The relationship between Hollywood and artificial intelligence is difficult as the studio balances growing concerns from actors, directors and crews with the need to cut costs. However, in China, efforts to use AI in entertainment have adopted a more unreserved approach.
The China Film Foundation, a non-profit fund under the Chinese government, will use AI to activate 100 kung fu classics, including “Police Story,” “One Upon a Time,” and “Fist of Fury,” respectively, featuring Jackie Chang, Jet Lee and Bruce Lee. The foundation said it will partner with companies including Shanghai Canxing Culture & Media Co. to license 100 Hong Kong films to AI companies and allow them to reintroduce those films to younger audiences around the world.
Cho Yun Phat star of 1986's “Better Tomorrow” directed by John Woo.
(Movie Market)
The foundation said there is an opportunity to use AI to tell those stories, for example, through animation. According to the English transcript of the announcement, there are plans to release an animated version of the 1986 film “A Better Tomorrow,” which uses AI to “reinterpret” Woo's “Signature Visual Language.”
Zhang Pimin, chairman of the Chinese Film Foundation at the Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this month, said:
The project raised eyebrows among American artists. Many are deeply wary of the use of AI in creative pursuits.
The American Director's Guild said AI should only be used to enhance creative storytelling processes and “not retroactively use it to distort or destroy filmmakers' artwork.”
“DGA is cutting off films or changing the director's vision in opposition to the use of AI or other technologies,” the DGA said in a statement. “The guild has a long history of opposing such changes on issues such as coloring and disinfecting films, in order to eliminate so-called “unfavourable content,” or other changes that fundamentally change the film's original style, meaning, and material. ”
The project highlights widespread and different views on the possibility of restructuring AI entertainment as the two countries compete for dominance in the highly competitive AI space. In the US, many traditional entertainment industries have a slimy view of generative AI due to concerns about intellectual property and labor relations protection.
Some Hollywood studios, such as Lionsgate and Blumhouse, work with AI companies, but others are reluctant to announce the risk of attacking talent who have expressed concerns about how AI can be used to change Digital's likeness without proper compensation.
However, there are fewer guardrails in other countries like China, which has led to more technology experiments by entertainment companies.
A study by the UN Development Programme shows that many people in China are embracing AI and believe that AI systems are designed to act in the best interests of society.
The foundation's announcement is a surprise to Bruce Lee Enterprises, overseeing the legal use of Lee's portrait in Creative Works.
Bruce Lee's family “didn't notice this development before and are now gathering information,” the spokesperson said.
In a written statement, Woo said he had not heard from the foundation about the AI remake, and 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 in The Times. “But I'm very interested in the consequences and effects it has on my original film.”
David Qi, who represents the Chinese Film Foundation's Special Fund for Film and Urban Development, said in an interview that Chang knows the project and plans to talk to Chang's team. Chan's representative did not respond to requests for comment.
“We need to talk… very specifically, how is he using existing technology in animation or AI, how it combines with his image rights and business rights,” Chi said. Chi did not respond immediately to statements from DGA, Bruce Lee Enterprises and Woo.
AI is already used in China for script development, content moderation, recommendations and translation. In post-production, while AI spoke at the festival, Tao, an employee of the National Radio and Television Administration's Research Center, reduced the time to complete visual effects work from days to hours.
“The enthusiasm for adopting and integrating AI across government agencies, content platforms and production agencies is more powerful than ever,” he said.
During the project's announcement, supporters promoted the opportunities AI brings to China, promoted a global cultural message and created new creative jobs. At the same time, they touted the confusion in the AI filmmaking process, saying that the “Better Tomorrow” remake was completed with just 30 people, significantly fewer than a typical animation project.
Eric Harwitt, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii Manoa University, said China is “a more brutal society in that sense.” “If someone loses their jobs because artificial intelligence is taking over, that's just the cost of China moving forward. They don't have such regrets about people losing their jobs and there's less opportunity for organized protests against the Chinese government.”
A scene from the movie “Once Upon a Time China.”
(Golden Harvest)
Hollywood guilds such as SAG-AFTRA have spoken openly about the harm AI has in their jobs and have fought to protect AI on TV shows, movies and video games contracts. The union also manipulated videos to urge state and federal lawmakers to create laws that give people more protection against deep fakes, or to show people who support ideas and products they don't actually support. China has no equivalent.
“You don't have those independent labor organizations, so they don't have the influence to protest Chinese people using artificial intelligence in ways that could reduce job opportunities or lead to sector layoffs,” Harwit added.
Additionally, US studios are planning to go to court to challenge how AI companies train models with copyrighted materials. Earlier this month, Walt Disney Co. and Universal Pictures sued AI startup Midjourney, claiming they were using technology that generates images that copy famous characters from the studio, including Yoda and Shrek.
In China, officials involved in the project to remaster the kung fu film said they are eager to work with AI companies. They said AI will be used to add “stellar realism” to the film. They plan to build an “immersive viewing experience” such as stepping into a duel in the bamboo forest or “feeling a philosophy of movement and tranquility.” In areas such as animation, AI can create new environments, Chi said.
“We provide full access to IP, platforms and adaptation rights to partners around the world, with the goal of providing richer, diverse, and higher quality film productions to our global audience,” Tian said there is no revenue sharing cap and he has allocated around $14 million to co-invest in selected projects and share them in returns.
Kung Fu's revitalization efforts will expand into other areas, such as creating martial arts video games.
Industry observers said China would be wise to return to the wells of popular martial arts classics from Hong Kong.
Also, there aren't many risks in China, said Simon Palman, a partner at law firm Pryor Cashman.
“They rarely lose out on doing this,” Palman said. “If we can potentially increase the value of these films, there are few shortcomings for them.”
China's film industry has grown significantly compared to decades ago, driven by a surge in cinemas, including domestic IMAX screens.
In the past, Chinese box office revenues have been heavily dependent on US productions, such as “Fast & Furious” and films from the Marvel franchise, but now local films dominate the market. The Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 has grossed $2.2 billion at the box office worldwide.
However, these Chinese productions generally do not attract large US audiences when released in the US. However, classic martial arts films have a global follow and a lasting legacy.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore, said: “If you have great action sequences and great combat sequences, it doesn't matter what language it is in.”
