 Cruises character is loosely based on American mercenary soldier  Frederick Townsend Ward, who was one of the leading figures in the  Taiping Rebellion in China between 1851 and 1864. Cruise had been  involved in a project by John Woo (I) (qv) based on historian  Caleb Carrs novel "The Devil Soldier" which was specifically about  Ward, however the project was abandoned in 1993.