"Mojin: The Lost Legend," a new adaptation of the tomb raid novel series, will hit Chinese theaters this week with the hopes of breaking box-office records, reported China.org.
Previously known as "The Ghouls," the film is directed by Wuershan. It is one of the most anticipated films in the Chinese movie market for the holiday season.
"Mojin" stars big names, including Chen Kun, Shu Qi, Huang Bo, Angelababy and Xia Yu. It has taken four years to produce.
The film is an adaptation of the novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light." It is the second adaptation of the best-selling novel made this year.
The first adaptation of the novel, "Chronicles of a Ghostly Tribe," was released in September and was directed by Lu Chuan and starred Mark Chao, Yao Chen, Rhydian Vaughan, Li Chen, Tiffany Tang and Daniel Feng.
Lu's film received mixed reviews, partly due to several changes made from the original novel's story. Zhang Muye, who wrote the novel under the pen name Tian Xia Ba Chang, even issued a statement saying he was not involved with the film's screenplay.
With Zhang as one of the screenwriters for "Mojin," the film can boast a much more original feel than the first adaptation. Zhang revealed at the film's premiere on Sunday that he actually wrote a new chapter for the film, so the film will not follow any of the eight volumes originally published.
Critics and industry insiders have applauded the film as a new landmark of Chinese filmmaking, with some calling it the "Chinese Indiana Jones."
The industry is eagerly anticipating whether "Mojin" can break the Chinese box-office record set by "Monster Hunt," which grossed $384.8 million this summer, making it the highest grossing film of all time in the Chinese box office.