors, while Mainland China's most popular actress, Boss Zhao, was reduced to playing a supporting role for a model with zero acting experience—even though the model did have a very nice voice.
The films directed or produced by Peter Chan, such as *Blood Brothers*, *The Guillotines*, *Bodyguards and Assassins*, *Wu Xia*, and *The Sorcerer and the White Snake*, all cast one or two Mainland A-list actors in supporting roles solely to elevate Hong Kong and Taiwan stars.
Chapter 149