As Transformers: Age of Extinction opens in theaters, General Motors Co is betting on the latest installment of the alien-robot saga to help jump-start Chevrolet sales in China.

The reboot of the movie franchise, which features battling robots that convert into cars and trucks, opened in China and the United States on Friday and includes vehicles such as the Chevrolet Camaro sports car and Trax small sport-utility vehicle. The fourth movie in the series gives GM a marketing tool as it introduces six Chevrolets in the country this year.

The goal "is to use it as a springboard for launching new products", Tim Mahoney, the global chief marketing officer for the Chevrolet brand, said last week in an interview.