Classic kung fu cinema is getting a digital makeover
Chinese studios have just announced a massive new initiative to remake 100 iconic martial arts films using AI — including hits from Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li.
Unveiled at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the “Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project” aims to bring films like Fists of Fury, Drunken Master, and Once Upon a Time in China into the modern era through AI animation. Even John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow is being reimagined — this time with a cyberpunk twist.
A 100 million yuan fund (that’s around $13.9 million AUD) has been launched to kick it all off, with backing from major players like the China Film Foundation and Quantum Animation.
According to the studios behind the project, it’s about honouring the legacy of martial arts cinema while giving it a visual and technical upgrade.
But not everyone’s sold on the idea — especially when words like “revitalisation” and “reshaping” start to sound a lot like “we fed it to an algorithm.”
Whether it’s a respectful nod to the past or a tech-driven misstep, the AI kung fu wave is officially rolling in.
