Karate Kid: Legends

Martial Media, Culture and Other Arts Martial Media and Popular Culture
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[URL=“https://deadline.com/2022/09/sony-kraven-the-hunter-madame-web-karate-kid-1235121120/#recipient_hashed”]
New Karate Kid Movie Among Sony Pictures Release Date Adds; Kraven The Hunter, Madame Web Move & More

By Anthony D’Alessandro
Editorial Director/Box Office Editor
@AwardsTony

September 16, 2022 2:08pm

Sony
Sony added three news movies to their 2023-2024 theatrical release sked while shifting some others due to the post-production jam which continues to plague a number of big pics. The good news is that nothing is moving out of 2022.

A big plus here is the announcement of a brand new Karate Kid movie for June 7, 2024 which doesnt have any talent attached in regards to stars or a director.

Theres an untitled True Haunting movie from Screen Gems that is actually going on Jan. 6, 2023; that first weekend of the year has been a rich one for Sony and genre films; its where they launched the first Escape Room in 2019 to an $18.2M opening and $57M+ stateside, $155M+ WW. True Haunting is the only new wide release on Jan. 6 in addition to Paramounts expansion of Damien Chazelles Babylon.

Also new for next year is the next installment of the Searching franchise, Missing, on Feb. 24, starring Nia Long and Storm Reid. The other two wide entries on that date are Universals Cocaine Bear starring Keri Russell and Margo Martindale and Lionsgates Jesus Revolution.

The Scott Beck-Bryan Woods directed astronaut title, 65, starring Adam Driver is going earlier on March 10 next year instead of April 28. Disney just moved Haunted Mansion off March 10 to Aug. 11.

Also getting moved to the Venom first weekend of October slot is Sony/Marvels Kraven the Hunter. That Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Christopher Abbot, Russell Crowe, Alessandro Nivola movie will open on Oct. 6 in Imax and not Jan. 13. This leaves Jan. 13 with Universal/Blumhouses M3GAN and a Warner Bros untitled event film. October 6 now has Kraven the Hunter, 20th Century Studios True Love, an untitled Warner Bros movie and untitled Focus Features movie.

Madame Web, the Spider-Man spinoff about a clairvoyant mutant, will now open in Imax on Feb. 16, 2024 instead of Oct. 6, 2023. An untitled Disney Marvel film moved off Feb. 16, 2024 and went to Sept. 6, 2024. An untitled Uni movie remains on Feb. 16.

Columbia Pictures Garfield movie will go on May 24, 2024, Memorial Day weekend instead of Feb. 16, 2024. Currently on that Memorial Day weekend is Warner Bros/Village Roadshows Furiosa, Paramounts John Krasinski/Ryan Reynolds IF, and an untitled 20th Century Studios movie.

And the untitled Sony/Marvel movie will now go on July 12, 2024 instead of June 7, 2024. Only other title on July 12, 2024 is an untitled New Line horror film.

If you’ve been reading my Cobra Kai coverage, you know I’ve already reported that this was in the mix.

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Will the New Karate Kid Movie Be in the Cobra Kai Timeline?

Read Will the New Karate Kid Movie Be in the Cobra Kai Timeline? ~ My Latest Feature for Den of Geek

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The current fighting movies are flashy and flashy.

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Ben Wang

Feb 12, 2024 12:19pm PT
New Karate Kid Movie Casts American Born Chinese Star Ben Wang in Title Role
By Katcy Stephan


Getty Images

Ben Wang is the next Karate Kid.

Wang, who previously starred opposite Michelle Yeoh in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, landed the sought-after role after a worldwide search that saw thousands of young actors from around the globe vie for the title role in Sonys new Karate Kid movie, which unites Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. Per studio insiders, Wang delivered a standout audition performance that demonstrated his deep connection to the character.

The actor, who is also fluent in Mandarin, is skilled across many forms of martial arts, including Karate, Wing Chun/Kung Fu, Gumdo, Kempo and Taekwando.

Chan and Macchio, who announced the casting search via a video in November, will reprise their iconic Karate Kid franchise characters in the latest entry to the series from Sony Pictures.

