Hark Tsui is set to direct Andy Lau in "Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame," a martial arts suspense thriller developed by Huayi Brothers, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Written by Chen Kuofu, the film follows the infamous Detective Dee (Lau), who returns from exile to investigate a series of deaths threatening to delay the 690 A.D. inauguration of Empress Wu.

"They had such an interesting relationship of hatred, love and passion," Tsui told THR.

"Detective Dee" is budgeted at $13 million and expected to open in Asia in 2010. Tsui's next step is to assemble the rest of the cast.

Tsui's credits include "Double Team" and "Seven Swords." As for Lau, he played Inspector Lau Kin Ming in "Internal Affairs."