Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan join forces to help a young kung-fu prodigy in Karate Kid: Legends. Take a look at the first trailer for the new sequel.
The Karate Kid franchise, it seems, has never been more popular. Five films of varying quality, including 1994’s The Next Karate Kid starring Hilary Swank and the 2010 remake starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, eventually led to smash hit Netflix sequel series Cobra Kai, which is currently in the middle of its sixth and final series. The third batch of Cobra Kai episodes will be released early in 2025, but it won’t be the only karate-related piece of entertainment heading our way next year.
Until now, it has been unclear how Karate Kid: Legends will fit into the franchise’s canon. Sony Pictures have today released the very first trailer for the sequel film and it comes with a synopsis that seems to confirm it will intertwine the worlds of the original Karate Kid and the 2010 remake. However, the creators of Cobra Kai have said they were not involved in the film. It reads as follows:
In Karate Kid: Legends, 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.
The cast for Karate Kid: Legends also includes Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley and Ming-Na Wen. Jonathan Entwistle directed the film from a screenplay by Rob Lieber. Entwistle has worked extensively in television on shows such as The End of the F***ing World and I Am Not Okay With This and Karate Kid: Legends marks his first feature film as a director. The British director is also currently in pre-production for one of the two Fred Astaire biopics coming our way.
Karate Kid: Legends will be released in UK cinemas on the 30th May. Watch the trailer below:
