CHINESE war epic “The Founding of an Army,” with a star-studded cast, opens at mainland theaters Friday, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The story opens with the Nanchang Uprising in 1927, which was the first major Kuomintang-Communist engagement during the Chinese Civil War. The uprising was carried out by the communists to counter the anti-communist purges by the Kuomintang.

The big-budget movie is the third work of the “Founding of New China” trilogy. The first two were the 2009 movie “The Founding of a Republic” and the 2011 film “The Founding of the Party.”

“The Founding of an Army” is directed by Hong Kong film legend Andrew Lau, best known for “Infernal Affairs,” which was remade by Martin Scorsese as “The Departed.”

“The Founding of an Army” is packed with A-list stars — from veterans like Zhang Hanyu to hot young stars like Ou Hao — and billed as a war epic with “youthful revolutionary elements.”

Liu Ye plays the role of Mao Zedong, which was his second time starring as the great founder of new China. Other popular young actors, including Zhu Yawen, Li Yifeng and Ma Yili, also joined the cast.

The movie will premiere in Hong Kong and Macao on Aug. 3.(SD-Agencies)