Latest news with #FistofFury
News18
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Jackie Chan On Current Hollywood Situation: ‘Studios Are Run By Business Guys'
In Jackie Chan's opinion, big-name studios are stifling creativity through an unchecked obsession with money. The iconic action superstar Jackie Chan believes Hollywood films have declined in quality over the years. Chan, who received a Career Leopard award at the 78th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, spoke about his thoughts on the cinema landscape in Hollywood in modern times. During an interactive session with the Locarno head, Jackie Chan was seen sharing his views on the modern era of Hollywood films and noted that nowadays, big-name studios are stifling creativity through an unchecked obsession with money. Jackie Chan Shares His Views On Modern-Day Hollywood Films During his conversation with Locarno head Giona Nazzaro, Jackie Chan shared his views. 'I think the old movies are better than today," he started. 'Right now, a lot of big studios, they are not filmmakers; they are business guys. They invest 40 million and think, 'How can I get it back?' and you cannot go over. It's very difficult to make a good movie now," Chan stated. The conversation began with the Hong Kong star running through his career credits and telling various lucid and highly entertaining stories about his early days in Hollywood and how he became a household name. This was not the first time Chan had gotten disillusioned with Hollywood. During the conversation, he admitted that back in the early 2000s, he was contemplating leaving Hollywood, as he could not connect with the American audience and was not keen on doing the scripts he was getting at that time. Jackie Chan's Career The 71-year-old star remains one of the most recognised and popular stars in the world. A martial artist, Chan started his career as a background performer in films like Fist of Fury. Then he went on to find fame as the lead actor during the '70s. Chan became a household name in Chinese films during the '80s. During this time, he was dominating the action comedy genre with his innovative and death-defying stunts. In the following decade, Chan took his expertise to the West and finally became widely recognised in Hollywood with blockbuster hits like Rumble in the Bronx, Rush Hour, New Police Story, The Forbidden Kingdom, and Shanghai Noon, among others. With a film career spanning over sixty years, Jackie Chan is regarded as one of the most influential martial artists in the history of cinema. First Published: August 11, 2025, 14:35 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Jackie Chan feels Hollywood films are not as good now, says big studios don't have 'filmmakers but business guys'
Action superstar Jackie Chan is among those who believe that the quality of Hollywood films has declined over the years. The iconic star recently received a Career Leopard award at the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, where he spoke about the cinema landscape in the modern world. Jackie Chan has shared his blunt assessment of Hollywood films today. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)(AFP) Jackie Chan on Hollywood films During an interactive session at the festival, he shared his views on new Hollywood films. The actor said that big studios are stifling creativity through 'their obsession with money'. 'I think the old movies are better than today,' Jackie said, adding, 'Right now, a lot of big studios, they're not filmmakers, they're business guys. They invest 40 million and think, 'How can I get it back?' And you can't go over. It's very difficult to make a good movie now.' The conversation between Jackie Chan and Locarno head Giona Nazzaro took place on Sunday morning. It began with the Hong Kong star running through his career credits, and graduated to the 71-year-old telling multiple lucid and highly entertaining stories about his start in the business to working in Hollywood. Of course, a Jackie Chan conversation had to touch upon some of his most dangerous stunts, and how he completed many of them himself. Jackie Chan's stellar career Jackie Chan remains one of the most recognised and popular film stars on the planet. A martial artist, Chan began as a background performer in films like Fist of Fury, before finding fame as a leading man in the 70s. In the 80s, he became a superstar in Chinese cinema, leading the action comedy genre, making a name for himself with innovative and death-defying stunts. The following decade, he took this expertise to the West, finally breaking through in Hollywood with hits like Rumble in the Bronx, Rush Hour, and Shanghai Noon. Widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential martial artists in the history of cinema, Jackie Chan's films have grossed close to $6 billion globally.
