Great expectations

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The latest Transformers film will release in China soon after its North America debut, and there are hopes it could do exceedingly well in the country. Xu Fan reports in Guangzhou.

On the big screen, Transformers star Josh Duhamel is a US military hero. But in Guangzhou, the capital city of South China's Guangdong province, his biggest "enemy" is the hot, humid summer.

On a 60-meter-long red carpet, the American actor with director Michael Bay and actresses Isabela Moner and Laura Haddock linger for nearly an hour to sign posters and pose for pictures with screaming fans.

They are soon sweaty and Duhamel wishes for rain. His prayers are answered.

Then, on the outdoor stage of the city's landmark Hanxinsha Asian Games Stadium, the Hollywood celebrities sit under umbrellas and share details about the upcoming Transformers: The Last Knight, a Paramount Pictures movie.

The fifth installment of the Transformers franchise－which was launched in 2007－will release on the Chinese mainland on June 23, two days after its North America debut.

Meanwhile, despite its slightly delayed release in China, the country is the first stop on the film's global promotion campaign.