Statham did most of the action scenes featuring a ship under attack from the killer creature himself.

But the emotional parts were a bit difficult for the action star.

"In a movie, you usually pray for good chemistry. It's nothing that you can really prepare for," says Statham, speaking about his interactions with Li.

Shooting in New Zealand just finished. It is now being shot in South China's Hainan province.

Jiang says film targets a global audience－not exclusively China.

"China's home market may be massive," he says.

It has seen an average growth rate of over 30 percent year-on-year over the past half decade.

"But if we want to spread our culture abroad, we must work with Hollywood," says the filmmaker, who has many years of experience doing exactly that.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn