New poster for Tsui Hark’s historical action epic Detective Dee |

A period epic from genre master and Seven Swords director Tsui Hark, Detective Dee is an action-packed, Sherlock Holmes-style mystery starring Andy Lau, Bingbing Li, Carina Lau and Tony Leung Ka-fai. Nominated for Best Special Effects at the 2011 Asian Film Awards and choreographed by martial arts master Sammo Hung, this intricately plotted whodunit is set in an exquisitely realized steampunk version of ancient China.

On the eve of her coronation as Empress (Carina Lau, 2046), China’s most powerful woman is haunted by a chilling murder mystery: seven men under her command have burst into flames, leaving behind only black ash and skeletal bones. Recognizing this threat to her power, she turns to the infamous Dee Renjie (Andy Lau, Infernal Affairs, House Of Flying Daggers) – a man whose unparalleled wisdom is matched only by his martial arts skills. As he battles a series of bizarre dangers, he unveils a chilling truth that places his life, and the future of an entire dynasty, in peril.

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame will be released in New York City on September 2, 2011, and then in Los Angeles on September 9th.

Check out the U.S. release poster for Detective Dee below.