Plot details are still under wraps on the new movie, but Macchio will once again play Daniel LaRusso from the original Karate Kid film trilogy and the series Cobra Kai, while Chan will return to the role of Mr. Han, a Kung Fu master from the 2010 remake movie starring Jaden Smith.

The film will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle, the creator and director of Netflixs I Am Not Okay With This and The End of the Fing World. Peter Rabbit scribe Rob Lieber will pen the screenplay, and Karen Rosenfelt will produce.

Sony Pictures will release the film in theaters on Dec. 13, 2024.

The Karate Kid films have earned $618 million globally, and spawned the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Cobra Kai. The series, created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, takes place decades after the events of the original movies, reigniting a rivalry between Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).

The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news.

The Karate Kid 2024
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Joshua Jackson

Joshua Jackson Joins Sony’s ‘Karate Kid’ (Exclusive)
He’s doing it for the kicks.
BY BORYS KIT

MARCH 1, 2024 2:02PM

Joshua Jackson LEIGH KEILY/CONTOUR RA BY GETTY IMAGES

In his first feature film role in almost 10 years, the actor has joined the cast of Sony Pictures’ latest installment of Karate Kid.

Ben Wang, who led the cast of Disney+ series American Born Chinese, is starring in the coming-of-age martial arts drama, which also has Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their iconic characters to continue the mythology of the original franchise.

Plot details are being kept under the mat, but the new installment will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from from China (Wang) who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two).

Details on Jackson’s role were unavailable but he is described as one of the main characters in the piece.

Jonathan Entwistle, known for the teen television dramas I’m Not Okay With This and The End of the F***ing World, is directing. Rob Lieber, whose credits include Sony’s Peter Rabbit and Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, wrote the script.

Karen Rosenfelt is producing the feature which has a Dec. 13 release date.

Jackson is a go-to name in the TV game, consistently bringing to life characters that range from earnest to shady as all get out. He recently starred in the Paramount+ drama Fatal Attraction and the Peacock drama series Dr. Death, for which Jackson earned a 2022 Critics Choice Award. He appeared in HBO’s Little Fires Everywhere starring opposite Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, and co-starred in Showtime’s Emmy-winning drama The Affair.

The actor, whose early film credits include The Mighty Ducks, The Skulls and Cruel Intentions, is repped by CAA, Anonymous Content, and Hansen Jacobson.

I don’t know Jackson. I’ve seen some of those films listed but he didn’t stand out to me.

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Ming-Na!

Mar 6, 2024 2:00pm PT
Ming-Na Wen Joins Sony’s New ‘Karate Kid’ Film (EXCLUSIVE)

By Katcy Stephan

Courtesy

Ming-Na Wen has joined the cast of Sony’s new “Karate Kid” film.

Previously announced cast members include “American Born Chinese” star Ben Wang in the titular role, plus Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who will reprise their characters from previous entries in the franchise. Joshua Jackson and Sadie Stanley will also star.

Much like the film’s plot, details of Wen’s role are currently under wraps. The movie will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle, the creator and director of Netflix’s “I Am Not Okay With This” and “The End of the F—ing World.” “Peter Rabbit” writer Rob Lieber will pen the screenplay, while Karen Rosenfelt will produce. Sony Pictures will release the film in theaters on Dec. 13, 2024.

The “Karate Kid” films have earned $618 million globally, and spawned the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Cobra Kai.” The series, created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, takes place decades after the events of the original movies, reawakening a rivalry between Macchio’s Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).

Wen stars as Fennec Shand on the Disney+ series “The Book of Boba Fett,” a spinoff of “The Mandalorian,” and was recently seen in the second season of HBO’s “Hacks.” She was honored as a Disney Legend in 2019 for her work in numerous Disney projects, including “Mulan,” “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” and “The Joy Luck Club.” Wen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2023.

She is next slated to star in the film film “Peachville” opposite Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti and Simon Pegg.

Wen is repped by LinK Entertainment and Innovative Artists.

cool, cool. Hopefully they’ll add a few more martial arts stars too.

