New Zealand model and actor Vivian Dawson (left) and mainland actress Zhang Li (right) perform a scene together at a promotional event in Beijing on October 16, 2017 for their upcoming film Butterfly Cemetery. [Photo/China Plus]

A movie adaptation of Cai Jun's novel Butterfly Cemetery will hit theatres on Friday.

New Zealand model and actor Vivian Dawson and mainland actress Zhang Li co-star in this fantasy-romance film.

Zhang Li admits their collaboration has been a learning experience for her.

"My acting needed to be particularly intense for one scene where I'm drunk and gradually grow butterfly wings. Then Vivian Dawson came to me and described how he learned from working on the anime 'Dragon Ball.' This gave me the inspiration to figure out the right way to approach the scene."

Butterfly Cemetery has been shot in Hungary.

Producer Manfred Wong has described the film as being meshed in a European-style mysterious fog.

Others in the film include Hong Kong actress Carman Lee.

It's the veteran actress' return to the big screen since she was last in TVB's 2014 drama Never Dance Alone.