Marco Mueller has revealed that the first of the two surprise films at this year’s Rome Film Festival will be the world premiere of Feng Xiaogang’s Back to 1942.

The historial epic’s cast, in addition to Chinese stars such as Zhang Guoli, Fan Wei and Chen Daoming, includes Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins. They play an American journalist and Catholic priest living in China during the war against Japan.

Feng’s credits include Aftershock, The Banquet and If You Are The One.

Rome runs Nov 9-17.