Jackie Chan may star in Karate Kid remake

By Alexandra Heilbron on January 14, 2009 | 13 Comments

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackie Chan is currently negotiating with Columbia Pictures about possibly playing the role of karate teacher Mr. Miyagi in a remake of The Karate Kid. Pat Morita played the role in the original 1984 film, which was a box office success. And guess who’s going to play the kid who gets bullied and winds up taking karate (played in the original by Ralph Macchio)? None other than Will Smith‘s nine-year-old son Jaden Smith, who’s currently appearing in The Day the Earth Stood Still. The movie will begin shooting in China later this year for a 2010 theatrical release.

1. Dave • January 14, 2009 @ 3:55 PM

   enough with the remakes already, Hollywood needs some new ideas

2. tributegirl • January 14, 2009 @ 5:11 PM

   Agreed Dave, and I didn’t even think this movie was all that great in the first place.

3. Simon • January 14, 2009 @ 7:02 PM

   Karate Kid was a great movie! but why remake it?

4. Darin • January 14, 2009 @ 7:48 PM

   It is cool that some of the classic movies are getting remade but get better actors and stick to the story, please tell me why Will Smith’s kid is playing this role? Terrible idea and will ruin it for anybody who is a fan of the original. Could they not find someone similar to Ralph Macchio’s character,I already now this will be a horrible movie!

5. Big Evil 666 • January 14, 2009 @ 10:48 PM

   Wow, can someone tell Will Smith to stop picking his roles for his kid? Seriously, this completely shows the amount of influence he carries in Hollywood. I have to agree with everyone.. No remakes. Let it go. The next Karate Kid was completely a disaster. If i wanted to watch something horrible, I wold watch the Golden Girls wrestle in cream corn. At least that would be entertaining.

6. demigod • January 15, 2009 @ 4:51 AM

   Here we go again with the black makeover..
   Why Jackie Chan? Why not complete the picture with Will Smith as the karate teacher?

7. nat • January 15, 2009 @ 12:40 PM

   demigod ! you speak the truth no more black makeovers!!!!!

8. Nancy • January 15, 2009 @ 5:22 PM

   Yeah, throw Diddy in there somewhere too!!

9. Rob • January 15, 2009 @ 5:38 PM

   I don’t see how they could ever improve on the original. Why remake if you can’t make it better? I’m a huge fan of Jackie Chan, but as Karate Master Myagi. He doesn’t look the part. You need an actor who is either Japanese, or better, Okinawan. Jaden Smith I think is too young for the part. The kid in karate kid should be at least mid teens.

10. Big Evil 666 • January 16, 2009 @ 2:03 AM

    Its embarassing. There is thousand amoung thousands of writers in this world and all they can ever do is remake movies. I write scripts and stories and etc. I have my own imagination.. Why cant the big wigs of hollywood have them? By the way Pursuit of happiness sucked, the earth stood still sucked… Jaden Smith’s acting career is already tainted in my eyes.. Maybe he should do something like else… like rap or make a clothing line.. Act like Paris Hilton and live off the family riches.. Im sure there is alot of people who can do better job than him in that role. Jackie Chan is a greta martial artist. With that aside, his acting isnt that great… Mr. Myagi(Pat Morita) is being greatly disgraced by this remake regardless if it was Jackie Chan or not.

11. Niagara cinema • January 16, 2009 @ 1:42 PM

    I agree with big evil, and Pat Morita was excellent in the originals, hard to beat. The fact that he was an unknown only added to the mastic of the character.

    They should not re make this movie period!

    W.J. Rogers

12. Monique • January 16, 2009 @ 3:25 PM

    Stop the insanity!!!

13. Fatiha • March 4, 2009 @ 10:43 AM

    hello,
    same to me i gree with W.J.Rogers.
    my best regards
    fatiha
    samuraiwoman