Ralph Macchio Was ‘Nervous’ About Fighting Jackie Chan in New KARATE KID Movie
Cobra Kai‘s final season is not the end for The Karate Kid franchise. A new featured film starring familiar faces will soon continue the martial arts story on the big screen. Who else will join Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan in this latest chapter? How will it connect different eras? And who will bring it to the screen and when?
One thing is for sure: Ralph Macchio is a little nervous about being opposite of Jackie Chan. Cobra Kai actor Jacob Bertrand told GamesRadar+ that Macchio said it was intimidating to fight against the martial arts legend.
“[Macchio] said that Jackie Chan still moves like he’s a 20-year-old, and it’s really scary to fight with him,” Bertrand said. “But you know, he’s obviously a master and is so cool to work with. He was just talking about being nervous to fight Jackie Chan, ’cause Jackie Chan is freaking Jackie muh-fricking Chan. But he said the fights went super well and that all his stuff was great, and I’m stoked for the movie.”
We love when friends give us some secondhand inside scoops.
Here’s everything we know about the next Karate Kid movie so far.
Title
The original film was titled The Karate Kid but we are not 100% certain what this new film’s official title will be. With our luck, it will have the same title but perhaps they will just go with Karate Kid.
Karate Kid‘s Plot
Sony Picture’s still-untitled Karate Kid featured film will see Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso) and Jackie Chan (Mr. Han) return to the franchise, in a story that combines their different eras of The Karate Kid movies. The studio has not yet released an official synopsis for the film. Sony has only said it will “continue the mythology of the original franchise.”
Early reports indicate it will take place on the East Coast rather than in California, and that it will center on on a teenage from China “who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor.”
Behind-the-Scenes
Jonathan Entwistle (I’m Not Okay with This) will direct. The screenplay comes from Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).
Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz is not involved with the film. He also confirmed the movie is not connected to his TV series.
Karate Kid‘s Cast
In addition to Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, the film will also feature the great Ming-Na Wen. And after announcing the movie with a global talent search for its young star, Sony picked American Born Chinese‘s Ben Wang as its new martial arts student.
Karate Kid‘s Release Date
The newest Karate Kid won’t take long to reach theaters. It will premiere on May 30, 2025.
Originally published March 8, 2024.
