Martial arts star Jackie Chan may be in his 60s, but he shows absolutely no signs of slowing down when it comes to his acting career. The star is working on multiple projects, from live-action films to voice acting, and was even presented with an honorary Oscar this year.
Although he's primarily a live-action martial arts star, Chan has also appeared (as himself) in animation, in the 2000-2005 series Jackie Chan Adventures. The series, which aired in the US, starred Chan as himself -- battling an evil magical threat with the help of a secret government organization to protect a talisman. Now, the series is being resurrected for audiences in China, with a whole franchise planned to follow.
The reboot of the series will be titled J-Team: All New Jackie Chan Adventures, and is scheduled to launch internationally later this year, according to a report by THR. The new series will be aimed at children aged 3-10, and each episode will feature a clear positive message for viewers, which will be followed by a live-action scene at the end where Chan reminds children of the key points.
"It's meant to help young children to do things they don't always like to do — like, don't look at your phone for too long, remember to brush your teeth, respect your elders, pick up the trash. If you just tell them that, sometimes children won't listen, but through comedy and action, then they will start to follow."
The series is also going to be made in China, and the companies behind it, Zhejiang Talent Television & Film, Khorgas JJ Culture Media Co., and VJ Animation Studio, have big plans to turn the series into a franchise. In the works are a feature-film and even theme park attractions based on the show. Chan, meanwhile, is less concerned about the long-term plans, and more interested in doing some good with his new series.
"They have so many plans. For me, I just want to make a cartoon for the children around the world. [This show] is not about making money — I have a lot of money already. Today, what I’m really doing with this cartoon is, I can show to the world, it used to be Jackie's adventures from America, but these days, everything is made in China. I hope to use my influence to bring Chinese culture to the world."
The plans certainly sound ambitious, but the Jackie Chan brand is so massively successful that a feature film would certainly be a success, and even something as big as a theme park would have the potential to make money. More importantly, it's amazing to hear Chan talk about his pride in Chinese culture, and his hopes to help children with his new show and to bring his culture to the rest of the world. That said, he may not be doing it for the money, but it's sure to make him plenty of it!
J-Team: All New Jackie Chan Adventures is scheduled for release later this year.
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Source: THR