Karate Kid 6 (Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley and Ming-Na Wen Join) (December 13, 2024)

Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who starred in separate “Karate Kid” films decades apart, will unite for a brand new movie set in the martial arts franchise.

The new movie, from Sony Pictures, director Jonathan Entwistle and writer Rob Lieber, will premiere in theaters on Dec. 13, 2024. Karen Rosenfelt is producing.

Plot details are kept under wraps on the new movie, but Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso, whom he played in the original “Karate Kid” film trilogy starting in 1984 and brought back on Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” series. Chan will return to the role of Mr. Han, a kung fu master based on Mr. Miyagi, who coached Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker in the 2010 remake movie.

Macchio has kept the character of Daniel going through “Cobra Kai,” which announced its sixth and final season earlier this year. That show, created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, takes place several decades after the events of the original “Karate Kid” movies, reigniting a rivalry between the now middle-aged Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (played by William Zabka).

It is unclear how the sprawling story of “Cobra Kai” will factor into the new “Karate Kid” movie.

Making the announcement in a video posted to YouTube, Chan and Macchio launched a global casting search for a brand new karate kid to lead the movie, inviting young actors to submit audition tapes to KarateKidCasting.com.

Since 1984, the “Karate Kid” franchise has become one of Hollywood’s most beloved sports sagas, spawning the Emmy-nominated “Cobra Kai” series and earning more than $430 million at the global box office.

Rusty wrote:That's a solid no from me.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Just noticed the 6. I honestly don't remember 4 and 5. lol But there is no way this will be as good as Cobra Kai.

WyldeMan wrote:When Machio left after the original trilogy, Hilary Swank stepped in for "The Next Karate Kid" and Part 5 was the Jackie Chan one with Will Smith's son/daughter but I refused to ever watch it so I won't be seeing this new one anyways.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:When Machio left after the original trilogy, Hilary Swank stepped in for "The Next Karate Kid" and Part 5 was the Jackie Chan one with Will Smith's son/daughter but I refused to ever watch it so I won't be seeing this new one anyways.

Ah! Didn't know 5 was Jackie's movie. I thought it was something else. I only saw it once but it wasn't good.

The lucky performer who snags the starring role opposite Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio in the new Karate Kid film will have prevailed against some fierce competition.

Just one day after the two stars announced Sony Pictures‘ open casting call to find the next Karate Kid, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the studio has already received more than 10,000 submissions. Jonathan Entwistle is set to direct from a script by Rob Lieber, with Karen Rosenfelt producing.

Submissions for the worldwide search have come from countries across the globe, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., India, Australia, Singapore, Finland, Sweden and South Africa.

Chan and Macchio appeared in a video released Tuesday to announce the global search to fill the pivotal role of Li Fong in the movie that is expected to shoot from March through June of 2024. According to the website for the casting call, the team is looking for someone to portray Chinese or mixed-race Chinese in the age range of 15-17 years old.

This smart, scrappy character is skilled in martial arts, and though he speaks fluent English, conversational Mandarin is seen as a strong plus to play the part. Previous acting experience is preferred but not necessary, and any background in martial arts, movement, gymnastics and dance is also ideal.

The action franchise kicked off in 1984 with the release of The Karate Kid, starring Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and the late Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi. There were three sequels, two of which starred Macchio, before a 2010 remake led by Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.

While Sony has not yet released a logline for the new film, it is set to bring Chan and Macchio together for the first time in the series. The franchise has seen a new wave of popularity with Cobra Kai, a streaming series from YouTube and Netflix that features Macchio and will soon return for a sixth and final season.

The latest Karate Kid film is set to hit theaters Dec. 13, 2024.

The new Karate Kid has been found.

Sony Pictures has cast Ben Wang, best known as the star of Disney+ series American Born Chinese, to star in its latest installment of the coming-of-age martial arts franchise.

The casting comes after a global search that saw thousands of submissions from around the world, with 10,000 entries reported in the first 24 hours alone. According to studio insiders, Wang delivered a standout audition that demonstrated his deep connection to the character. It also helped that he is fluent in Mandarin and highly skilled across many forms of martial arts, including karate, wing chun/kung fu, gumdo, kempo and taekwondo. Some of those skills were already showcased on American Born Chinese, the well-regarded adaptation of the acclaimed coming-of-age fantasy graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang that also starred Michelle Yeoh.  

The new Karate Kid will have Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their iconic characters from previous Karate Kid films.

Plot details are being kept under a bonsai tree, but the new installment will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from China who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or maybe even two).

Jonathan Entwistle, known for his well-regarded and award-winning teen television dramas I’m Not Okay With This and The End of the F***ing World, is directing the feature that has a script by Rob Lieber, whose credits include Sony’s Peter Rabbit and Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day.

Karen Rosenfelt is producing.

Sony has slated the film for Dec. 13, 2024.

The Karate Kid launched in 1984, with the original movie becoming an unexpected hit. It starred Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, a Brooklyn kid who moves to California and finds himself an unlikely karate champion under the tutelage of Mr. Miyagi, an apartment handyman who is quite proficient in martial arts. Miyagi was played by the late Pat Morita, who earned a best supporting actor Oscar nomination his work.

