A collection of Chinese film studios have set plans to reimagine the Kung Fu Classics in their libraries using AI technology.
The studios partnered with the China Film Foundation announced their plans under the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project, a large-scale plan to restore martial arts films, at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
The announcement was first reported on by THR and Variety. It includes the goal of remastering 100 seminal kung fu films, using AI to enhance the overall production quality of the films while preserving authenticity.
Titles set for AI restoration include Fist of Fury, The Big Boss, Once Upon a Time in China, and Drunken Master, according to reports.
“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,” China Film Foundation chair Zhang Qilin said at the event, according to Variety. “They are our cinematic calling cards to the world.”
Partners on the project include the China Film Foundation’s Film and Urban Development Special Fund and Quantum Animation, the studio behind A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Frontier, according to THR.
AI remains a controversial topic among film professionals. Earlier this month, representatives of the international animation, screenwriters, and actors guilds staged a protest at the Annecy Animation Film Festival to voice their fears over the implications of generative AI for their professions.
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