Production has started in Hong Kong for Project Gutenberg (無雙), the second solo directorial outing of scriptwriter Felix Chong, one of the creators of the Infernal Affairs (無間道) and the Overheard (竊聽風雲) franchises.

The action thriller stars Aaron Kwok as a painter who is recruited to join an elite counterfeiting ring headed by a criminal mastermind known as Painter, played by Chow Yun Fat. The film also features Zhang Jingchu, Catherine Chau and Liu Kai-chi in supporting roles.

The film is financed by Bona Film Group and produced by Ronald Wong for Pop Movies, the production company co-founded by Wong, Chong and longtime collaborator Alan Mak. Bona’s Distribution Workshop is handling international sales at the Cannes Marche du Film.

Mak will step aside from the director’s chair and serve as “artistic supervisor” on the project. Chong also stepped back from the director’s chair for Mak’s most recent project, action film Extraordinary Mission (非凡任務). Cinematographer Anthony Pun took co-director credit for that film instead.

Chong made his solo directorial debut in 2010 with gangster comedy Once a Gangster. He won the Best New Director prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards for the film.

Project Gutenberg is tentatively set for release in 2018.