Inception

will have to contend for box office glory with at least four Chinese blockbusters this summer. Among them are Zhang Yimou's return to the romance genre with Under the Hawthorn Tree, which will premiere on Sept 16, and Tsui Hark's period thriller Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame to release on Sept 29.

Joining the battle are Hong Kong veteran Andrew Lau's The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen on Sept 21, and John Woo's Reign of Assassins on Sept 28, both kungfu flicks.

In a telephone interview with Chinese reporters, Nolan expressed confidence in his new work, whose appeal he asserts is universal.

"We all dream," he says. "We all experience the phenomenon of our minds creating a world and living in that world at the exact same time. There is also an incredible contrast in the world of dreams - they are so intimate and yet they have infinite possibilities in terms of what we can imagine. I wanted to create a film that would allow the audience to experience the limitless realities that we can realize only in dreams"

He says Chinese audiences should just sit back and enjoy the ride, rather than get too involved in the complex plot.

"Do not feel you have to understand every aspect of it, it is intended as entertainment, and I hope you will enjoy the entertainment," he says. "There is no test afterwards."

The film will also be screened in 16 IMAX theaters across the country.