Lionsgate and Beijing-based film company Leomus Pictures are teaming up to produce a Chinese-language spinoff of the hit magician thriller franchise "Now You See Me."

The project will be a Chinese-American co-production and will be shot in China with predominantly Chinese actors.

"We're working closely with Lionsgate on the story," Leomus Pictures CEO Jie Qiu told The Hollywood Reporter. He added that a Hollywood writer will be authoring the script in order to ensure that the spinoff is in line with the "Now You See Me" series and maintains the same standard of quality.

Like Us on Facebook

Lionsgate and Leomus are looking to cash in on the franchise's huge success in the fast-growing Chinese market.

"Now You See Me" and its follow-up "Now You See Me 2" both performed exceptionally well at the Chinese box-office. The 2016 sequel registered the biggest-ever opening for Lionsgate in China and raked in a whopping $92m in collections after three weeks in theaters, even surpassing U.S. box-office receipts of $64m.

One of the reasons for the film's success in China is attributable to Leomus' role as an advisor in production. The company also played an instrumental role in the starring of Taiwanese star Jay Chou in a supporting role and using the Casino city of Macau as the main shooting location in the sequel.

A sequel to Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2013 thriller, "Escape Plan," which was also more successful in China than in the United States ($40m against $25m), is also lined up as a US-China co-production.

TagsNow You See Me, Now You See Me 2, chinese, LionsGate, Leomus Pictures