The film, based on the fantasy game World of Warcraft (WoW), will open in China on 8 June, two days before it begins screening in the US, although it will be screened in various countries prior to that.
The game sees players exploring a vast landscape, complete quests and interact with other gamers, and is known for its colourful array of monsters and landscapes, giving rise to its Chinese name "World of Magic Beasts".
China is one of the biggest markets for WoW. The Chinese are estimated to make up about half of its five million players.
One of the studios behind the movie, Legendary Entertainment, is majority owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, which acquired a controlling stake in January.
But the decision is also part of an accelerating trend where Hollywood has been wooing China by staging elaborate premieres and tie-ups.
The last Transformers movie was partly funded by Chinese backers and shot in China - though that ran into controversy - and the latest Star Wars movie was heavily promoted in China with publicity stunts and the appointment of pop star Luhan as an ambassador.
The love story between China and WoW is one of perseverance, as the game's popularity has soared despite deep government suspicion prompting heavy controls, according to tech blog Engadget.
Chinese players had to make do with a special version of the game with its violence, gore and even character design toned down. Skeletons were "covered up" with flesh, and even the colour of spilt blood was changed to a darker, less shocking hue.
The government also insisted that a timer mechanism be built into the game to prevent people from playing it for too long, following widespread fears of internet addiction.
Last year one WoW player reportedly collapsed and died after playing it for 19 hours without a break.
Operation of the game in China was originally in foreign hands, but it eventually was bought over by Chinese company NetEase.
But such obstacles could not stop its runaway success - part of the reason was the timing, as the game was first introduced China in 2005, at a time where online access and internet cafes were fast proliferating amid a booming tech scene.
In a nod to its popularity, creator Blizzard Entertainment made a Chinese-inspired expansion to the game called Mists of Pandaria in 2012, featuring panda warriors and monk characters.
In recent years the number of players of WoW globally has dropped, but it has made a lasting mark in China as a cultural touchstone.
Entrepreneurial Chinese have cashed in on the craze - sometimes without official permission. There is WoW merchandise, a WoW-themed restaurant, and even a massive knock-off theme park in Changzhou.
Perhaps unsurprisingly there is also a knock-off Warcraft movie - this month, a Chinese-produced movie called MyWoW will open in cinemas ahead of the official film.

The family of the entertainer, who died on 1 August, has asked those wishing to pay their respects to line a two-mile stretch of Woolton Road.
The funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, in the suburb of Woolton, at 13:00 BST (12:00 GMT).
More than 3,000 people signed books of condolence in Liverpool, the star's home city, following her death.
The funeral cortege will start at the junction of Woolton Road and Church Road North, and will travel to the junction with Blackwood Avenue before continuing to the church.
The family said the public would not be able to access the church grounds and asked people not to travel to Woolton village as "as this may compromise the funeral party and invited guests from attending".
After the funeral, the entertainer's body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried.
Some parking and traffic management restrictions will be in place on the day:
Black, who made her name as a pop singer in the 1960s before becoming the host of hit TV shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, died after a fall at her villa in Estepona on the Costa del Sol.
A coroner ruled last week that the 72-year-old died from an accidental traumatic head injury.
The star made a posthumous comeback to the UK music charts last week when her greatest hits collection, The Very Best Of Cilla Black, rose to number eight in the UK albums chart.
Her former number one single Anyone Who Had A Heart, first released in 1964, returned to the charts at number 41.
Hollywood film Warcraft will come to China next month, in what is the culmination of a decade-long love affair between the world's most populous country and one of the most popular online games of all time, writes the BBC's Tessa Wong.
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The cortege route for Cilla Black's funeral in Liverpool on Thursday has been announced.