Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, is set to star in Columbia Pictures new version of the 1984 hit The Karate Kid.
Chris Murphy is writing the script that is set in exotic locations like Bejjing. Karate Kid will be similar to the original plot where a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of eccentric mentor.
Filming begins next year.
According to variety, Smith, who next stars in The Day the Earth Stood Still, is a martial arts practitioner.
Interestingly, Columbia has been trying to find a way to bring back the series, which began with three films that featured Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. The series also launched Hilary Swank’s career in The Next Karate Kid.
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vertigo said
December 20 2008 @ 8:46 pm
sometimes i feel like the classics of my generation are being violated by recycling them to a new audience. couldn’t they simply make a new version without referring to the old one. it’s like making pre-quels to the original star wars and planning a new indiana jones franchise. the new star wars was ok but the original was superb by having darth vader, the prequels did not have such an evil persona to loom over the galaxy. the current generation already has the lord of the rings. i like clint eastwood’s gran torino, which gives an american mentor to a young asian kid- now, this is not exactly the karate kid remake and would not have a similar cult status but it has no reference to the karate kid at all. are there not enough creative minds finding new ways of re-telling old stories the way its always done? mentor-student is a classic theme, why not just make a new story and find new characters? is that too difficult?
Kenna said
December 21 2008 @ 9:03 am
Yes, “mentor-student” is a very common theme — take something complete off the mainstream of today — The Miracle Worker.