Yet more remakes are on their way, but to be honest I didn’t expect this one to happen.  The 1984 hit The Karate Kid has been slated for a remake, with Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith, taking on the lead role.

The film will not be an exact remake, however.  The script, which is being written by Chris Murphy, will situate the film in Beijing, but the much-loved series’ recurring themes will still be there: a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an unconventional teacher.  The role is expected to be a breeze for the younger Smith, who debuted in The Pursuit of Happyness and will next star in The Day The Earth Stood Still; he practices martial arts during his free time.

Executives from Columbia Pictures have stated that they had always tried to resurrect the much-loved series, which featured Ralph Macchio and the late Pat Morita in the first three films, and the subsequent reboot featuring a young Hilary Swank.  Personally, though, it’d be hard to see a remake of this film without Morita, who died three years ago of natural causes.  Here’s hoping they can give justice to that role—The Karate Kid, besides, isn’t really just about the kid in the title.


-Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Variety
(Image courtesy of Oprah.com)