# Karate Kid: Legends

Karate Kid: Legends is an upcoming American martial arts drama film directed by Jonathan Entwistle and written by Rob Lieber. Featuring a storyline placed three years after the events of the final season of the series Cobra Kai (2018–2025), it is the sixth film in The Karate Kid franchise, following The Karate Kid (2010). It stars Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, both reprising their roles from previous films, while introducing Ben Wang as the main lead alongside Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ming-Na Wen. It is the first film in the series not to be produced by Jerry Weintraub, who died in 2015.
The film was confirmed to be in development in September 2022, with Entwistle set to direct and Lieber set to write the screenplay in November 2023. It serves as a sequel to the original films of the franchise starring Macchio and the 2010 film starring Chan, merging them with Cobra Kai in a single shared universe. Casting took place from November 2023 to April 2024. Filming took place from April to June 2024.
Produced by Columbia Pictures, Karate Kid: Legends is scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada on May 30, 2025, by Sony Pictures Releasing.

## Cast

* Jackie Chan as Mr. Han
* Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
* Ben Wang as Li Fong
* Joshua Jackson as Victor
* Shaunette Renée Wilson as Ms. Morgan
Additionally, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Wyatt Oleff, and Jennifer-Lyn Christie have been cast in undisclosed roles.

## Production
### Background

The Karate Kid (1984), starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, was followed by three sequels: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994), although Macchio did not return for the fourth film. A remake of the first film was released in 2010, with a similar storyline but with a different set of characters, including Jackie Chan as Mr. Han. Despite maintaining the original title, the remake focused on kung fu, as the film was set in China. A television series, Cobra Kai, serving as a sequel to the original films, premiered in 2018.

### Development

A sequel to the 2010 remake was announced shortly after its release with Jaden Smith, Taraji P. Henson, and Chan set to reprise their roles. Breck Eisner was tapped to direct in April 2014. By then, two drafts of the screenplay had been written by writing duo Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris as well as Zak Penn. Eisner left the project three months later and a new screenplay by Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer was commissioned. In April 2017, Eisner returned to the project but by October, Chan expressed dissatisfaction with the film's script.
In September 2022, a new feature film was confirmed to be in development, being described as "the return of the original Karate Kid franchise". In November 2023, it was reported that Jonathan Entwistle was set to direct the film, with a screenplay written by Rob Lieber and with Karen Rosenfelt serving as the producer.

### Casting

In August 2023, Chan was reported to be reprising his role in the film. In late November 2023, Chan and Macchio were officially revealed to have joined the cast. The announcement confirms that the remake takes place in the same shared universe as the original films and the Cobra Kai series. In addition, Chan and Macchio announced a world-wide open casting call for an actor to star as the film's iteration of the titular character, described as a Chinese teen who moves to the East Coast and begins studying martial arts.
In February 2024, Ben Wang was cast as the titular character, Li Fong. In March, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, and Ming-Na Wen were cast in undisclosed roles. In April, Aramis Knight and Wyatt Oleff joined the cast.

### Filming

Principal photography began in Montreal on April 1, 2024, and wrapped filming on June 3. The film was shot under the working title Victory Boulevard.

### Music

Dominic Lewis was hired to compose the score by December 2024.

## Release

Karate Kid: Legends is scheduled to be released on May 30, 2025, in the United States and Canada. The film was originally set to be release on June 7, 2024, however due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, it was delayed to December 13, 2024. It was moved once again to May 2025, with Kraven the Hunter taking over the release date, to avoid conflict with the final season of the series Cobra Kai.