BEIJING, Nov. 4 -- Chinese science fiction fans who want more than a token Chinese sidekick in Hollywood blockbusters are turning their attentions back home.

Industry insiders said at least a dozen Chinese sci-fi movies are in production, suggesting a shift in the film industry for more movies of this genre.

"Many movie houses have initiated sci-fi projects, with huge financial backing. There is at least one film with investments of over 100 million yuan (16 million U.S. dollars)," said Yan Peng, film critic and planning supervisor of Beijing Galloping Horse Film & TV Production Co.

"It not only reflects the personal interest of certain investors, but rising enthusiasm in the industry," Yan said. "The Chinese film industry has matured over recent years, so it's time to have our own sci-fi titles."

One widely-awaited film is the adaptation of Liu Cixin's best-selling saga "The Three-Body Problem". Youzu Film, who produces the film, said shooting would start before the end of this year.

Writer-turned director Han Han has also revealed plans for a sci-fi film after the success of his first outing as a director, Continent.

Despite the huge success of foreign sci-fi films, such as Gravity and Transformers, domestic titles are lacking, with many blaming the situation on technology

"From art design to computerized special effects, every chain in China's film industry lacks experience with the sci-fi genre," said Wu Yan, sci-fi critic and professor with Beijing Normal University.

Other critics point to a lack of sci-fi culture among China's established directors, but the good news is that the younger generation of film makers are rising to the challenge.

"Now, the film makers know more about the genre. Many were born after the 1970s and grew up reading sci-fi novels," said Zheng Jun, sci-fi writer and CEO of China Scientific and Cultural Industry Net.

Some up-and-coming teams have started by shooting short films. Lu Bingshu, executive producer of the 30-minute demo "Eyes of Mars", said sci-fi production was a laborious process. But the 26-year-old believed their efforts to create everything from space capsules to space suits would feed into the over all development of the genre.

UNKNOWN FUTURE

But even if a Chinese sci-fi film clears all the production hurdles, it may still face a picky and suspicious domestic audience.

Zheng said that many Chinese movies avoided the sci-fi label, fearing movie-goers would associate "Chinese sci-fi blockbusters" with clumsy ripoffs of the Western success stories.

But, Yan said, the Chinese market should encourage domestic sci-fi movie production.

"Sci-fi films reflect people's fears and desires in the era of technology, with Western films containing Western themes. We need to have sci-fi films that embody Chinese thinking," he said.

Sci-fi writer Fei Dao said the needs for more domestic sci-fi, including motion pictures, would rise alongside a healthy Chinese economy.

"In our vision of the future, there should be Chinese faces," he said.