The Secret of Immortal Code, starring veteran actor Zhao Lixin (above in glasses), will open in theaters across the Chinese mainland on June 22. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Set in the near future, the story depicts a world where the prevalence of deadly diseases is so rife that sick people choose to have their bodies frozen rather than relying on treatment, in the hope that future medical breakthroughs would cure them.

In a bid to resurrect her older sister who was frozen 18 years previously, the medical student protagonist played by Liang, follows a genius doctor (Zhao) on his trek to the North Pole to try and find a cure for her. But with the appearance of an unknown "monster" on the ship, the journey turns into a nightmare for the passengers on board, and a thrilling conspiracy unfolds.

Recalling the production process, Wang describes the decision to shoot this genre of film four years ago as nothing short of "bold", especially since the Chinese film industry had precious few precedents to work with.

Besides, at that time, it was common knowledge in domestic movie circles that it was difficult for homegrown sci-fi stories to compete with special effects-driven Hollywood films in terms of attracting a large local audience.