The Karate Kid enthusiasts have an exciting addition to the beloved franchise to look forward to as a new generation of “wax on, wax off” has entered the chat! A new chapter in the beloved martial arts film franchise Karate Kid: Legends is all set to hit theatres on May 30, 2025.
Sony dropped the official trailer for Karate Kid: Legends on December 17, 2024. The upcoming film unites Ralph Macchio, who played Daniel LaRusso in the original 1984 movie The Karate Kid, and Jackie Chan, who played Mr.Han in the 2010 version starring Jaden Smith. American Born Chinese star Ben Wang is set to lead the Karate Kid: Legends as kung fu prodigy Li Fong with Daniel and Mr. Han taking him under their expert wing. The film’s plot revolves around Li Fong, who was uprooted from Beijing and forced to move to New York following a family tragedy. He struggles to blend into his new life and finds himself getting into trouble more often than not. Circumstances lead to Li entering a karate competition, with the synopsis of the film hinting towards how he needed to pull the big guns out in the following words:
“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.”
The cast of Karate Kid: Legends include Macchio, Chan, Wang, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ming-Na Wen as Li Fong’s mother. I Am Not Okay With This and The End of the F—ing World creator Jonathan Entwistle serves as the film’s director. Karen Rosenfelt produces Karate Kid: Legends, and Jenny Hinkey and Ralph Macchio serve as executive producers.
Ben Wang Bagged the Role in ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ After a Worldwide Search for the Lead
Ben Wang certainly earned his spot in the Miyagi-verse! On November 21, 2023, Sony released an announcement featuring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio on YouTube, where the duo shared the news of a global casting search for the lead of Karate Kid: Legends.
Ben Wang beat over 10,000 young actors from around the world who auditioned to bag the role of Li Fong. Ultimately, he was chosen for the part for his variety of martial arts skills, including karate, wing chun/kung fu, gumdo, kempo, and taekwondo. The 24-year-old actor gave a standout audition and is also fluent in Mandarin.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Wang revealed that he’s been a big fan of the franchise and grew up watching Jackie Chan movies. The actor recounted how Chan was his first memory of knowing what an actor was, further expressing his deep connection with the franchise in the following words:
“I was the target audience when that movie came out. I was exactly the age of the character.”
Karate Kid: Legends exclusively hits theatres on May 30, 2025. In the meantime, you can stream the 1984 The Karate Kid movie on Netflix.
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The Karate Kid (1984) |
|---|---|
| Cast | Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka |
| Release Date | June 22, 1984 |
| Stream On | Available for streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video |
| Directed by | John G. Avildsen |
| Produced by | Jerry Weintraub |
| Based On | Original screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen |
| Plot Summary | A bullied teenager learns karate from a wise mentor to defend himself and find confidence. |
| Musical Elements | Score by Bill Conti; notable song: “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito |
| Current Status | Available for streaming; Karate Kid: Legends hits theaters on May 30, 2025, uniting Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan. |
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