The advance screenings of "Creation of The Gods I: Kingdom of Storms" -- the first film of a highly-anticipated live-action, fantasy epic movie trilogy -- on Saturday to Sunday stunned Chinese moviegoers with the audiovisual spectacles.

Days before its release date on July 20, the movie was shown to the public at special screening rooms which highlight movies' special effects across the country during the weekend.

The trilogy is based on a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel "Fengshen Yanyi", or "The Investiture of the Gods," a work of fiction that weaves mythology and history into a compelling narrative that has captivated readers for centuries.

The novel tells the story of the fall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty in the 11th century BC and the battles between gods, goddesses, and mortals. It has been adapted into various forms of media, such as stage plays, television dramas, and films.

"The tickets for 'Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms' screenings at our cinema on June 15 and 16 are sold out. Advance ticket sales began two to three days prior to the screenings, and the tickets were sold out within a day," said Lu Xin, manager of the China Film Cinema (Xiaoxitian Branch).

The film boasts a star-studded cast, including actors Kris Phillips (known in China as Fei Xiang), Li Xuejian, Huang Bo, Xia Yu, Chen Kun and actress Yuan Quan, with Wuershan as the director.

"The film was truly impressive. The entire big screen was fantastic, and I was stunned from the very beginning. The special effects were incredibly exquisite, and I am especially impressed by the scene where a snowflake fell into one eye of a character in the film," a moviegoer said.

"The sound effects of the special screening room which highlights the movie's special effects made me immersed in the film. It felt like I was right there in the scenes of shooting arrows, riding horses and battling. And I found that the special screening room featuring movies' special effects truly lives up to its name," another moviegoer said.

"I thought it would be a simple story that relied mainly on special effects, but actually, I found the plot quite interesting. The King Zhou played by Fei Xiang (Kris Phillips) was fantastic in particular, with such a strong aura," a third moviegoer said.

"The current level of the Chinese film industry is undeniably advancing. I am quite amazed by the special effects, costumes, make-up, and props," another moviegoer said.