The two biggest stars of the previous Karate Kid films, Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, teamed up in a new teaser. Not only that, but the duo is recruiting for a young actor to play the next Karate Kid.
Ralph Macchio starred in the original trilogy of Karate Kid films alongside Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) from 1984 to 1989. Meanwhile, Jackie Chan played the mentor in a reboot set in China with Jaden Smith in The Karate Kid (2010). Macchio also headlined the spinoff series Cobra Kai with William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence). But while Cobra Kai is a certified hit with both fans and critics, the production team announced Season 6 will be the last one.
News about the Karate Kid film’s development and production has been scarce, but a new video just gave us an update. And it’s a big one, as Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan appeared together, confirming both will star in the new movie. And they are currently recruiting for a new young talent to be the next Karate Kid.
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are looking for the next Karate Kid to star in the new #KarateKidMovie. The global search starts now.
For details visit: https://t.co/S91xBw3qx9 pic.twitter.com/qAvJYo3j9d
— Sony (@Sony) November 21, 2023
According to the post on the official website (karatekidcasting.com), the role will be for a character named Li Fong. The requirements are:
- Chinese or Mixed-Race Chinese.
- Age between 15 to 17 years old.
- Speaks fluent English. Conversational Mandarin is ideal, but not required.
- Martial arts, movement, gymnastics, and/or dance experience are a strong plus.
The description of the character is that “he’s smart, scrappy, and a skilled martial artist”. This likely means the role is intended for a male actor, though the post does not clearly mention that female actors cannot try to audition. On that note, the Karate Kid casting post also has a disclaimer regarding “diverse and inclusive casting”.
The post also mentions that no previous acting experience is required and that the next Karate Kid hopeful will need to be available for the production from March to June 2024.
The biggest takeaway (yes, even bigger than the audition announcement) is the fact that this confirms both the Ralph Macchio films and the Jackie Chan movie from 2010 are in the same universe. Fans have speculated whether or not this was the case, but this new teaser pretty much confirms the theory.
Late in 2022, it was confirmed Sony Pictures Entertainment was delaying films (including the live action Spider-Verse projects like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter) to rush out a new Karate Kid film. As Season 6 of Cobra Kai had already been in development, fans and insiders speculated the new film would follow the events of that production. However, the Cobra Kai crew confirmed they would not be directly involved.
What left fans scratching their heads after this teaser is the question of where this new film falls in the Karate Kid universe’s timeline. Does it happen before the events of Cobra Kai or after? Since Cobra Kai still has one more season on Netflix to be released in 2024, would it serve as the bridge between the show and the new film? Will Jackie Chan appear in Cobra Kai Season 6? Will Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han be joining forces or will they be rivals?
This feels like one of those dream crossovers that fandoms debate about. But this is one of the few that actually turned out to be real. Are you looking forward to seeing the next Karate Kid film?
The next Karate Kid film is currently slated for release on December 13, 2024.
