AI to the Rescue of Kung Fu Legends
At the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (June 2025), Chinese cinema took a major leap into the future with the unveiling of two ambitious AI-driven projects designed to preserve and reimagine martial arts storytelling. Spearheaded by the China Film Foundation and its partners, the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project includes a large-scale restoration of 100 classic martial arts films using artificial intelligence, alongside the debut of A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border—the world’s first fully AI-produced animated feature.
The restoration initiative will digitally remaster iconic kung fu titles, enhancing visuals, sound, and production quality while remaining faithful to each film’s original spirit. Among the first slated for AI restoration are Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury and The Big Boss, Jet Li’s Once Upon a Time in China, and Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master.
(source: https://maactioncinema.com/archives/26818)
