The "Karate Kid" universe is adding another martial arts mentee to its mix, but some familiar faces will be along for the ride.
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who both starred in "Karate Kid" movies decades apart, shared they'll be starring in an upcoming "Karate Kid" movie together, and they're currently searching for their next protege.
"The global search for the star of our new film starts right now, so let's wax on, wax off, everybody," Macchio said in the announcement video, quoting a famous line said by Mr Miyagi, a role played by the late Pat Morita, in the original film.
The untitled new film from Sony Pictures is set to release Dec. 13, 2024. Jonathan Entwistle, best known for the Netflix shows "I Am Not Okay With This" and "The End of the F***ing World," will direct, and Rob Lieber, writer and producer of "Peter Rabbit" and "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," will pen the script.
Not much else is known about the new "Karate Kid" film except that it appears to be continuing the original franchise's mythology. That includes Macchio and Chan's characters.
Macchio was the "Karate Kid" in the original film trilogy, playing the role of Daniel LaRusso in the franchise's 1984, 1986 and 1989 movies. He's also continued to play the character in Netflix's hit series "Cobra Kai," which follows LaRusso as his longtime rivalry comes alive again decades after the events of the film trilogy.
Jackie Chan played the role of Mr. Han, a kung fu master based on the original trilogy's Mr. Miyagi, in the 2010 remake, which starred Jaden Smith as the trainee.
The initial three films and "Cobra Kai" did not take place in the same fictional universe as the 2010 remake, but it appears that premise may be ignored for the upcoming film, as both Macchio and Chan's characters will be included.
As for karate kids hoping to get in on the action, the new film is looking for someone to "portray Chinese or mixed-race Chinese," who is between 15 to 17 years old and speaks fluent English. However, anyone who can speak "conversational Mandarin is a strong plus," according to Sony's website.
Other information on how to be considered for the role of new "Karate Kid" Li Fong can be found on KarateKidCasting.com.
A new wave of martial arts is making its mark on Hollywood
Asian Americans are leading a charge to create more nuanced martial arts storytelling, with one group named Martial Club at the forefront.
