The film grossed more than $310 million in the domestic (Chinese) box office, making it the highest grossing Chinese production of all time.
The film was shot in 164 days on an 18-hour daily schedule.
Author Geling Yan says she was inspired to write the source novel after reading an account by Minnie Vautrin, an American missionary who ran Ginling Girls college in Nanjing. It became a haven for women in the city, including some prostitutes. When Japanese soldiers arrived demanding "comfort women," Ms Vautrin faced the dilemma of letting the "good" women go or giving them the prostitutes. The prostitutes stepped forward, the soldiers took them away, and they were never heard from again.
This was the second fully Chinese-funded film to have a Hollywood star in the lead. The first one was Inseparable (2011) starring Kevin Spacey.