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Aramis Knight and Wyatt Oleff

Aramis Knight & Wyatt Oleff Join Sony’s ‘Karate Kid’
By Matt Grobar
Senior Film Reporter

April 3, 2024 9:30am


Aramis Knight and Wyatt Oleff
Getty Images

EXCLUSIVE: Aramis Knight (Ms. Marvel) and Wyatt Oleff (Guardians of the Galaxy, It franchises) are the newest pair of additions to Sony Pictures‘ upcoming Karate Kid, starring Ben Wang in the title role.

As previously announced, Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio will reprise their roles to continue the mythology of the original franchise, with Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ming-Na Wen also on board for parts. Details as to the roles the newcomers will play are under wraps.

A pop culture phenomenon spanning almost three decades, the Karate Kid films have earned $618 million globally, spurring the creation of the Emmy-nominated series Cobra Kai, which has introduced the franchise to a whole new generation around the world.

Perhaps best known for his role as the Red Dagger on Disney+’s Ms. Marvel, Knight prior to that starred on AMC’s Into the Badlands for three seasons. Notable film credits for the actor include Runt with Cameron Boyce, the thriller Billy Boy opposite Melissa Benoist, and Ender’s Game alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and Asa Butterfield.

Well known for his role of Young Peter Quill in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Oleff has also been seen in the It films from New Line, and in the drama Stay Awake with Chrissy Metz and Fin Argus, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. He led Apple’s recent crime drama series City on Fire and prior to that starred in I Am Not Okay With This for Netflix.

Knight is represented by Gersh, Ellen Meyer Management, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman. Oleff is repped by Untitled Entertainment, Gersh, and Myman Greenspan Fox.

I’ve interviewed Aramis before when I covered Into the Badlands. Here’s one - INTO THE BADLANDS SEASON 3: JOURNEY TO THE WEST – SUNNY, M.K. AND BAJIE

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Updated the title

Karate Kid: Legends reveals first look at Ben Wang as Li Fong
The new movie also stars Jackie Chan and original Karate Kid Ralph Macchio.

By Kristen Baldwin Published on October 18, 2024 10:55AM EDT

It’s time to meet the next next Karate Kid.

Sony Pictures has released the poster for Karate Kid: Legends, the new film in the 40-year-old franchise, and it features our first look at American Born Chinese star Ben Wang as Li Fong, the latest titular Kid.


Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ralph Macchio on the ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ poster. SONY PICTURES

American Born Chinese canceled at Disney+ after 1 season
Wang co-stars alongside the original Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio, who made his debut as Daniel LaRusso in 1984. Legends also stars Jackie Chan, who will reprise his role as Mr. Han from the 2010 Karate Kid update, which featured Jaden Smith in the lead role.

Little is known about the plot of Karate Kid: Legends, which Sony first announced in September 2022. At the time, Macchio told Entertainment Weekly that he had “no other information” about the movie — and had yet to be contacted about it. A little over a year later, Macchio and Chan revealed their participation in the film with a video message to fans. After a global casting search, Wang was crowned the new Karate Kid in February of this year.


Ben Wang. EMMA MCINTYRE/GETTY IMAGES

Ralph Macchio reveals the worst Karate Kid sequel idea he ever heard in Waxing On excerpt
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Another big question fans have is whether Legends will somehow tie into the final season of Cobra Kai, which will wrap on Netflix sometime next year. When the movie was first announced in 2022, Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz said on social media that the movie “isn’t from us or focused on the Cobra Kai cast.”

Karate Kid: Legends was directed by Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World, I Am Not Okay With This) and also features Shaunette Renée Wilson (The Resident) and Doctor Odyssey himself, Joshua Jackson.

The film is out May 30, 2025.

Karate Kid: Legends
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First look

Karate Kid: Legends exclusive first look unites Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio around the next generation
“Karate Kid: Legends” star Ben Wang and director Jonathan Entwistle preview the “action-packed” new entry into the Miyagi-verse.

By Kristen Baldwin Updated on December 16, 2024 11:45AM EST

Ben Wang first fell in love with the Karate Kid franchise at a movie theater in 2010, watching Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker practice “jacket on, jacket off” with his sensei, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan).

