Karate Kid: Legends
Movie Details:
| Based on | The Karate Kid by Robert Mark Kamen |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genres | Action, Drama, Family, Sport |
| Release date | May 30, 2025 |
| Running time | TBA |
| Age rating | TBA |
| Starring | Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen |
| Directed by | Jonathan Entwistle |
| Written by | Rob Lieber |
| Produced by | Karen Rosenfelt |
| Cinematography by | Justin Brown |
| Edited by | Dana E. Glauberman |
| Music by | Dominic Lewis |
| Production Design by | Maya Sigel |
| Art Direction by | Frédéric Berthiaume-Gabbino |
| Set Decoration by | Charles-Olivier Tremblay, Makeup Depa |
| Production Company | Columbia Pictures Sunswept Entertainment |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Trailer, Teaser & Video:
Poster & Photos:
Cast & Characters:
- Jackie Chan as Mr. Han
- Joshua Jackson as Victor
- Ming-Na Wen
- Ralph Macchio as Daniel
- Shaunette Renée Wilson as Ms. Morgan
- Sadie Stanley
- Aramis Knight
- Wyatt Oleff
- Ben Wang
- Jennifer-Lynn Christie
- Katrina Batur as Fights Cheerer
- Emile Pazzano as Fan
Storyline:
After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
Background
The Karate Kid (1984), starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, was followed by three sequels: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994), although Macchio did not return for the fourth film. A remake of the first film was released in 2010, with a similar storyline but with a different set of characters, including Jackie Chan as Mr. Han. Despite maintaining the original title, the remake focused on kung fu, as the film was set in China. A television series, Cobra Kai, serving as a sequel to the original films premiered in 2018.
About Karate Kid: Legends Movie:
A sequel to the 2010 remake was announced shortly after its release with Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson, and Chan set to reprise their roles. Breck Eisner was tapped to direct in April 2014. By then, two drafts of the screenplay had been written by writing duo Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris as well as Zak Penn.
Eisner left the project three months later and a new screenplay by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer was commissioned. In April 2017, Eisner returned to the project but by October, Chan expressed dissatisfaction with the film’s script.
In September 2022, a new feature film was confirmed to be in development, being described as “the return of the original Karate Kid franchise”. In November 2023, it was reported that Jonathan Entwistle was set to direct the film, with a screenplay written by Rob Lieber and with Karen Rosenfelt serving as the producer.
In August 2023, Jackie Chan was reported to be reprising his role in the film. In late November 2023, Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio were officially revealed to have joined the cast. The announcement confirms that the remake takes place in the same shared universe as the original films and the Cobra Kai series. In addition, Chan and Macchio announced a world-wide open casting call for an actor to star as the film’s iteration of the titular character, described as a Chinese teen who moves to the East Coast and begins studying martial arts.
In February 2024, Ben Wang was cast as the main lead for his film debut, Li Fong. In March, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ming-Na Wen were cast in undisclosed roles. In April, Aramis Knight and Wyatt Oleff joined the cast.
Principal photography began in Montreal on April 1, 2024, and wrapped filming on June 3. The film was shot under the working title Victory Boulevard. Dominic Lewis was hired to compose the score by December 2024.
Karate Kid: Legends Release Date:
Karate Kid: Legends is scheduled to be released on May 30, 2025, in the United States and Canada. The film was originally set to be released on June 7, 2024, however, due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, it was delayed to December 13, 2024. It was moved once again to May 2025 to avoid conflict with the final season of Cobra Kai.
Budget & Box Office Collection:
| Budget | $100 million |
| Opening Day | TBA |
| Domestic Collection | TBA |
| International Collection | TBA |
| Worldwide Collection | TBA |