Johnny Depp's "Transcendance" to open in U.S., China on same day

Johnny Depp's new big-budget thriller "Transcendence" will be coming to Chinese and U.S. cinemas on the same day, April 18, in a major victory for movie distributors in the Asian country.

The release dates were revealed to The Hollywood Reporter by the Beijing-based studio DMG -- which co-produced "Transcendence" with Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment.

The move highlights the growing financial importance Hollywood has placed on international markets outside the U.S., particularly in large nations like China, which has an estimated population of 1.351 billion people.

It was also revealed that China is the only market where "Transcendence" will be shown in 3D.

Depp stars in the new thriller from Wally Pfister (making his directorial debut) about a scientist in the future who strives to make a sentient machine.

Kate Mara, Rebecca Hall, Cillian Murphy, Paul Bettany and Morgan Freeman also star.