BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. director Martin Scorsese's 3D fantasy film "Hugo" will be screened on the Chinese mainland starting Thursday, according to Huaxia Film Distribution Co., Ltd, the film's mainland distributor.
The film, which has been described as Scorsese's personal salute to early cinema, is set in 1930s-era Paris and follows a young boy who tries to unravel the mystery behind a clockwork robot left behind by his dead father.
"Hugo" contains several major references to Georges Melies, the film pioneer who wrote and directed the 1902 silent classic "A Trip to the Moon," as well as references to early filmmakers like the Lumiere Brothers and D.W. Griffith.
The film has already earned great critical acclaim, including five Academy Awards for cinematography, art direction, visual effects, sound mixing and sound editing.
The comedy fantasy film "Mirror Mirror" starring Julia Roberts, as well as stop-motion animated adventure film "The Pirates! Band of Misfits" are also scheduled to join the mainland's box office battle on June 1, which happens to be International Children's Day.
A growing number of overseas filmmakers and groups are aiming for a share of China's booming film market. The country's box office soared by 28.93 percent to reach 13.12 billion yuan (2.08 billion U.S. dollars) in 2011.