China Launches AI-Powered Initiative to Revitalize Classic Kung Fu Films

Reboot the Dragon? China Taps AI to Remake Kung Fu Films

Nothing is sacred? Several Chinese film studios are preparing to harness AI to reproduce potentially dozens of classic kung fu films, including those starring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. On Thursday at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the film studios announced the so-called "Kung Fu Movie Inheritance Plan," which involves revitalizing 100 classic Chinese films by using "cutting edge AI film technology." According to the Hollywood Reporter, the government-endorsed project has already selected Bruce Lee's 1972 Fist of Fury, Jackie Chan's 1978 Drunken Master and Jet Li's 1991 Once Upon a Time in China as among the films that'll receive the AI makeovers. In addition, the studios plan on remaking Chow Yun-fat's 1986 gangster film A Better Tomorrow -- but as a cyberpunk-themed flick, with the work being described as "the world's first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film." The remake will be called A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Frontier and has already been in the works for two years involving a team of only 30 people, as opposed to thousands, according to Chinese media. The efficiency gains highlight how generative AI could streamline film production. Still, the project might offend fans, especially since the affected films feature beloved martial arts performed by legendary actors, along with practical, old school stunts. However, the Chinese film studios intend on preserving the spirit of the originals while breaking new ground in filmmaking. "It is not only film heritage, but also a brave exploration of the innovative development of film art," Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation said during the announcement, according to the Hollywood Reporter. This will include preserving the films' storytelling and aesthetics while upgrading the imagery, sound and overall production levels to align with "contemporary film viewing." We'll have to wait and see, although the results are bound to be divisive. But the project arrives as many film studios, including those in Hollywood, have been wrestling with how to approach AI and reap its benefits. The kung fu inheritance plan offers a glimpse of what to expect. Chinese media reports that A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Frontier might even arrive on Netflix and Disney+.

Chinese Studio Wants to Bring Back Bruce Lee With AI

Jackie Chan broke every bone in his body just to see the slop come for him, too. If you're a film lover, one of the great things about old classics is that you can always find something to appreciate when you revisit them. If you're a studio executive, one of the great things about old classics is that you own them and can milk them for every penny their worth. At the Shanghai International Film Festival, several Chinese movie studios announced on Thursday that they would be taking their archive of martial arts classics and AI-ifying them. The government-backed “Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project†will take all-time great kung fu flicks starring the likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li and give them new (but almost certainly not better) life with the help of AI. Per the Hollywood Reporter, Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation, described the project as an attempt to give films a look that “conforms to contemporary film viewing.†It'd be one thing if this were simply a restoration project or a technique to upscale the resolution to something that feels more modern, but according to the Hollywood Reporter, it sounds like at least some of the effort will go into fully remaking the films with AI filters atop them. For instance, a trailer for the new AI-ed take on John Woo's 1986 film A Better Tomorrow was shown off at the festival and reportedly turns its lead Chow Yun-fat into a cyberpunk-looking character. The new take, titled A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Frontier, is being marketed as "the world’s first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film.†Yuck. The studios invited AI animation companies to get involved in the "revitalization" effort, which will apparently seek to "reshape the visual aesthetics" of films while trying to "pay tribute to the original work," by putting up a fund of 100 million yuan (about $14 million) to help get the ball rolling. Other films that will be involved in the project include Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury (1972), Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master (1978) and Jet Li's Once Upon a Time in China (1991)â€"all films that you can watch right now and will find to be every bit as magical and captivating as they were the day they first hit theaters. The stunt work still stands up, and the camera work still slaps. You can find all three of these, and plenty of other martial arts classics, on streaming. If you're a stickler for image quality, films like Fist of Fury have 4K re-releases available on Blu-ray. Just watch these movies. They don't need AI sloppification to be relevant.