The movie kicked off three sequels — Macchio appeared in two of them, while Hilary Swank took on the titular mantle in a 1994 outing — with the franchise seeing a resurgence in recent years thanks to the the YouTube and Netflix series Cobra Kai. Sony also revived the title in 2010 with a remake that updated the story for more modern and global times, focusing on an American kid, played by Jaden Smith, who moves to Beijing and is mentored by a handyman/martial arts master played by Chan.

The films have earned over $618 million globally over the decades, while the series earned several Emmy nominations.

Wang can currently be seen in a role in the Mean Girls musical movie. He is repped by Stewart Talent, Artists First and Schreck Rose.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Cool! Anyone check out American Born Chinese?

WyldeMan wrote:No I didn't and since it was cancelled after one season I won't. I'm not familiar with Ben Wang but that picture in his casting notice makes him look 25 years old. I'm definitely not getting high school vibes off this guy.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:No I didn't and since it was cancelled after one season I won't. I'm not familiar with Ben Wang but that picture in his casting notice makes him look 25 years old. I'm definitely not getting high school vibes off this guy.

I didn't know it was cancelled. Well, the kid is talented in martial arts so I guess we'll see how this turns out.

Joshua Jackson is putting on his dogi.

In his first feature film role in almost 10 years, the actor has joined the cast of Sony Pictures’ latest installment of Karate Kid.

Ben Wang, who led the cast of Disney+ series American Born Chinese, is starring in the coming-of-age martial arts drama, which also has Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their iconic characters to continue the mythology of the original franchise.

Plot details are being kept under the mat, but the new installment will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from from China (Wang) who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two).

Details on Jackson’s role were unavailable but he is described as one of the main characters in the piece.

Jonathan Entwistle, known for the teen television dramas I’m Not Okay With This and The End of the F***ing World, is directing. Rob Lieber, whose credits include Sony’s Peter Rabbit and Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, wrote the script.

Karen Rosenfelt is producing the feature which has a Dec. 13 release date.

Jackson is a go-to name in the TV game, consistently bringing to life characters that range from earnest to shady as all get out. He recently starred in the Paramount+ drama Fatal Attraction and the Peacock drama series Dr. Death, for which Jackson earned a 2022 Critics Choice Award. He appeared in HBO’s Little Fires Everywhere starring opposite Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, and co-starred in Showtime’s Emmy-winning drama The Affair.

The actor, whose early film credits include The Mighty Ducks, The Skulls and Cruel Intentions, is repped by CAA, Anonymous Content, and Hansen Jacobson.

Sadie Stanley, one of the stars of Freeform teen drama Cruel Summer, has joined the growing cast of Karate Kid, Sony Pictures’ latest installment of its martial arts coming-of-age franchise.

The actress will play the romantic lead opposite Ben Wang, the American Born Chinese actor who is toplining the feature and who nabbed the part after a global search.

The cast also includes Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who are reprising their iconic characters to continue the cinematic mythology of the previous movies. New to the cast is Joshua Jackson.

Plot details are being kept under the doji, but it is known that the new installment will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from China (Wang) who, as per Karate Kid lore, finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two).

Character details are not being revealed, but Stanley will play the daughter of Jackson’s character.

Jonathan Entwistle, known for the teen television dramas I’m Not Okay With This and The End of the F***ing World, is directing. Rob Lieber, whose credits include Sony’s Peter Rabbit and Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, wrote the script.

Karen Rosenfelt is producing the feature, which has a Dec. 13 release date.

A fast-rising actress, Stanley has been racking up plenty of credits since her debut as the title character in the 2019 live-action Kim Possible TV movie. She recently starred alongside Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf in Romano’s directorial debut, Somewhere in Queens, and was one of the leads in the second season of Cruel Summer, Freeform’s teen mystery drama anthology that debuted in 2023.

Recurring on ABC’s The Goldbergs since 2020, the actress has also appeared on Netflix series Dead to Me as well as the Duplass brothers’ anthology series Room 104 on HBO.

Ming-Na Wen has joined the cast of Sony’s new “Karate Kid” film.

Previously announced cast members include “American Born Chinese” star Ben Wang in the titular role, plus Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who will reprise their characters from previous entries in the franchise. Joshua Jackson and Sadie Stanley will also star.

Much like the film’s plot, details of Wen’s role are currently under wraps. The movie will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle, the creator and director of Netflix’s “I Am Not Okay With This” and “The End of the F—ing World.” “Peter Rabbit” writer Rob Lieber will pen the screenplay, while Karen Rosenfelt will produce. Sony Pictures will release the film in theaters on Dec. 13, 2024.

Wen stars as Fennec Shand on the Disney+ series “The Book of Boba Fett,” a spinoff of “The Mandalorian,” and was recently seen in the second season of HBO’s “Hacks.” She was honored as a Disney Legend in 2019 for her work in numerous Disney projects, including “Mulan,” “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” and “The Joy Luck Club.” Wen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2023.

She is next slated to star in the film film “Peachville” opposite Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti and Simon Pegg.