Judge Archer, directed by Xu Haofeng, will hit screens on Friday.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Their forthcoming titles and enthusiasm may signal new potential for the sluggish genre.

"Chinese martial arts movies have experienced lows several times during the past decades," says Xu, who's also a professor with the Beijing Film Academy.

But talented filmmakers have successfully added new elements to revive the genre, he says. "I believe the spirit will also work today."

Take Tsui Hark and his films: Xu says that in the 1990s, Tsui creatively transformed stereotypical martial arts content into a blend of fantasy, science fiction and special effects. The innovation brought a new frenzy to martial arts movies in Tsui's golden era.

"If the filmmakers can find something fresh to attract viewers, the genre can find its way to survive and then revive," Xu says.