Jackie Chan's 2010 remake of Karate Kid movies, it has recently become one thanks to its being folded into the main continuity.
Thanks to Chan's 2010 effort being integrated into the main When Karate Kid: Legends is released, that development will be fully taken advantage of when Mr. Han unexpectedly teams up with Daniel LaRusso. It was once a partnership that would have been canonically nonsensical, but it's now happening and is sure to be a great ride. However, the then-remake deserved a far less meta sequel.
The Karate Kid (2010) Was A Box Office Hit But Never Got A Sequel
Chan's movie made a lot of money internationally
According to Box Office Mojo, The Karate Kid's 2010 remake had a budget of $40 million and took in over $350 million at the worldwide box office. Those figures would quite often make studios' mouths water, and a sequel would pretty much be a foregone conclusion in a lot of cases. Sadly, even though there was still plenty of source material to continue updating and remaking the Karate Kid franchise, a second movie never happened.
Jackie Chan's Karate Kid Movie Already Explained A Big Cobra Kai Season 6 Absence
The 2010 remake of The Karate Kid is now part of the Miyagi-verse, which means it can for something that's missing from Cobra Kai.
Unsurprisingly, a second Jackie Chan-led movie was actually planned after the success of 2010's effort. Everyone involved in the first movie was expected to return to make the sequel, but then it entered development hell. After years of production discussions and failed negotiations, the plans fell apart, and a second movie was abandoned. Thankfully, Cobra Kai came along in 2018 and reasserted the original continuity. If Chan had made another movie in the immediate wake of his 2010 triumph, it's unclear if the legacy sequel show with Ralph Macchio would have happened.
The Karate Kid Remake Is Finally Getting A Sequel (Sort Of)
Karate Kid: Legends is allowing Jackie Chan to return to the franchise after 15 years away
Because Cobra Kai was such an immediate hit, it became apparent that making another Chan movie was probably never going to happen. It's not unusual for certain franchises to have two active timelines simultaneously, but it would be a little too high-concept for a martial arts series like The Karate Kid. That being said, Chan's reprisal of Mr. Han in Karate Kid: Legends technically makes it the sequel the actor never had after the 2010 installment. Of course, it's very different from what Chan's The Karate Kid 2 would have been, but it's still great he's coming back at all.
Source: Box Office Mojo
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The Karate Kid
7/10- Release Date
- June 11, 2010
- Runtime
- 140 Minutes
- Director
- Harald Zwart
Cast
Jaden Smith
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYThe Karate Kid is a 2010 remake of the original martial arts drama film released in 1984. Directed by Harald Zwart, this new telling follows young Dre Parker who after a big move with his mother from Detroit, Michigan to Beijing, China, finds difficulty fitting in and manages to get caught in a bullies' crosshairs. Dre is saved by the mysterious maintenance worker named Mr. Han, who teaches him Kung Fu in order to defend himself.
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Karate Kid: Legends
- Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
- Director
- Jonathan Entwistle
- Writers
- Rob Lieber
- Prequel(s)
- The Karate Kid
Cast
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Ben WangLi Fong
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Mr. Han
Ralph MacchioDaniel LaRusso
Joshua JacksonVictor Lipani
Karate Kid: Legends is a 2025 martial arts film that follows kung fu prodigy Li Fong as he relocates to New York City. Guided by Mr. Han and assisted by Daniel LaRusso, Li blends kung fu and karate techniques, facing a challenging competition to assist a friend in need.
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