A-list star Wu Jing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

With less than one week to go before the film hits theaters, some scientists and sci-fi critics who have watched advanced screenings have praised it.

"I was pleasantly shocked by the film, from its grand theme to its cast, which signals a breakout for Chinese sci-fi films," says Zhou Zhonghe, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Zhou also says the film testifies that Chinese talent does not lack in imagination, and that quality domestic sci-fi films like this one will raise public interest in the sciences.

"Sci-fi stories have been popular in China since 1905. Over the past century, Chinese sci-fi authors and enthusiasts have been caught in pursuit of an effective way to create localized works," says Yan An, a sci-fi author and director.

"Now, The Wandering Earth sets a good example," he adds.

Later in the year, Chinese theaters will screen more highly-anticipated domestic sci-fi films, such as the Shu Qi-led Shanghai Fortress, about Shanghai becoming humanity's last hope to resist an alien invasion, and Virtus, starring Louis Koo, which is set in 2055 and depicts an elite force's fight against alien creatures.