Los Angeles Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
AI is controversial in Hollywood. For China's film business, it's no holds barred
Hollywood's relationship with artificial intelligence is fraught, as studios balance the need to cut costs with growing concerns from actors, directors and crew members. But in China, efforts to use AI in entertainment are taking a more no-holds-barred approach. The China Film Foundation, a nonprofit fund under the Chinese government, plans to use AI to revitalize 100 kung fu classics including 'Police Story,' 'Once Upon a Time in China' and 'Fist of Fury,' featuring Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Bruce Lee, respectively. The foundation said it will partner with businesses including Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co., which will license 100 Hong Kong films to AI companies to reintroduce those movies to younger audiences globally. The foundation said there are opportunities to use AI to tell those stories through animation, for example. There are plans to release an animated version of director John Woo's 1986 film 'A Better Tomorrow' that uses AI to 'reinterpret' Woo's 'signature visual language,' according to an English transcript of the announcement. 'By empowering cultural storytelling with technology, we can breathe new life into the classics and tell China's stories farther and louder,' said Zhang Pimin, chairman of the China Film Foundation, at the Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this month. The project raised eyebrows among U.S. artists, many of whom are deeply wary of the use of AI in creative pursuits. The Directors Guild of America said AI is a creative tool that should only be used to enhance the creative storytelling process and 'it should never be used retroactively to distort or destroy a filmmaker's artistic work.' 'The DGA strongly opposes the use of AI or any other technology to mutilate a film or to alter a director's vision,' the DGA said in a statement. 'The Guild has a longstanding history of opposing such alterations on issues like colorization or sanitization of films to eliminate so-called 'objectionable content', or other changes that fundamentally alter a film's original style, meaning, and substance.' The project highlights widely divergent views on AI's potential to reshape entertainment as the two countries compete for dominance in the highly competitive AI space. In the U.S., much of the traditional entertainment industry has taken a tepid view of generative AI, due to concerns over protecting intellectual property and labor relations. While some Hollywood studios such as Lionsgate and Blumhouse have collaborated with AI companies, others have been reluctant to announce partnerships at the risk of offending talent that have voiced concerns over how AI could be used to alter their digital likeness without adequate compensation. But other countries like China have fewer guardrails, which has led to more experimentation of the technology by entertainment companies. Many people in China embrace AI, with 83% feeling confident that AI systems are designed to act in the best interest of society, much higher than the U.S. where it's 37%, according to a survey from the United Nations Development Program. The foundation's announcement came as a surprise to Bruce Lee Enterprises, which oversees legal usage of Lee's likeness in creative works. Bruce Lee's family was 'previously unaware of this development and is currently gathering information,' a spokesperson said. Woo, in a written statement, said he hadn't heard from the foundation about the AI remake, noting that the rights to 'A Better Tomorrow' have changed hands several times. 'I wasn't really involved in the project because I'm not very familiar with AI technology,' Woo said in a statement to The Times. 'However, I'm very curious about the outcome and the effect it might have on my original film.' David Chi, who represents the China Film Foundation's Special Fund for Film and Urban Development, said in an interview that Chan is aware of the project and he has plans to talk with Chan's team. A representative of Chan's did not respond to a request for comment. 'We do need to talk ... very specifically how we're using animated or AI existing technology, and how that would combine with his image rights and business rights,' Chi said. Chi did not have an immediate response to the DGA, Bruce Lee Enterprises and Woo's statements. AI is already used in China for script development, content moderation and recommendations and translation. In postproduction, AI has reduced the time to complete visual effects work from days to hours, said He Tao, an official with the National Radio and Television Administration's research center, during remarks at the festival. 'Across government agencies, content platforms, and production institutions, the enthusiasm to adopt and integrate AI has never been stronger,' He said. During the project's announcement, supporters touted the opportunity AI will bring to China to further its cultural message globally and generate new work for creatives. At the same time, they touted AI's disruption of the filmmaking process, saying the 'A Better Tomorrow' remake was completed with just 30 people, significantly fewer than a typical animated project. China is a 'more brutal society in that sense,' said Eric Harwit, professor of Asian studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 'If somebody loses their job because artificial intelligence is taking over, well, that's just the cost of China's moving forward. They don't have that kind of regret about people losing jobs and there are less opportunities for organized protest against the Chinese government.' Hollywood guilds such as SAG-AFTRA have been outspoken about the harm AI could have on jobs and have fought for protections against AI in contracts in TV shows, films and video games. The unions have also pushed state and federal legislators to create laws that would give people more protections against deep fakes, or videos manipulated to show a person endorsing an idea or product that they don't actually support. There is no equivalent of that in China. 'You don't have those freestanding labor organizations, so they don't have that kind of clout to protest against the Chinese using artificial intelligence in a way that might reduce their job opportunities or lead to layoffs in the sector,' Harwit added. U.S. studios are also going to court to challenge the ways AI companies train their models on copyrighted materials. Earlier this month, Walt Disney Co. and Universal Pictures sued AI startup Midjourney, alleging it uses technology to generate images that copy the studios' famous characters, including Yoda and Shrek. In China, officials involved in the project to remaster kung fu films said they were eager to work with AI companies. They said that AI will be used to add 'stunning realism' to the movies. They are planning to build 'immersive viewing experiences' such as walking into a bamboo forest duel and 'feeling the philosophy of movement and stillness.' In areas such as animation, new environments could be created with AI, Chi said. 'We are offering full access to our IP, platform, and adaptation rights to partners worldwide — with the goal of delivering richer, more diverse, and high-quality AI enhanced film works to global audiences,' said Tian Ming, chairman of Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co. in his remarks earlier this month. Tian said there is no revenue-sharing cap and it is allocating about $14 million to co-invest in selected projects and share in the returns. The kung fu revitalization efforts will extend into other areas, including the creation of a martial arts video game. Industry observers said China is wise to go back to its well of popular martial arts classics out of Hong Kong, which have inspired U.S. action movies for decades. There's also not as much risk involved for China, said Simon Pulman, a partner at law firm Pryor Cashman. 'They've got very little to lose by doing this,' Pulman said. 'If it can potentially enhance the value of those movies, there's very little downside for them.' China's film industry has grown significantly compared to decades ago, boosted by the proliferation of movie theaters, including Imax screens, in the country. In the past, China's box office relied heavily on U.S. productions like movies from the 'Fast & Furious' and Marvel franchises, but now local movies dominate the market. The Chinese animated movie 'Ne Zha 2' grossed $2.2 billion at the box office globally. But those Chinese productions generally don't draw large U.S. audiences when they're released in the States. The classic martial arts movies, however, have a global following and enduring legacy. 'People love martial arts movies, because action travels,' said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. 'It doesn't matter what language it's in, if you have a great action sequence and great fighting sequences.'
