A stuntman was killed and six others were injured in a fire while shooting an action scene in director John Woo’s Chinese historical epic “Red Cliff,” the film’s crew and Chinese media said Tuesday.

The accident occurred Monday morning while filming an action sequence in Beijing, the crew said in a statement.

A small boat was set ablaze, and it collided with a larger boat as the filmmakers had intended, but the fire quickly raged out of control and engulfed both ships.

The person killed was a 23-year-old stuntman, the Beijing News reported, citing a local fire commander.

Mr. Woo, told of the news while promoting his film in Hong Kong, rushed back to Beijing, the crew said.

It was the latest setback to Mr. Woo’s massive production, which marks his return to Chinese-language film after a stint in Hollywood.

“Red Cliff,” about a well-known battle in feudal-era China, has suffered casting changes and set problems since it started filming in April last year.

Actors Chow Yun-Fat and former Cannes best-actor winner Tony Leung Chiu-Wai earlier pulled out, although Mr. Leung later returned to the cast.

Mr. Woo also wasn’t able to shoot at China’s largest river, the Yangtze, forcing him to create a similar backdrop with special effects. He didn’t say why his team wasn’t allowed to film there.

The budget for “Red Cliff” was more than $80 million — huge by Chinese standards. Mr. Woo later said that figure was overstated, but didn’t provide a new number.

The Chinese government views the movie, which is partly backed by the state-run China Film Group, as an important showcase of Chinese history, and wants it released before the Beijing Olympics. The Olympics start on August 8.