A remake of the 1934 Hollywood classic "The Painted Veil," starring Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Chinese actor Xia Yu and Hong Kong star Anthony Wong will open in Chinese cinemas on December 29.

A grand premiere ceremony will be held in the US on December 20 and China the following day.

In the remake, Naomi Watts, replacing Nicole Kidman, and Edward Norton will take the roles originally played by Greta Garbo and Herbert Marshall.

The US$34 million production is helmed by John Curran.

Based on the novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham, "The Painted Veil" tells the story of a woman, whose husband ignores her in favor of his medical research, begins a journey of self-discovery while fighting a cholera epidemic with her husband in China.