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.
Edited by Stacy Elliott.