“The Karate Kid” Chinese Theatrical Poster
The highly successful motion picture franchise that spawned three sequels, a remake, and a series is getting another reboot – or should we say crossover?
The new Karate Kid will be 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).
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).
Details are vague other then it being set on the east coast and focuses on a teen from China who finds strength and direction via martial arts from a mentor (via Deadline).
Karate Kid hits theaters on May 30, 2025. Until then, here’s a word from Ralph and Jackie themselves:
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!