“I was the target audience when that movie came out. I was exactly the age of the character,” Wang tells Entertainment Weekly. “That whole movie takes place in Beijing, and I’d just come back from living for a year in Beijing. Also, I grew up watching Jackie Chan movies. He is the first memory I have of knowing what an actor is. It was all of my favorite things in one place.”

Thirteen years later, Sony announced a global casting search for a new Karate Kid, who would costar alongside Chan and OG Kid Ralph Macchio in a new film directed by Jonathan Entwistle. By that time, Wang already had a lead role on the martial-arts-heavy Disney+ series American Born Chinese and a working knowledge of Taekwondo, but he didn’t immediately consider himself for the role. “I thought, ‘That’s going to be awesome for whatever kid gets it,’” he recalls with a laugh.

Humility aside, Wang beat out over 10,000 other wax-on, wax-off hopefuls to land the role of Karate Kid: Legends’ Li Fong, a Beijing-based teenager who moves to New York City with his mother (Ming-Na Wen). The teen’s transition to the Big Apple is, in a word, sour: Li has trouble fitting in at his new school, and he keeps getting dragged into fights he would very much like to avoid. According to Sony’s official plot synopsis, “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.”

But how does Mr. Han know about Daniel LaRusso? Where does Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita) fit into the story? And what’s the connection between Legends and Netflix’s Cobra Kai? EW pummeled Wang and Entwistle for answers — politely, of course.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: There have been rumblings about another Karate Kid movie with Jackie Chan since 2014. Finally, Sony announced what would ultimately become Karate Kid: Legends in 2022. Jonathan, at what point did you get involved in the project?

JONATHAN ENTWISTLE: Well, I was originally sent the script in early 2022. It had all the pieces in it for Ben’s character, Li, but it had a very different ending. One of the things that was really exciting to me when I first read it was this idea of connecting the Jackie Chan character of Mr. Han with Daniel LaRusso, both from the movies and then subsequently what [his character] had become with Cobra Kai. When I first read the script, Cobra Kai was nowhere near as far along as it is now. It all germinated at kind of the same time.

Ben, you sent in a tape of yourself for your first audition. Did you show off any martial arts skills in that video?

BEN WANG: I did do martial arts. I was actually visiting my mom in China at the time. My mom worked in the countryside in this school in a rural province, and I got the email on my phone. They were like, “They want to see you do some martial arts.” So, I made the tape in the gymnasium of her school. [To Jonathan] I don’t know if you guys ever looked at that and went, “Where the hell is he?” [Laughs]

JE: It was very important that we could have somebody who could speak Mandarin, and who could do martial arts, and we also wanted someone who was an amazing actor. Those three things are really, really difficult to find. We started watching the many, many, many [audition] tapes, and a lot of people could do one or two of the three, but it was really difficult to find the holy trinity. When we first saw Ben’s tape, we were like, “Wow, this kid is in rural China. We found this guy who’s in the middle of nowhere. Wow, this is amazing,” only to find out that he’s from Minnesota. [Laughs] But that also helped us because Ben could fluently understand the Mandarin and the American side of what the story was all about.


Ben Wang in ‘Karate Kid: Legends’. JONATHAN WENK

Ben, what background do you have in martial arts?

BW: The truth is I have a little bit of experience in a lot of different kinds of martial arts, but most of it was after-school Taekwondo that I was doing when I was in grade school. It was really fun, and I had some great teachers, but that’s not really on the level that would prepare you to do a movie like this. The majority of the stuff that you see in the movie is what I worked on with the amazing stunt team led by our stunt coordinators, Larry Lam and Peng Zhang. I trained with them for about a month and a half before we started shooting. We trained five days a week, but I was practicing on my own on the weekends, so it was just nonstop.
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Jackie Chan, Ben Wang and Ralph Macchio in ‘Karate Kid: Legends’. JONATHAN WENK

By bringing Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso together, the movie establishes that the OG Karate Kid and the 2010 Karate Kid exist in the same universe, a.k.a. the Miyagi-verse. Jonathan, how do Mr. Han and Daniel-san come together in this story?

JE: Without giving too much away, I can say that Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi are the connection to Daniel. The Han family and the Miyagi family are connected all the way back to the old times. And there is a mention of this within the Karate Kid movie canon for those people who want to go looking for it.