San Francisco Chronicle
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
AI revives the Dragon: Bruce Lee's legacy gets high-tech makeover
AI is coming for Bruce Lee, whether fans of the legendary San Francisco-born martial arts icon like it or not. The China Film Foundation is launching two artificial intelligence -driven projects as part of the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project, including the restoration of classic martial arts films starring Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and many others. Also in the works is what it calls the world's first fully AI-produced animated feature film. Lee's Hong Kong films 'The Big Boss' (1969) and 'Fist of Fury' (1972), Chan's 'Drunken Master' (1978) and Li's 'Once Upon a Time in China' (1991) are among the 100 movies scheduled for restoration. As reported by Variety, China Film Foundation chair Zhang Qilin said at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Wednesday, June 18, that AI will be used to enhance image, sound and production quality while preserving the storytelling and aesthetic. '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,' Zhang said. 'They are our cinematic calling cards to the world.' The Shanghai festival also featured the world premiere of 'A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border,' a futuristic animated reboot of John Woo's action classic 'A Better Tomorrow' (1986), made completely with AI. 'This entire animated feature was made by just 30 people,' producer Zhang Qing said. 'AI has collapsed the barrier between creativity and execution. The production cycle has gone from years to months.' But the use of AI for restorations can raise troubling creative issues. Lee, who died in 1973 at age 32 of a cerebral edema, and director Lo Wei, who died in 1996 at 77, are not around to guide the technicians who would use those AI tools. Many film purists argue that part of the charm of historic movies is their retro look. And that 'enhancing' the production quality can be viewed as an attempt to make an older film look like a modern film. George Lucas did this with the original 'Star Wars' trilogy to mixed reactions. Lucas, however, is the creator of those classic films. Zhang Qilin and Tian Ming, the chair of Canxing Media, which is partnering with China Film Foundation on the project, insisted this is about preservation and not alteration. 'AI is the brush, but creativity is the soul,' Ming said. 'Classic kung fu films embody China's spiritual backbone.' The Lee films are slated to be among the first 10 to be restored.
India Today
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
China uses AI to revive 100 classic Kung Fu films
Chinese movie studios are plunging into the future with a bold initiative to revive more than 100 classic martial arts films using artificial at the Shanghai International Film Festival, the venture will digitally restore classic films featuring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li digitally, breathing new life into the classic films for modern-day production, titled the "Kung Fu Movie Heritage Project: 100 Classics AI Revitalisation Project," will refurbish classics such as Fist of Fury (1972), Drunken Master (1978), and Once Upon a Time in China (1991).advertisement The goal is to enhance the visuals, sound, and overall quality—without altering the original stories or standout remake is John Woo's blockbuster A Better Tomorrow (1986), which is being reimagined as a fully animated, AI-produced movie. The role originally played by Chow Yun-fat will be rebooted in a cyberpunk setting. Producers claim it will be the world's first fully AI-generated animated feature Pimin, president of the China Film Foundation, called the venture both a tribute to the history of cinema and a leap toward the future.'These films are gems,' he said. 'AI will make them relevant to audiences today in a new way.'As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Tian Ming, president of Shanghai Canxing Culture and Media, pledged that the project would stay true to the originals while delivering an enhanced viewing experience. The project is backed by a 100 million yuan budget (approximately $13.9 million).Must Watch