China to Restore Classic Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li Movies Using AI - Decrypt

The initiative represents China's largest effort to leverage AI for cultural soft power projection, contrasting sharply with Hollywood's more cautious approach to AI integration amid ethical concerns. China has launched a $14 million artificial intelligence, or AI, initiative to digitally restore 100 classic martial arts films, including fan favorites starring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. The China Film Foundation announced the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, focusing on classic titles including "Fist of Fury," "The Big Boss," "Once Upon a Time in China" and "Drunken Master" for comprehensive AI-driven restoration that will enhance image quality, sound and production values while preserving original storytelling integrity. The initiative was announced alongside the premiere of "A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border," which organizers called the world's first fully artificial intelligence-produced animated feature film, in a Variety report. The original 1986 "A Better Tomorrow" was director John Woo's breakthrough crime thriller that launched the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed genre and made Chow Yun-fat an international star. "This entire animated feature was made by just 30 people," producer Zhang Qing told Variety. "AI has collapsed the barrier between creativity and execution. The production cycle has gone from years to months." The initiative represents China's biggest effort yet to leverage AI for soft power projection, transforming film preservation while reviving martial arts cinema that first introduced Chinese culture to Western audiences decades ago. "From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, from 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' to 'Wolf Warrior,' these films have shown the world the vitality and spirit of the Chinese people," said China Film Foundation chair Zhang Qilin. "They are our cinematic calling cards to the world." "AI is the brush, but creativity is the soul," Canxing Media chair Tian Ming said. "Classic kung fu films embody China's spiritual backbone. We're inviting global partners to join this cultural and technological reboot." Ten films will receive priority treatment in the first phase, with broader international distribution planned pending market reception and regulatory approval in target territories. The project reveals against stark contrasts in how different markets approach AI in entertainment. While Hollywood grapples with ethical concerns -- films like "The Brutalist" faced backlash for using AI to enhance actors' accents, A24's "Heretic" carried an explicit "no generative AI" disclaimer, and Robert Downey Jr. has threatened legal action over unauthorized digital replicas -- China's regulatory framework actively supports AI integration in media production." Beijing's 2023 Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services and the new 2025 labeling requirements for AI-generated content provide structured oversight rather than restrictions. The 2023 rules exempt internal corporate research from public oversight while requiring transparency for consumer-facing AI services. The upcoming 2025 regulations will mandate both visible labels and embedded metadata for all AI-generated content, with severe penalties for concealing AI origins, but notably avoid restricting AI development itself.

Chinese studios will use AI to remaster martial arts movie classics

It seems that Chinese movie studios are moving ahead with AI with none of the hesitation we've seen in the West. Announced at the Shanghai International Film Festival, 100 martial arts movie classics are being revitalised using the new technology. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Bruce Lee classic Fist of Fury, Jackie Chan's Drunken Master, and Once Upon a Time in China are just a few of the films that'll be getting a makeover. Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation, said that using AI on these films would bring them up to contemporary film standards. "It is not only film heritage, but also a brave exploration of the innovative development of film art," he said. A fund of around $14 million USD or 100 million yuan is being used to kick off the work. Will you be watching kung-fu classics restored by AI?

Chinese Studios Plan AI-Powered Remakes of Kung Fu Classics From Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li

