Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan
Courtesy of Sony (2)
Let’s call it the Karate Kid Cinematic Universe.
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who both starred in Karate Kid films decades apart, will reprise their beloved characters in the latest installment of Sony Pictures’ iconic martial arts franchise.
Jonathan Entwistle, best known for his acclaimed and award-winning teen television dramas “I’m Not Okay with This” and “The End of the F***ing World,” is directing the untitled feature film from the studio positioned as a fusion film continuation of the mythology of the original franchise.
A global search began today for a Chinese actor to play the former title character. Chan and Macchio kicked things off with an introductory video (see below).
Rob Lieber, whose credits include Sony’s “Peter Rabbit” and Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” wrote the screenplay. The storyline is hidden in the back of the dojo.
However, it is known that the latest version will bring the story to the East Coast and will focus on a teenager from China who finds strength and guidance through martial arts and a tough but wise mentor.
Karen Rosenfelt is producing the feature, which Sony has set for a December 13, 2024 release date. A spring shoot is observed.
The Karate Kid was released in 1984 and the original film was an unexpected success. It starred Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, a boy from Brooklyn who moves to California and becomes an unlikely karate champion under the tutelage of Mr. Miyagi, a residential handyman who is pretty good at karate. Miyagi was played by the late Pat Morita, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work.
The film spawned three sequels – Macchio appeared in two of them, while Hilary Swank took on the title role in 1994 – and the franchise has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years thanks to Cobra Kai. The series became a tornado kicking hit for YouTube and Netflix, bringing back many of the original characters, including LaRusso, while introducing a new generation of ass-kicking teenagers. Fans have referred to these stories as the Miyagi-verse after Morita’s character; Morita died in 2011.
Sony revived the title in 2010 with a remake that updated the story for more modern and global times and focused on an American boy, played by Jaden Smith, who moves to Beijing, where he is mentored by a craftsman/martial arts master, played by Chan becomes. By this point he was already a popular international star. The film proved to be another unexpected success, grossing $359 million on a budget of $40 million and receiving positive reviews.
In addition to his work on The Karate Kid, Machhio made waves with his breakout role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders. He also starred in the 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny and more recently in the HBO series The Deuce.
Chan, a multi-talented actor who also directs and produces, became an action star in his native China with films such as “Drunken Master” and the “Police Story” and “Project A” franchises, in which acrobatic stunts dazzled audiences. After his American breakthrough in 1995 with “Rumble in the Bronx,” he starred in the action comedies “Rush Hour” and “Shanghai Noon.” He played a key role in the Kung Fu Panda films and most recently was the voice of Splinter in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. In 2016, Chan became the first Chinese actor to be honored with an Academy Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the film industry.
Chan is represented by CAA and Jessica Chen. Macchio is repped by Untitled Entertainment, Buchwald and Hansen Jacobson.
Entwistle is repped by CAA, Grandview and Jackoway Tyerman, while Leiber is repped by Verve, Fourth Wall Management and Sloane, Offer.