Oscar-nominated Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou has been fined 7.48 million yuan ($1.2 million) for breaching China’s one-child policy, authorities say.

A letter sent to Zhang by the family planning bureau of Binhu District of Wuxi City, Jiangsu province in eastern China on Thursday demanded that he pay a penalty for having two “beyond-the-quota” children.

The fine comes after Zhang apologized in an open letter for his “excessive children” in December. He and his wife, Chen Ting, admitted to having two sons and a daughter.

Local officials in Jiangsu province calculated the fine based on the couple’s combined annual income, the document stated. Nine investigation teams had been sent to “collect evidence” since November.

The couple have to pay the fine within 30 days of receiving the letter, local authorities added.

However, Zhang, best known for movies such as “Red Sorghum,” “Raise the Red Lantern,” and “Hero,” is unlikely to benefit from the change.

The filmmaker also directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.