Columbia Pictures has decided to set out to destroy another classic.
They plan to remake the 1984 hit The Karate Kid, and want Jaden Smith to star as the new Daniel-san.
That’s right, Jaden Smith, the 10-year-old son daddy Will Smith keeps forcing onto us.
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Variety is finally reporting that Jerry Weintraub is linking with Overbrook Entertainment’s James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz to butcher his own original franchise. I say “finally” because IGN broke this (albeit as a fairly solid rumor) over a year ago.
Overbrook and Escape Artists did produce The Pursuit of Happyness for Columbia, so there’s a glimmer of hope that this could be decent. But then again in that case, it couldn’t have been too terribly difficult for Jaden to play son to his actual dad.
Chris Murphy is writing the script, and the new film will be shot sometime next year. It’s set to take place in a number of cities but primarily in Beijing, where the dominant marital art is Kung Fu. It’s also said to borrow elements from the original, where a kid moves to a new city and ends up being bullied by the locals, who eventually learns to stand up for himself with the help of a mentor.
I have number of problems with this announcement, but one item specifically: Why Beijing? Maybe Columbia hopes we’ll be enchanted by a military brat who is bullied by Kung Fu practicing locals and finds some Mr. Miyagi to teach him to fight back–kind of like The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
We all know how that turned out.
Some other details that should be noted include: Will Smith Jr. is a martial arts practitioner himself, and Mr. Miyagi has not been cast. I would suspect the mentor will be an outsider to Beijing, as Mr. Miyagi was to Los Angeles, but either way I don’t have a good feeling about this film.
Do we really need another Karate Kid?
Source: Variety
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19 Comments
They MIGHT go with a resident martial artist from that side of the pond, character-wise; isn’t George Takei old enough to Miyagi this one?
Failing that, rather than the father-son vibe coming from Daddy Fresh Prince…why not get Taimak from The Last Dragon?
He’s still quite fit, a highly respected martial arts sensei in the real world…and it’s a fair bet they won’t ask him to reprise the role he played in TLD, not when Samuel L. Jackson’s been tapped to play Sho’Nuff in the remake.
Can you imagine these two remakes going to the multiplex at the SAME TIME?
Thank you for acknowledging that The Karate Kid is a classic. Not all sites agree. I saw that film 8 times when it was released in the summer of 1984. The script for the film is used by many screenwriting classes as an example of terrific story telling. Considering the fact that Jaden is 10 yrs old this idea is silly at best!
Chuck
Hearing people call TKK a “classic” is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day. Not that I want them to dull the awfulness of the original by making a reboot, mind you.
As far as family movies without some kind of special effect gimmick, Karate Kid holds up pretty well in 1984. I’d say its worthy of “classic” status.
Placing the movie in China is definitely a different take, but maybe the implications are a little too sophisticated for the kids.
…Unless there’s some kind of America/Capitalism bash, then it’ll be education for the youngsters.
Kofi,
It’s not “classic” in the Citizen Kane type of way, but it is in the same way as other movies we remember fondly from the 80s.
Vic
I agree with PhotoShopLifter Dan, Takei is a good idea.
Will is a great father figure and he looks awesome. I read here (http://www.projectweightloss.com/index.php) about how he managed to lose weight and then gain weight for the movies he was staring in. How does he find the time to “coach” his son with so many hours a day working out in the gym?
@Helen
That’s a pretty spammy post but I’m going to let it slide because I agree that Will Smith does seem to be a good dad.
Vic
Oh lord, the mind reels.
I know that it’s cliche’d to say at this point, but when is it that Hollywood and the overpriced actors, directors “writers” and the like are going to find anything that is remotely ORIGINAL?
The whining of writer’s when so many television shows suck, and even more that have genuine spirit are gunned down with faux ratings just sickens me to no end.
I like Will Smith. I like his son, Jaden – how could he NOT have a great charisma with parents like Will and Jada? But will SOMEONE please put the doorstop into what is the on-air-sickness back of tripe that passes for “homage films?”
Im really unsure about this film. TKK was a classic and favorite to me but im so scared they are going to butcher this one so bad. I like Will Smith’s kid but I think he is a litle young for the role. I rather stick to watching the classics.
I think remakes are a horrible idea and should not be made. It just laziness on the producers part. However if instead of being a remake, they make this part of the karate kid franchise, Karate Kid V, or what ever it would be it might actually work.
No we don’t need another Karate Kid, sheesh did we need the sequels?
However if I worked for the studios I would say that this concept can’t fail! This film (however lame) will make huge bank,,,
That’s just where we are folks its 2008 and its a freaky world !!!
I don’t know, this might work. I think they would probably get Jackie Chan to be his mentor (he’s up there in age and in great shape).
I would put “Karate Kid” in the vein of new classics. Whatever happened to Ralph Machio anyway?
That photo sure is creepy.
Kahless,,, last I saw Ralph Machio, few years back he had a supporting role in Artie Lang’s “Beer League”.
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