The Karate Kid franchise has proved that it has staying power. First premiering in the 80s with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita as its stars, the franchise saw a reboot in 2010 that starred Jackie Chan and currently has found new life as the Netflix show Cobra Kai. Well, all of that is coming together in a brand new Karate Kid movie arriving in 2025, Karate Kid: Legends.
Karate Kid: Legends is set to see Macchio and Chan reprise their characters in a new story with the next Karate Kid (not to be confused with Hilary Swank).
Find out about that and other important details regarding the new Karate Kid movie right here.
Karate Kid: Legends release date
Karate Kid: Legends is now playing in movie theaters everywhere. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Karate Kid: Legends.
Karate Kid: Legends cast
As mentioned, both Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan are already confirmed to be reprising their Karate Kid franchise roles of Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han for this new movie.
Macchio is most famous for playing LaRusso, not just in the original movies but also Cobra Kai. Outside of the franchise he has starred in The Outsiders, My Cousin Vinny, Ugly Betty and The Deuce.
Chan is one of the greatest action stars in movie history. He burst onto the scene with Chinese movies like Police Story, SuperCop, Rumble in the Bronx and Legend of the Drunken Master that wound up having crossover appeal in America before starring in Hollywood movies like Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon and Kung Fu Panda. His most recent role was voicing Splinter in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Their new pupil has also been set. American Born Chinese star Ben Wang won the part after open auditions that saw thousands of submissions. Wang, who is fluent in Mandarin and knows multiple martial arts forms, will play a teen from China who moves to the east coast and finds strength and direction in martial arts. Wang starred in a number of Hollywood productions in his young career, including is most recent credit in Mean Girls.
Others in the cast are going to include Ming-Na Wen (The Book of Boba Fett), Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer).
Karate Kid: Legends plot
Here is the official synopsis for Karate Kid: Legends:
“When kung fu prodigy Li Fong relocates to New York City with his mother to attend a prestigious new school, he finds solace in a new friendship with a classmate and her father. But his newfound peace is short-lived after he attracts unwanted attention from a formidable local karate champion. Driven by a desire to defend himself, Li embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition. Guided by the wisdom of his kung fu teacher, Mr. Han, and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.”
Karate Kid: Legends trailer
Watch the worlds of Karate Kid meet while also introducing a new central teen in the Karate Kid: Legends trailers:
Karate Kid: Legends reviews
Take a look how critics are rating Karate Kid: Legends is scoring with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Karate Kid: Legends director
Directing the new Karate Kid movie is Jonathan Entwistle, who is making his feature movie directing debut with the project. Entwistle's previous credits come from the world of TV, where he has directed episodes of The End of the F***ing World, Vanity Fair, I Am Not Okay With This and Hello Tomorrow!