And how would you describe Jackie Chan’s presence on set?

JE: Apart from being a wonderful human being who is very warm, he is the type of actor that does not leave. When his day is done, you would often find him sitting next to me, sitting next to the DP, telling stories, talking to the actors. Jackie Chan is a movie star, and that is something that you don’t see so much anymore. He had the ability to come up with a tiny idea that I’d never thought of — and all of Jackie’s tiny ideas are in the movie. He was like the magical Dumbledore to us on set, and he’s like that in the movie too.

Can you give me an example of one of his tiny ideas?

JE: There’s a wonderful fight sequence in the movie, which I’m not going to spoil, and Jackie had the idea to jump out at Ben from a random corner of this space, without Ben even knowing where he was going to be. He wanted to jump out from the spot that would have the most effect. He was always looking for an opportunity to either roll on the floor, roll over a table, jump off a staircase — he would just be like, “I will do this.” None of us ever had a choice. It was like, Jackie would have an idea, and we just filmed it because it’s Jackie, and it would always be awesome.


Jackie Chan and Ben Wang in ‘Karate Kid: Legends’. JONATHAN WENK

Some of the movie takes place in New York City, and according to those who saw the teaser at New York Comic-Con, there are fights in very New York locales, like the subway. Jonathan, how else do you incorporate the city setting into the story?

JE: It’s the idea of — in a classic Karate Kid sense — the fish out of water. Ben’s character, Li, is finding his way around the city, and he gets embroiled in the middle of something that’s going to force him to have to stand up and fight. I was really excited about how can we make New York feel like a character — not just visually, but how can it interact with the way he’s feeling and what he’s doing? We piece that together by shooting on location, and we built some pieces of New York [on soundstages]. There are a lot of areas that really involve the skyline of Manhattan, and you see little hints of that in the poster for the movie. It was important that it felt like we were getting some joy from the action sequences, and fighting and training in the city really gives you that.


Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, and Ralph Macchio on the ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ poster. SONY PICTURES

Ben, give us a preview of the most challenging scene you had to shoot.

BW: Our stunt team and the whole crew were so excellent that these fight scenes — which are very, very, very difficult to execute — they had plans for every contingency, for everything that needed to be done. They were really long and really hard days, but it never felt impossible. It is not super sexy, but on movies like this, really the hardest stuff is when you have to pretend it’s summer, but it’s winter, and it’s 30 degrees, and you’re wearing a T-shirt, and Jonathan goes, [mimics director’s British accent] “Right! Do it again. Go back to ones, start again!” And you’re freezing, you’re trying really hard to act, and you do 17 takes. And then Jonathan goes, “Right, I think we’ll just use the first one.” [Laughs]

JE: Exactly. [Laughs] We set out to make something that was both cinematic and action-packed. The fight sequences, they’re really exciting. My hope is that when you’re sitting in that theater, you’re on the edge of your seat.

Jonathan, you were in contact with the Cobra Kai creators throughout production, and we know this movie takes place after the events in the Cobra Kai series finale. What else can you tell us about how Karate Kid: Legends connects to the world of Cobra Kai?

JE: I have been a huge fan of Cobra Kai right from the beginning, and that’s one of the reasons that I thought this was such an exciting project. I was excited about the idea that the films and the series can all be part of one family. I’ve had some really detailed conversations with the Cobra Kai team about just cool stuff that we can do in the movie and can make this whole thing feel holistic. And obviously, Ralph is really, really close to it after all those years on Cobra Kai, and they’ve been involved in little steps along the way. Everything we talked about made it into the movie in some way or other, either through Ralph or through the conversations. We’re really excited that we’ve added another piece to the overall universe.

Karate Kid: Legends premieres in theaters Friday, May 30, 2025.

