New Karate Kid Movie Adds Joshua Jackson
The project marks the first feature film role in nearly a decade for Jackson.
While the Cobra Kai franchise has kept the spirit of The Karate Kid alive on the small screen, an all-new take on the concept is on the way, with The Hollywood Reporter confirming that Joshua Jackson has joined the cast of the all-new Karate Kid. No official details about his role in the project have been revealed, though the outlet claims that he will be taking one of the main roles in the adventure. American Born Chinese star Ben Wang will play the lead role, with former franchise stars Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan also involved in the project.
The outlet did detail that the new Karate Kid "will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from China (Wang) who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two)."
In the original 1984 The Karate Kid, the teen-aged Daniel (Macchio) moves to a new city and is targeted by bullies, while a chance encounter with Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) opens the door for him to first learn to defend himself from bullies, only to then master the martial art and uncover things about himself in a tumultuous time. Macchio would reprise the role in two sequels.
In 1994, The Next Karate Kid brought back Morita as Miyagi, though introduced Julie (Hilary Swank), a teen who was struggling to find herself in the wake of the death of her parents. Miyagi helps her channel her anger into martial arts. In 2010, the concept earned a spiritual reboot starring Chan as a martial arts expert who mentored another young student, played by Jaden Smith. While the events of that film largely replicate the structure of the debut film, it serves as a somewhat continuation of The Next Karate Kid.
Premiering back in 2018, one of the more unlikely continuations of the franchise was the sitcom Cobra Kai, which caught up with the characters of the original movie decades later and explored how the events of their youth impacted their futures. Proving how unexpected the success of the concept was, the series initially was a YouTube Red exclusive, and even with a limited viewership, it was picked up by Netflix starting with Season 3.
The upcoming Season 6 of Cobra Kai is expected to be its last. This new Karate Kid is expected to hit theaters on December 13th.
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