The contemporary book series, written by Chinese novelist Cang Yue, has already sold more than seven million copies. There are six instalments so far, and the story takes place in Eden, a world of powerful sorcery and romance.

Bosses at Ruyi Films and Syon Media made the announcement of the movie adaptation at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday (19May15), with Master and Commander screenwriter John Collee on board to adapt the first book, The Mirror: Twin Cities.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Collee shared his enthusiasm for the project, insisting the franchise has the potential to become an international phenomenon.

He says, "Fantasy allows you to get quite deeply into the culture of a place in a weird way. For me, this is a window on the Chinese equivalent of The Lord of the Rings; she (Cang Yue) writes so fluently and it's so detailed."