From left to right: Actor Sebastian Stan, director Ridley Scott, actor Matt Damon and Chinese actress Chen Shu at The Martian's promotional event in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

How do you survive alone on an arid planet 225 million kilometers from Earth? A stranded astronaut, played by Matt Damon, provides the answers in the sci-fi hit The Martian. Nearly two months after its North American debut, the critically acclaimed blockbuster opened in Chinese mainland theaters on Wednesday in three versions: 3-D, IMAX 3-D and DMAX 3-D. The film has dominated the North American box office charts for four weeks in a row.

Besides, the latest directorial effort of 78-year-old Ridley Scott, known to Chinese fans for the sci-fi thrillers Alien and Prometheus, has become his highest-grossing title.

Interestingly, despite the fact that the film had yet to land on Chinese big screens on Tuesday, local fans were busy spreading the storyline online, and discussing the plot.

The review site Douban.com gave the film 8.4 out of 10 based on 12,000 viewers' comments a day before the nationwide release.

Compared with previous Hollywood sci-fi epics, The Martian has good reason to win the hearts of audiences in the world's second-largest movie market: China plays a key role in the bid to rescue Damon.

The film is about a NASA astronaut and botanist, played by The Bourne Identity franchise's star Damon, who is presumed dead and left alone on the Mars.