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Photograph: (Image Courtesy: IGN)
While Hollywood continues to grapple with the implications of AI in filmmaking, Chinese studios appear to be moving full speed ahead. At the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, several major players in China’s film industry revealed plans to use artificial intelligence to reimagine nearly 100 classic kung fu films.
As part of the newly launched 'Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalisation Project', iconic titles such as Bruce Lee’s 'Fist of Fury' (1972), Jackie Chan’s 'Drunken Master' (1978), and Jet Li’s star-making 'Once Upon a Time in China' (1991) are slated for digital transformation. A remake of John Woo’s 1986 classic 'A Better Tomorrow' is also underway. A trailer for the AI-produced reinterpretation suggests a cyberpunk aesthetic and has been described as “the world’s first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film.”
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Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation, stated that the initiative aims to give these cultural touchstones a contemporary visual upgrade, making them more aligned with modern viewing standards. He referred to the project as both a preservation of cinematic heritage and an innovative leap in the development of film art.
Tian Ming, chairman of Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media, one of the key partners in the project, emphasised that while the remakes would feature improvements in image, sound, and overall production quality, the essence of the original storytelling and aesthetic would be respected. He added that the team was inviting top global AI animation companies to join in what he described as a revolutionary transformation of traditional filmmaking. A fund of 100 million yuan (approximately $13.9 million) has been allocated to support the project’s initial phase.
Other partners in the initiative include the China Film Foundation’s Film and Urban Development Special Fund and Quantum Animation, the studio behind the 'A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Frontier' remake.
China Embraces AI with New Guidelines and Festival Spotlight
AI advancements were a major talking point throughout the Shanghai festival, which opened with a video montage integrating AI-generated visuals into scenes from classics such as 'Roman Holiday'. The momentum reflects the Chinese government’s growing support for emerging technologies. Last year, regulatory bodies introduced official guidelines under the title 'Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services', followed by the 'Measures for the Identification of Synthetic Content Generated by Artificial Intelligence' in March 2025. These frameworks aim to encourage responsible innovation in the AI sector.
Zhai Xuelian, secretary general of the China Science Fiction Industry Investment Alliance, also voiced support for the project. She remarked that it represented the exciting convergence of traditional cultural heritage with future-facing technology, pointing to it as a clear direction for the evolution of classic film and television.
The project’s ambitious scope and official backing signal a significant shift in how China plans to preserve and revitalise its cinematic history—through a lens powered by cutting-edge technology.
