The military-themed movie Wolf Warrior 2 features Wu Jing in multiple roles, including director and star, and is set in an unnamed African country facing a civil war. [Photo provided to China Daily]

But thanks to word-of-mouth praise, the first movie became a hit in 2015, bringing in nearly 550 million yuan.

Then, with a bigger budget for the second movie, Wu led his crew from more than 10 countries and regions to Africa to make Wolf Warrior 2, the first Chinese military-themed movie shot in that continent.

The crew also went to Iceland to film some scenes, a possible indicator of what will come next.

"We went to several African countries," Wu says. "And the experiences there were more thrilling than what you see in the movie."

As for his reactions to the unexpected events, he says: "I was stressed, but not scared. All these are unique experiences."

Speaking about what he learned from working with foreigners, he says he learned a lot about action sequences, including safety.

The movie used 12 tanks, two helicopter props and more than 100 cars.

Some cutting-edge weapons and vessels are also seen, such as a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer.

Giving his take on the future, Wu says: "As of now, China has few such military movies. We are still exploring the genre and hope to raise the bar."

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn