Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li's martial arts classics, are all set to get an AI (Artificial Intelligence) makeover. The announcement was made at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Thursday, June 19, as per a report in The Hollywood Reporter. Chinese studios shared that they are re-imagining around 100 classics of the martial arts genre, with the help of AI.
China Plans AI-Powered Remakes Of 100 Kung Fu Films, Including Works By Bruce Lee And Jackie Chan
The Kung Fu project aims to preserve 100 martial arts classics by using AI, with enhanced visuals and sound.
The movies which are ready for refurbishment using AI, include, Bruce Lee’s classic Fist of Fury (1972), Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master (1978) and Jet Li's Once Upon a Time in China (1991). The project is titled "Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project: 100 Classics AI Revitalisation Project."
John Woo's action classic, A Better Tomorrow (1986), starring Ti Lung, Chow Yun-fat, and Leslie Cheung, will also be digitally reworked. It is being claimed as “the world’s first full-process, AI-produced animated feature film.”
Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation, said that the work of AI on these "aesthetic historical treasures" would give them a new look that "conforms to contemporary film viewing."
He added, "It is not only film heritage, but also a brave exploration of the innovative development of film art."
Tian Ming, president of Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media, said that this initiative would "pay tribute to the original work" and "reshape the visual aesthetics."
He said, "We sincerely invite the world’s top AI animation companies to jointly start a film revolution that subverts tradition."
Ming also announced a fund of 100 million yuan ($13.9 million) to start the project.
The partners behind the "Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project 100 Classics AI Revitalization Project" include the China Film Foundation’s Film and Urban Development Special Fund, and Quantum Animation.
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