New Karate Kid Movie With Ralph Macchio & Jackie Chan Will Unify The Franchise
It's the cinematic universe no one knew they ever needed.
Fans have known for a while a new Karate Kid movie is in the works, scheduled to premiere on December 13, 2024. But now, The Hollywood Reporter details how it will be a merging of the franchise up to this point. The upcoming film will star Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, who's been the prominent face of the series so far (including "Cobra Kai" on Netflix), and Jackie Chan, who played Mr. Han in the 2010 Karate Kid reboot. They're joining forces in some manner, though plot details haven't been revealed yet.
The next Karate Kid installment is set to be directed by Jonathan Entwistle, who's previously worked on TV series like "The End of the F***ing World" and "I'm Not Okay." The screenplay comes courtesy of Rob Lieber, whose resume includes other family-friendly fare like "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day." This merging of worlds will create an interconnected universe, and there's just the question of who will play the central karate kid. As it turns out ... it could be you!
A global search is underway to find the next Karate Kid
While a pair of senseis have hopped aboard the Karate Kid reboot, there's still the matter of finding young talent to take on the titular role. Sony is casting a wide net to find the perfect actor. Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan starred in a 30-second video uploaded to YouTube announcing a casting call. People can go to KarateKidCasting.com to submit their information. For the part of Li Fong, the studio's looking for a kid between the ages of 15 and 17 who's Chinese or mixed-race Chinese. Additionally, they want someone who can play "smart, scrappy, and a skilled martial artist."
The website also mentions how the actor needs to be available between March and June 2024, which is likely when the movie is filming to hit its December 2024 release date. That means it will come out on the heels of "Cobra Kai" Season 6, which serves as the final outing for the hit series. While the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed production, the new season will likely come out sometime in 2024. It could easily lead directly into the new movie, potentially setting up Daniel LaRusso taking on a new student.
Of course, if the franchise really wants to go down the cinematic universe route, "Cobra Kai" Season 6 will end with Mr. Han greeting Daniel in the shadows and telling him about a "Karate Kid initiative." With all this in the pipeline, the Miyagi-verse may just be getting started.