“Karate Kid: Legends” Theatrical Poster
The highly successful motion picture franchise that spawned three sequels, a remake, and a series is back with another reboot – or should we say crossover?
Sony’s new Karate Kid film, titled Karate Kid: Legends, is directed by Jonathan Entwistle, who has served as a director and executive producer on two popular Netflix original series including I Am Not Okay With This and The End of the F**ing World.
The upcoming film is a continuation of both 2010’s Karate Kid (Jackie Chan/Jaden Smith), and the original franchise (Pat Morita/Ralph Macchio) that took place in 1984’s The Karate Kid, 1986’s The Karate Kid Part II, 1989’s The Karate Kid Part III and in the events of the current Cobra Kai Netflix series.
Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso, the karate champion molded by Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi, with Chan reprising his role as Mr. Han, the kung fu master who helped Jaden Smith fend off bullies in the aforementioned 2010’s Karate Kid (the one with Smith).
In Karate Kid: Legends, after kung fu prodigy Li Fong relocates to New York City, he attracts unwanted attention from a local karate champion and embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition with the help of Mr. Han (Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Macchio).
The film also stars Ben Wang (of the Disney+ series American Born Chinese), Ming-Na Wen (Mulan, Street Fighter) Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer), Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction), Aramis Knight (Into the Badlands) and Wyatt Oleff (City on Fire, and no, not the Ringo Lam film).
Karate Kid: Legends hits theaters on May 30, 2025. Watch the New Japanese Trailer below:
Jaden Smith is definitely too old to play the karate kid. They have to get someone else.
That didn’t stop Ralph in part 3! Although someone should have stopped the film makers or come up with something better besides Thomas Ian Griffith!
It could work with an adult Jaden revisiting his past like an adult Ralph properly did in the TV series.
I was thinking the exact same thing! Ralph Macchio was 28 when ‘The Karate Kid III’ was released, so comparatively Jayden Smith is still within the acceptable age range at a spritely 24!
Oh my… Jackie… No…
I would love to see the last season of Cobra Kai (the tournament) lead into a Jackie Chan movie with him reprising Mr. Han and a new student. That would be a dope way to approach this. And you could have Daniel be a bridge between the two and realize that Mr. Han is VERY similar to his lost master Mr. Miyagi…and then maybe you have his son (who isn’t great at Karate) be the Kung Fu student who trains with Mr. Han. Connecting them is totally doable and the final Cobra Kai season being about a world martial arts tournament is the perfect place to do it!
Not a bad idea! =)
So is this a multiverse thing then? In the Cobra Kai world Jackie Chan exists so are they gonna nreak the 4th wall when Daneil meets Mr Han. Or is this a Halloween rebootquel thing where its not the Daniel from Conrai Kai and Karate Kid 103, its the daniel from KK1-3 but not Cobra Kai? wtf did i just type
If it is a multiverse thing then all I know is that we need Kim Rossi Stuart to make an appearance as the Karate Warrior!
How does this movie cost $100 bleeping million when it’s about Karate? Most Canon ninja movies would bomb if they had those budgets. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate_Kid:_Legends
What I heard recently is the story will connect Mr. Han and Mr. miyagi by the same lineage and this is how it will work. 1. Mr.Miyagi ancestor as described by Mr.Miyagi, in the Karate Kid part 2, that his ancestors landed off the coast of China and he stayed for some years and came back with a wife and two kids and his knowledge of White Crane form which is Chinese in origin. So the Chinese lineage of the Miyagi clan is the Han Clan. So it would make sense to show the parallel between Fujian White Crane and Okinawan Karate, which originated from Fujian White Crane from China
I would give the film makers credit if they put this much thought into it.
They did a good job with the trailer. It looks like they have an actual story that they took their time with. It’s also nice to see Jackie Chan not phoning it in.
I will agree with you. I hope it hints my theory but also even if it doesn’t touch on it too much I have a feeling it will still make the connection
Thank all the heavens that Jaden is NOT in this 😎
Never know. He might have a cameo.
JACKIE CHAN BEN WONG
…AND RALPH MACCHIO
Ouch! It must hurt the original kid’s ego! I don’t care, he’s such a poor actor…
Maybe I’ll watch my first (and last) Karate kid (and there’s no Smith in sight!).
Am I the only one who thinks it’s more of the same that you saw in the first movie and the Jaden Smith movie?
Shitty music trailer, by the way…
There’s a reason that scene takes place in the dark – none of it was Jackie, lol.
Who the fight choreographer?
Xiangyang Xu with assistance from Fabien Gorchon.
Saw the end fight spoiler on the tubie! It’s a lot better than part 3 and next karate kid that’s for sure lolol.
Jackie explains the choreography. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJsA1y0q-xf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Karate Kid Legends Legacy trailer. https://youtu.be/UhWFZqFgEjY?si=yioXRAl3dhWt1SZl
Plus, a ‘lessons learned’ segment.https://youtu.be/c72rxlFDLRk?si=MhLmszI4apk_OZkJ
They covered the original, and the ‘010 remake, but nothing deserves the Cinemasins treatment more than Karate Kid Part II. It’s the Golden Child of the franchise, in that it only made money because of the marquee name attached to it. https://youtu.be/VdPsH4zxcUs?si=ckQmOwTIGhuMYAbt
57% Rotten, last time I checked. https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/5/28/karate-kid
Jackie talks the 80’s version here. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKNOTcVvX5G/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Jackie on why there’s no sequel to the Jaden movie. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKP306GsZK2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Jackie gets letterboxed. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKP5c3Qy2I6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I had a great time with this!
The Shang-Chi Kid. https://www.instagram.com/p/DKfeNf-IwBP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
It’s bothersome that in multiple interviews, Jackie Chan is claiming that in 1984, he was an out of work stuntman who considered quitting show business to become a chef, and that Karate Kid made him want to act again. Is he becoming senile?
Are we supposed to forget that he had several successful starring roles before then, and that in the same year as The Karate Kid, that he was in Wheels on Meals? So much for his kung fu brothers and colleagues who helped him persevere.