Deep cuts, not deepfakes: China’s $13.9M AI project brings classic martial arts cinema back to life

China’s film industry has launched an ambitious AI-powered initiative to restore 100 classic kung fu films and produce “A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border,” billed as the world’s first fully AI-produced animated feature film. The Kung Fu Film Heritage Project, unveiled at the Shanghai International Film Festival, represents a major effort to digitally resurrect martial arts cinema legends while positioning Chinese studios at the forefront of AI-driven filmmaking.

What you should know: The restoration project will use artificial intelligence to enhance image quality, sound, and production values of landmark martial arts films while preserving their original storytelling and aesthetic.

• Titles slated for AI restoration include “Fist of Fury,” “The Big Boss,” “Once Upon a Time in China,” and “Drunken Master.”
• Ten of the 100 films will be prioritized in the first development phase, with RMB100 million ($13.9 million) allocated to support the effort.
• The project aims to revive the cultural and cinematic legacy of Chinese martial arts cinema for global audiences.

The big picture: This initiative signals China’s commitment to leveraging AI technology to preserve and modernize its cultural exports while establishing new production methodologies that could reshape the animation industry.

• “A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border” was created using a full-stack AI pipeline covering scripting, modeling, animation, and rendering with just 30 people.
• National render farms in Guizhou have dramatically reduced visual effects processing time from more than 400 days to 24 hours.
• The project represents a broader strategy to expand Chinese intellectual property into interactive formats like globally competitive fighting games.

What they’re saying: Industry leaders emphasized both the technological potential and cultural significance of the initiative.

• “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,” noted Canxing Media chair Tian Ming. “Classic kung fu films embody China’s spiritual backbone. We’re inviting global partners to join this cultural and technological reboot.”
• Producer Zhang Qing highlighted the production efficiency: “This entire animated feature was made by just 30 people. AI has collapsed the barrier between creativity and execution. The production cycle has gone from years to months.”

Regulatory support: Chinese officials positioned AI as essential infrastructure for the media sector’s future development.

• He Tao from the National Radio and Television Administration cited recent policy measures, including 2023’s Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services and 2025 labeling rules for AI-generated content.
• “AI is not a tool—it is a new infrastructure,” He said. “It’s transforming screenwriting, effects, dubbing, and distribution. In short films and micro-dramas, AI has already become standard.”
• A newly established Industry-Academia-Research Center in Shanghai will serve as a hub for talent training and experimentation, joining similar bases in Xi’an, Wuhan, and Xiamen.

Industry veteran perspectives: Long-time martial arts filmmakers expressed commitment to the project’s cultural preservation mission.

• “I’ve spent 40 years doing nothing but kung fu films,” said producer Yuan Hong. “If I have any strength left, I’ll dedicate it to this plan.”
• Screenwriter Zhang Tan added: “Kung fu films are about growth, spirit, and dignity. With AI, we’re not erasing the past—we’re giving it a second wind.”