Universal Pictures' sci-fi war film Battleship, starring Taylor Kitsch and pop star Rihanna, will "sail" into theaters in China's mainland on Wednesday.

The epic action-adventure film, inspired by Hasbro's classic naval combat game, tells the story of how a fleet of Marines led the planet's fight to survive against intruding alien forces.

Dubbed by the film studio as "the naval version of the Transformers series," the film has been presented as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the legendary Universal Pictures film company.

"The film was shot on real battleships during a joint naval drill of 16 nations in the Pacific," the film's director Peter Berg said at the premiere in Beijing on Sunday. "That was really amazing."

As the son of a Marine, Berg said he wanted to move the war scenes to the ocean, which few directors have done, in an effort to offer audiences a refreshing, but shocking experience.

Berg is known for directing films such as Friday Night Lights and Hancock. The latter received mixed reviews from film critics, but grossed more than $620 million worldwide.

With an investment of $200 million, Battleship has topped the box office list in more than 10 nations and regions, including Japan, the Republic of Korea and Hong Kong, since hitting theaters there earlier this month.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2012)