Actors Wang Baoqiang (front) and Liu Haoran (right) reprise their detective duo characters in the new movie.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Citing the sci-fi hit The Wandering Earth as an example, which shattered the myth that assumed that Chinese filmmakers did not have the means to create successful sci-fi works, Chen explains the epic featuring over 2,000 special-effects shots made him realize that, "when a film is pursuing excellence in every aspect, audiences will like it and don't care which genre it belongs to".

"Besides, a film should have its own 'social attribute', which means people who have already watched previous works of the franchise will talk about it with their friends and family, making theatergoing one of their top social activities during the holidays," says Chen.

Reprising actors Wang and Liu as detectives Tang Ren and Qin Feng, the new sequel casts several Japanese stars, including Tomokazu Miura and Honami Suzuki, respectively known to Chinese fans for the runaway TV series Akai Giwaku, which was screened in Japan in 1975 but imported to China in 1984, and the 1991 TV series Tokyo Love Story.

"I hope audiences of all ages can find familiar elements that were popular in their favorite eras. Fans of Japanese detective novels will also be able to see some of their favorite writers appear in the film," says Chen.

At the invitation of a renowned Japanese detective, played by Satoshi Tsumabuki, the upcoming tale recounts the Chinese detective duo's latest adventure in Tokyo as they try to solve a mysterious murder case, which could earn them a bonus of up to 1 billion Japanese yen ($9.1 million).

Growing up reading books about Chinese culture and history, Chen says the names of the two protagonists were inspired by his childhood education.