Memorial Day weekend…

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Cobra Kai Showrunners On Season 6 Cliffhanger, Plans For The Future

Cobra Kai Showrunners On Season 6 Cliffhanger, Plans For The Future ~ My Latest Feature for Den of Geek

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KARATE KID: LEGENDS - Official Trailer (HD)

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‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Reported Runtime Barely Allows Audiences to Wax On, Wax Off

[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:“https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fauthors%2F672bf087b355f-Valnet%20profile.jpg?fit=crop&w=90&h=90”}[/IMG2]
By Steven Thrash
Published 1 day ago
[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:“https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/karate-kid-legends-jackie-chan-ben-wang-ralph-macchio-121024-8bd277e0ed5249c0b17809386746801e.jpg”}[/IMG2] Sony Pictures Fans of the famed crane and drum techniques have known since 2023 that Ralph Macchioand Jackie Chan were teaming up for a new Karate Kid movie, which has since generated a tremendous amount of excitement, particularly given that the saga’s Netflix spin-off, Cobra Kai, ended its six-season run back in February. Unfortunately, what comes next may leave the fandom quite disappointed. According to AMC Theatres, the official runtime of Karate Kid: Legends comes in at only 94 minutes.

So, should movie lovers be worried that Karate Kid: Legends clocks in at a mere 1 hour and 34 minutes? Sure, it could mean that screenwriter Rob Lieber (Peter Rabbit, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween) penned a succinct yet satisfying script. However, it could also mean that Lieber, who only has six writing credits posted to his resume, composed a tale that doesn’t develop its characters well enough. It could also indicate that some of director Jonathan Entwistle’s Karate Kid film ended up on the cutting room floor. [IMG2=JSON]{“alt”:“Ben Wang and Jackie Chan in Karate Kid Legends”,“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“height”:“700”,“width”:“1400”,“src”:“https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ben-wang-and-jackie-chan-in-karate-kid-legends.jpg”}[/IMG2]

Entwistle, who developed, wrote, and directed the short-lived television series I Am Not Okay with This, doesn’t have much more experience than his Karate Kid: Legends collaborator and screenwriter, Lieber. So, when those factors are combined with a minuscule runtime for a summer movie blockbuster-hopeful, it doesn’t bode well for Macchio and Chan’s team up this May. And considering all the box office competition the movie will face, it simply can’t afford to come up flat in terms of its characters and plot. ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Runtime Is the Shortest of All the Franchise’s Films

[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“src”:“https://static1.moviewebimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/karate-kid-daniel-mr-miyagi-training.jpg”}[/IMG2]
Sony Pictures Entertainment released a video on Nov. 21, 2023, in which Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan announced that a new Karate Kid film was embarking on a casting search to find the film’s underdog hero. Over 10,000 hopefuls tried out for the part, but the role of the movie’s protagonist, Li Fong, went to Ben Wang. Unfortunately, at only 94 minutes, the new Karate Kid adventure won’t have much time to flesh out Wang’s life and obstacles, much less wax on — oh, yeah, pun most definitely intended — poetic and notalgic about Macchio and Chan’s beloved characters.

If fans jump onto Google right now and search for Karate Kid: Legends, they’ll find the film has a listed runtime of 1 hour and 58 minutes, which contradicts AMC Theatres’ new listing of only 1 hour and 34 minutes. Did those 24 minutes get chopped, or did the internet just have the nearly two-hour runtime wrong all along? AMC’s official listings are seldom if ever wrong, soLegends holds the lowest runtime of any film in the franchise. Check out the numbers below: Runtime for Each Film in The Karate Kid Franchise
[LIST=1]

  • [I]The Karate Kid[/I] (2 hours and 6 minutes)
  • [I]The Karate Kid Part II[/I] (1 hour and 53 minutes)
  • [I]The Karate Kid Part III[/I] (1 hour and 53 minutes)
  • [I]The Next Karate Kid[/I] (1 hour and 47 minutes)
  • 2010’s [I]The Karate Kid[/I] (2 hours and 20 minutes)
  • [I]Karate Kid: Legends[/I] (1 hour and 34 minutes) [/LIST] [I]Karate Kid: Legends[/I] joins the 2025 box office when it drops in theaters on May 30. The Macchio and Chan-led film is tracking strongly at the time of this writing, and its long-range box office forecast is predicting the movie will make somewhere between $45 million and $58 million over its opening weekend. However, [I]Legends[/I] will have its hands full with [I]Lilo & Stitch[/I]and [I]Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,[/I] both of which open the weekend before over the Memorial Day frame. If [I]Karate Kid: Legends[/I] wants to crane kick its way to summer blockbuster status, and compete with the competition, it better feature the best 94 minutes possible. Otherwise, Hollywood might just sweep the legs right out from under director Jonathan Entwistle and screenwriter Rob Lieber’s respective careers.

