Huang Bo portrays one of the tomb raiders in the film.[Photo provided to China Daily]

LeTV had permission to adapt four of the eight books, and Wanda gained rights to the other four.

Explaining how he dealt with the challenge, Wuershan says: "It (the censorship) is a problem that you cannot shrug off, but it also acts as stimulation to push you to find a breakthrough.

"Actually the regulators are much more lenient now than in the past. And anyway, they should not be used an excuse to promote bad quality movies. A good tale needs creative people to use their brains to overcome the hindrances," he says.

To understand how much effort went into making the film, one should look at how long it took him to make it.

In an era where making a feature-length movie usually takes three to four months, Wuershan spent nearly four years, and two of those were used to polish the script.

The movie plot, which follows the books, centers on two journeys connected by a mysterious ancient mausoleum over a time span of two decades. Some observers say that a smart twist to the plot is what allowed the tomb scenes to get past the regulators.

While the novel describes the expedition as motivated mainly to steal historical relics, in the film the goal is more noble: the fulfillment of a promise to realize the dream of a sacrificed teammate.

Tian Jinshuang, a Beijing-based film critic, says: "It's a clever strategy to provide reasons to justify the tomb raid."

Big names starring in the film is another highlight for moviegoers.