Get ready for even more Karate Kid.
Stars Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio made the announcement on Tuesday (which you can watch here) that they’ll be reprising their roles for a new Karate Kid film. It’s currently set for a Dec. 13, 2024 release, per a press release from Sony Pictures.
And while Chan and Macchio are back, they still have to find their new Karate Kid – and are kicking off a global casting search to do it. Tuesday’s announcement included a call to action to submit audition videos for the central role.
Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F**king World) will direct the new Karate Kid from a script by Rob Lieber, and Karen Rosenfelt (best known for the Twilight and Percy Jackson franchises, as well as The Devil Wears Prada) will produce. Plot details are currently being kept under wraps.
The Karate Kid Cinematic Universe
The first Karate Kid movie, of course, came out in 1984, focusing on Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso as Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi teaches him martial arts to help him defend himself from bullies. It was a massive hit, spawning three sequels and launching something of a media franchise that continues today.
A Karate Kid remake was released in 2010, with Chan starring and Jaden Smith stepping into the trainee role. It was a decent success, with lukewarm reviews and a solid $359 million worldwide gross.
What’s really kept Karate Kid going in the modern age, however, is its TV series spinoff Cobra Kai. Taking place years after the events of The Karate Kid, it sees William Zabka returning as the bully Johnny Lawrence, re-examining the franchise’s world from his point of view as he makes re-opens the Cobra Kai dojo. Macchio stars in that series as well.
First airing on YouTube Red in 2018 and 2019, the critically beloved show moved to Netflix for Seasons 3-5. It was renewed for a sixth and final season, although development was paused over the summer amid the writers’ strike.
It’s currently unclear when the sixth season of Cobra Kai will air, but at least we know we’ve got plenty more Karate Kid on the way.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
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