HONG KONG — A Hong Kong filmmaker said he intends to lure audiences back to theaters with what he is calling “the world’s first 3D erotic movie.”Hong Kong cinemas have seen steadily declining revenues and many have closed in recent years as viewers switch to watching movies at home on DVD.

One Dollar Productions Chairman Stephen Shiu Jr. said he plans to use special effects to enhance the audience’s experience of 3D Sex and Zen. He has budgeted 30 million HK dollars (about $4 million U.S.) to make the movie, which is based loosely on the 17th Century Chinese classic The Carnal Prayer Mat, a tragic tale of lust and excess.

“The 3D erotica will probably be the world’s first,” Shiu told the Sunday Morning Post. “Just imagine that you’ll be watching it as if you were sitting beside the bed.”

According to Shiu, about 25-30 percent of the movie’s scenes will be explicit, including close-up shots of actresses’ “parts” that will seem to be … well, up-close and personal, if viewers are wearing special 3D glasses.

Shiu said he has cast adult entertainers from Japan and Taiwan in the leading female roles, but so far he has not been able to find a male lead.

“We’re having trouble finding a male lead who is willing to undress in front of the camera,” Shiu told the Sunday Morning Post. “It’s a lot more difficult to find an actor than an actress for this kind of movie.”

Principal photography is expected to begin in April, and the film is expected to be released in time for Christmas.