The film was intended to be the first collaboration between Donnie Yen and fellow martial artist and popular TV actor Wenzhuo Zhao. But after a series of mishaps on set and badly influenced involvement of the press, Zhao left the set on February 27 2012 and rejected returning to follow up work. On February 29 2012, Zhao held a press conference expressing his disappointment in the script and the people involved in the film crew. He revealed that script changes were being made constantly without his consent and that contractual terms he demanded for his contract were violated. However, on March 15 2012 a controversy affecting Yen and the film crew as well as heated responses from both actors' fans broke out after Zhao held another press conference and claimed what really happened while the film was in production. Also as a result of Zhao's departure from the production, Donnie hired former co-stars Andy On, Collin Chou and Wai-Kwong Lo as new cast additions.
Jing Wu was offered a major role as a decision, made by the studio executives, to add new actors after Wenzhuo Zhao was dropped from the production. But at the time, Wu injured his leg and was already scheduled to shoot another movie so he turned down the offer that was later taken by Andy On.