Paramount have reached a landmark deal with two major Chinese media companies, an offshoot of state broadcaster CCTV and streaming service Jiaflix, to partly film sequel Transformers 4 in China.

China is now officially the second largest market for films in the world with box office revenue of $1.8 billion in 2012 alone.  Western studios are increasingly keen to exploit that booming box office and are beginning to specifically target films for the Chinese market. Iron Man 3 being a recent example, with a specific version of the film being made for Chinese cinemas to include additional scenes shot in Beijing and relevant product placements.

State run China Movie Channel have described the deal with Paramount as “The beginning of a new era of collaboration with Hollywood studios”. The specific deal for Transformers 4 will see the Chinese companies contribute to the cost of production in exchange for a share of the eventual box office revenues.

Michael Bay will once again direct Transformers 4, ensuring that audiences in China and around the world will definitely have plenty of pretty explosions to enjoy. After all, there’s truly no language more universal than CGI fighting robots.