"It's already happening," Gelfond says.

The Martian, a sci-fi movie by Ridley Scott, for instance, shows the rescue of a stranded astronaut made possible through the intervention of a fictional Chinese space facility. The feature, starring Matt Damon, grossed 490 million yuan at the Chinese box office by Tuesday, after screening in the country for two weeks.

While Imax plans to distribute its screens in Chinese cities of all sizes, Dmax recently celebrated the installation of its 100th screen, in Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Mao Yu, deputy director of the film bureau under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said at a Dmax event that investment in movie technology was starting to pay off, and more companies were getting involved in the area, according to Xinhua New Agency.

Yu Chao, deputy general manager of Capital Cinema, one of Beijing's oldest cinemas, says: "Chinese audiences are looking for all-round, enjoyable experiences rather than just a good storyline. That's why there is more demand for 3-D, Dolby and 4-DX effects.

"The way cinemas engage the audiences makes a difference. We will be constantly needing better equipment to deliver that experience."

After all, Yu says, audiences are won over if they get a "good time" in the cinemas for the money they pay.