Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio to Star in New KARATE KID Movie
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio announced they are teaming up for a new installment in the KARATE KID franchise.
“We’ve got big news,” Chan said in a video revealing the project.
“We’re starring in a new KARATE KID movie together,” Macchio added.
While little is known about the upcoming movie’s plot, sources have revealed that the story will follow an East Coast teen from China who finds himself through martial arts.
Macchio starred in the original KARATE KID franchise, where he played Daniel LaRusso, a Brooklyn boy who becomes an unlikely karate champion after moving to California. LaRusso’s coming-of-age journey was shepherded by Mr. Miyagi, an apartment handyman proficient in martial arts.
The original movie spawned three sequels – of which Macchio returned for two. The last one was released in 1994.
Sony relaunched the franchise in 2010, this time having an American teen move to China and follow a similar storyline. In the movie, the teen becomes a karate champion under the mentorship of his apartment building’s handyman, who is played by Chan.
The franchise has since maintained its popularity through the TV show COBRA KAI, which started as a YouTube Original and has since moved to Netflix. The show follows Macchio’s character as an adult as he opens a martial arts dojo of his own and begins training kids with the wisdom he learned from Mr. Miyagi.
It is unclear if the new movie will incorporate plotlines from COBRA KAI or if it will only build off the storylines from previous movies. However, the new KARATE KID movie will be the first time Macchio’s and Chan’s characters have met in this universe.
The movie will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle, written by Rob Lieberman and produced by Karen Rosenfelt. A global casting call is underway to find an actor to play the young protagonist.
With filming beginning in spring 2024, the movie hoping to hit theaters by the end of next year.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Sony recently announced a new KARATE KID movie, set to release on June 7, 2024.
Although Sony revealed no details about the movies, a description acquired by The Hollywood Reporter called the upcoming movie a “return to the original Karate Kid franchise.”
The original movie opened in 1984 and has since had three sequels and a 2010 reboot starring Jaden Smith.
The original also inspired a TV series called COBRA KAI, which recently began its fifth season. The Netflix series features the movie’s original stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka.
