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.”

Chow Yun Fat in ABT

(siff.com)

A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Frontier

(siff.com)

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.

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“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+.

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