    Less than a month away…

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    Collaboration
    PRESS RELEASE posted by Bachan’s

    May. 5, 2025 at 4:38 pm

    • [IMG2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"https:\/\/dg6qn11ynnp6a.cloudfront.net\/press-releases\/101157522.kk.gift.box.png"}[/IMG2]
    [B]Sebastopol, CA[/B] — May 5, 2025 — The cult favorite Bachan’s brand is kicking up the flavor this May with an exciting cinematic collaboration with the next installment in Sony Pictures’ Karate Kid franchise, Karate Kid: Legends. In celebration of the film’s release in theatres on May 30, 2025, Bachan’s is proud to announce a limited-edition collectible gift box available starting today. This exclusive collector’s box is available for $49.99 only on Bachans.com.

    The Karate Kid: Legends Gift Box includes:

    • Bachan’s Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce
    • Bachan’s The Original Japanese Dipping Sauce
    • A commemorative movie-themed headband
    • Giftable, limited edition gift box
    To further celebrate the collaboration, Bachan’s is hosting a nationwide sweepstakes. Five weekly winners will win movie tickets and a limited-edition gift box. One grand prize winner will receive a hometown movie theater buyout to watch Karate Kid: Legends with friends and family—plus a year’s supply of Bachan’s sauces.

    “This collaboration is deeply meaningful to us,” said Justin Gill, Founder and CEO of Bachan’s. “As a third-generation Japanese American and Karate Kid fan, bringing together this iconic film and our family’s heritage-inspired sauces during AAPI Month is a full-circle moment.”

    Since its launch in 2019, Bachan’s has grown from a regional favorite to a national sensation. Today, its bold, fresh, umami-packed sauces are available in over 35,000 retail locations including Target, Walmart, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, Sprouts, and Albertsons.

    Rooted in a family recipe passed down for generations, Bachan’s sauces are cold-filled, never pasteurized, and crafted without preservatives or artificial flavors—because Our Ingredients Matter®. Whether grilling, dipping, or drizzling, Bachan’s continues to define A Tradition of Bold, Fresh, Umami Flavor™.

    For more information, sweepstakes rules, or to purchase the limited-edition box, visit bachans.com.

    About Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce:

    Bachan’s was founded by Japanese American Justin Gill in 2013 and after six years of

    perfecting the multi-generational family recipe, the Original Japanese Sauce officially launched in 2019. A Tradition of Bold, Fresh, Umami FlavorTM guides Bachan’s minimalistic and transparent approach to creating simple, authentic sauces inspired by traditional Japanese flavors. Bachan’s family of sauces are cold filled (not pasteurized) and made with the highest quality ingredients, without the use of preservatives or flavorings, because Our Ingredients Matter®.

    About Karate Kid: Legends:

    Karate Kid: Legends unites the iconic martial arts masters of one of the most beloved film franchises of all time to tell a completely new story full of action and heart. When kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) 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 (Jackie Chan), and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.

    Directed by Jonathan Entwistle. Written by Rob Lieber. Produced by Karen Rosenfelt. Executive producers are Jenny Hinkey and Ralph Macchio. Starring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, the film also stars Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley and Ming-Na Wen.

    https://bachans.com/pages/karate-kid

    Hot Sauce!
    Karate Kid: Legends

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    //youtu.be/o1H-QmKL6t4

    Tiger Balm
    Karate Kid: Legends

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    The Forgotten Chinese Version of The Karate Kid 2010 Is a Relic of a Bygone Time ~ My Latest Article for Den of Geek
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    The Karate Kid
    Karate Kid: Legends

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    //youtu.be/5P096f9uQjY

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    Hmm, looks like I forgot to post my review of this.

    Karate Kid: Legends Review – The Wax Has Come Off
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