Filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who brought Hero and The House of Flying Daggers to the screen, is to direct an opera for New York's Metropolitan Opera.

Director Zhang Yimou speaks during a press conference for the 'House of Flying Daggers' at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004. (CP PHOTO/Aaron Harris)

The First Emperor, with music by Chinese composer Tan Dun, will be staged in December 2006. Dun won an Oscar in 2000 for the score to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The opera is based on the life of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi, who unified China in the third century BC. Fierce and tyrannical, Qin is a brilliant tactician, but he sacrifices the happiness of his daughter Princess Yue-yang for political credit, and eventually the people turn against him.

Zhang said he hoped the production would "draw more young Westerners to go to the opera house and understand Chinese history," according to China's Xinhua News Agency.

Performances are scheduled for Dec. 21, 26 and 29, with additional performances set for January.

Placido Domingo is set to sing the role of the great leader, according to an announcement made earlier this week that set out the Met's 2006-07 schedule. The role of Princess Yue-yang will be sung by Elizabeth Futral and Sarah Coburn. Paul Groves will sing the role of Gao Jian-li, who creates music for the unveiling of the emperor's greatest achievement, the Great Wall.

The work is based on Historical Records by Sima Qian (c. 145 - c. 85 BC.) and on the screenplay by Wei Lu, The Legend of the Bloody Zheng. Tan Dun, who will also conduct the opera, co-wrote the libretto with novelist Ha Jin.

It is not the first time Zhang has directed an opera — in 1998, he directed a performance of Turandot staged at Beijing's imperial palace.