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THE 1982 kung fu classic that launched the career of Chinese martial arts champion Jet Li, has received a blockbuster update.
Nearly three decades after its initial release, The Shaolin Temple has been re-vamped and now has the backing of the famous centre of the title.
Veteran action director Benny Chan has written a new story and cast some of the biggest names in Chinese cinema including Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse.
However, fans who are expecting an action-packed extravaganza should think twice because unlike the original, Chan's focus is on drama - not kung fu.
"I am a commercial director, not an art-house director. I don't know how to create very artistic shots. I don't know how to shoot slowly," he said.
The new film, entitled Shaolin, is a revenge story about a young boy who is adopted and trained by Shaolin monks, then uses his skills to try and avenge his father's death.
Despite the meditative story, Shaolin also has the trappings of any major commercial production. A massive explosion scene took a month to shoot and, naturally, couldn't be set at the real temple. Instead, they splurged 20 million Chinese yuan ($3 million) on a full-sized replica that included a 9.9-metre Buddha statue.
Shaolin is being released in China and the Philippines today, followed by other countries across the globe on February 18.