'White Snake' Director: China's Animation Boom Must Lead to Creative Risk, Not Repetition Hollywood studios and craftspeople may be busy agonizing over the proper role of AI's potential within the film industry, but Chinese studios aren't slowing down. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li and a legion of the all-time greats of martial cinema are about to get an AI makeover. In a sign-of-the-times announcement at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Thursday, a collection of Chinese studios revealed that they are turning to AI to re-imagine around 100 classics of the genre. Lee's classic Fist of Fury (1972), Chan's breakthrough Drunken Master (1978) and the Tsui Hark-directed epic Once Upon a Time in China (1991), which turned Li into a bone fide movie star, are among the features poised for the treatment, as part of the "Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project." There will also be a digital reworking of the John Woo classic A Better Tomorrow (1986) that, by the looks of the trailer, turns the money-burning anti-hero originally played by Chow Yun-fat into a cyberpunk, and is being claimed as "the world's first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film." The big guns of the Chinese industry were out in force on the sidelines of the 27 Shanghai International Film Festival to make the announcements, too. They were led by Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation, who said AI work on these "aesthetic historical treasures" would give them a new look that "conforms to contemporary film viewing." "It is not only film heritage, but also a brave exploration of the innovative development of film art," Zhang said. Tian Ming, chairman of project partners Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media, meanwhile, promised the work - expected to include upgrades in image and sound as well as overall production levels - while preserving the storytelling and aesthetic of the originals- would both "pay tribute to the original work" and "reshape the visual aesthetics." "We sincerely invite the world's top AI animation companies to jointly start a film revolution that subverts tradition," said Tian, who announced a fund of 100 million yuan ($13.9 million) would be implemented to kick-start the work. Project partners also include the China Film Foundation's Film and Urban Development Special Fund, and Quantum Animation, the studio behind A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Frontier. Advances in AI have been a topic of keen discussion at China's largest festival, which kicked off proceedings on opening night with a video montage that spliced imagery generated via the technology into scenes from cinema classics such as the Audrey Hepburn-Gregory Peck classic Roman Holiday. The country's leaders have been quick to throw their weight behind emerging technology. On July 10, 2023, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and several other government departments launched a set of official guidelines under the title, "Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services," before issuing a followup -- "Measures for the Identification of Synthetic Content Generated by Artificial Intelligence" -- in March this year. The agencies said the moves would "promote the healthy and orderly development of artificial intelligence." Also on hand Thursday was Zhai Xuelian, secretary general of the China Science Fiction Industry Investment Alliance, who joined the chorus of official approval for the initiative. "[It] has shown us the infinite possibilities of the integration of traditional culture and future technology, and also the future development direction of traditional classic film and television, which is to use the new generation of science and technology as a fulcrum to allow the world to better experience the traditional charm and vitality of Chinese culture," she said.

Chinese Studios Planning AI Remakes of the Classic Kung Fu Films of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li - IGN

Chinese studios are fully embracing AI, with a recent announcement that the iconic kung-fu films of Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and other martial arts greats will get remade via AI. A group of Chinese studios unveiled what they're calling the "Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project" during the Shanghai International Film Festival on June 19, according to The Hollywood Reporter. They specifically highlighted titles like Lee's 1972 film Fists of Fury, Chan's breakout 1978 film Drunken Master, and the 1991 film Once Upon a Time in China, which made Li a household name in kung-fu films. The studios also plan to rework John Woo's 1986 film A Better Tomorrow with a cyberpunk edge, in what they're calling "the world's first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film." China Film Foundation Zhang Pimin addressed the work at the announcement and said using AI on these "aesthetic historical treasures" would transform their look in a way that "conforms to contemporary film viewing." He added: "It is not only film heritage, but also a brave exploration of the innovative development of film art." Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media chairman of project partners Tian Ming claimed these new versions would "pay tribute to the original work" and "reshape the visual aesthetics," while also demonstrating upgrades in image, sound, and overall production levels. Ming also revealed that a fund worth a whopping 100 million yuan (approx. $13.9 million), would be used to get the initiative going. "We sincerely invite the world's top AI animation companies to jointly start a film revolution that subverts tradition," Tian said. Additional partners for the project include the China Film Foundation's Film and Urban Development Special Fund and Quantum Animation. AI has proved a controversial topic within creative industries. Legendary filmmaker Tim Burton called AI generated art "very disturbing" while Wizards of the Coast was forced to issue a correction after claiming it didn't use AI for some Magic: The Gathering artwork when it actually did. However, in December last year, Justice League and Rebel Moon director Zack Snyder said filmmakers need to embrace artificial intelligence instead of "standing on the sidelines with your hands on your hips." And earlier in 2024, Netflix bosses said audiences "don't care much" about the technology used to deliver TV and film, including AI. Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images.