Director Woo Ping Yuen points legendary sword of destiny at the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny media event in Beijing[Photo provided to China Daily]

Veteran filmmaker Yuen Woo-ping is the director of the sequel. Lee reportedly refused the job as he was reluctant to repeat himself.

"I met Lee when we were filming in New Zealand. He told me to follow my heart and don’t be concerned about external pressure," says Yuen.

Yuen also says that the huge crew, including more than 700 members from more than 20 countries, made the filming a "dream job".

"To get people speaking different languages to focus on one target is an amazing experience," he says.

"We had a dream to re-create the fantasy world of martial arts masters on the big screen, and now the dream has come true."