Zhang Ziyi Photo: IC

Tencent Penguin Pictures announced on Wednesday that Chinese movie Forever Young, which stars actress Zhang Ziyi, actors Huang Xiaoming, Leehom Wang and Chang Chen, finally announced that the film will hit big screens across the Chinese mainland on January 12, five years after filming completed.   

According to Li Fangfang, the film's director and scriptwriter, this was the moment  she had been dreaming about for years.

"I wrote the script seven years ago and finished filming five years ago. And finally the film is going to be screened. Thanks for all your patience," she said at the announcement. 

Originally made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Tsinghua University in 2011, the film follows four generations across a span of 100 years of contemporary Chinese history.

After Zhang gave birth to a baby girl on December 27, 2015, the actress largely retired from making movies. However, the actress does have a role in Michael Dougherty's Hollywood blockbuster Godzilla: King of Monsters.

The actress remarked that she felt fortunate that her role in the film isn't very large as it still left time to take care of her daughter.

"It was good since I only needed to be on set five days a week."