China’s 3D ‘Sex and Zen XXX’ to Screen in U.S.

LOS ANGELES—The Cantonese-language 3D porn film that’s generated scads of media attention, and incorrectly billed as the first 3D porn movie in many mainstream media reports, is hitting theaters in the U.S. after being acquired for release in North America by China Lion Film Distribution. The film, Sex & Zen 3D, broke James Cameron's 3D sci-fi thriller Avatar’s opening day box office record in Hong Kong in April and has earned more than $1 million at the box office in Australia. "Audiences that are better educated, more sophisticated in mind... will readily appreciate the origin of this film as an adaptation of a Chinese classic," the film's director, Christopher Sun, said. "These viewers are prepared to take erotic elements as part of the cinematic experience instead of the film's total package." Censorship laws prohibited the movie from being screened in China, but audiences crossed the border into Hong Kong in droves to see it. The film’s distributor enticed crowds by offering special ladies’ night screenings of the movie featuring appearances by male cast members. Sex & Zen 3D has not been given a rating in the U.S. and a release date has not yet been set.