'The Assassin' trivia and fun facts

Hou Hsiao-hsien decided that he would make a period movie when he was old enough

The Assassin is Taiwan's official entry to the 2015 foreign-language Oscar race.

The actors speak classical Chinese in 'The Assassin' so Chinese subtitles had to be added on the final version.

'The Assassin' is Hou Hsiao-hsien's first movie in 8 years

'The Assassin' is the seventh movie directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien that has competed for the Palme d'Or

Director Hou told the New York Times in an interview published on 10/07/2015 that he would break the fight scene into smaller parts as the actors weren't skilled fighters. He would also let the actors start fighting when they chose rather than directing them to fight.

In an interview with the New York Times published on 10/07/2015, director Hou said that he filmed in high locations within China and also in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China. "We looked for higher-altitude places where modern society hasn't come in."

Throughout the shooting, more than 500,000 feet of film was shot.