Handsome, romantic and good at fighting demons – the Mongolian ruler depicted in the new Chinese fantasy film Chinggis Khaan, set to debut in Chinese mainland theaters on Saturday, might not fit with your image of the bellicose warlord who conquered the Eurasian Continent many centuries ago.

Directed by Hasi Chaolu, from China’s Mongol ethnic minority group, and produced by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud, the film follows the story of how Temuujin, who was born in 1162 to a tribal leader’s family on the northern prairie of Northeast Asia, became Chinggis Khaan – founder of the Mongol Empire in 1206.

Unlike previous Chinese or overseas productions that have focused on Temuujin’s political and actual battles with other tribes as he made his way to power, the film turns the young ruler’s biggest antagonist into a tribe that is trying to rule the prairie through dark magic. The latest trailer even showcases Temuujin, seen as the reincarnation of the Mongolian god of war in the story, fight against a huge demonic creature from the hell under a stormy sky.

According to the director, the choice to film a fantasy recreation was not something they made out of the blue, as one can find fantasy roots in Mongolian ethnic culture, religion and their traditions of worshiping nature.

Best known for his 2006 documentary film The Old Barber, about a 90-year-old barber living in a Beijing hutong, Hasi Chaolu is experienced in making art films about Mongolia and Tibetan ethnic groups. Chinggis Khaan, however, will be his first big-budget commercial film.