Some may have already forgotten that the 2024 movie release schedule does indeed have a new Karate Kid film slated to be released. While that picture isn't slated to be released until December, the merging of Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan’s storylines in Sony’s famed cinematic IP has been watched with great interest. And now this mysterious project has landed what it needed most: our next Karate Kid; which I’m now hyped about, thanks to the casting of a promising Disney vet.
According to reporting coming from THR, actor Ben Wang will be playing our unnamed mystery lead in the latest Karate Kid continuation. Wang was recently seen in the Disney+ subscription driver American Born Chinese, and in addition to having that credit on his resume, the young man apparently wowed the powers that be with an amazing audition reel.
Director Jonathan Entwistle, whose credits include gigs directing Netflix series like I’m Not Okay with This, as well as Peter Rabbit writer Rob Lieber, are also attached to the project. Also, as of this moment, the potential story at large is still a mystery. However, among the details offered from the source report above, it seems that this new Karate Kid movie has a new setting.
Apparently, somewhere on the East Coast will be where Ben Wang’s protagonist hangs his hat, and whomever his teacher may be will be waiting for him there. Wherever this new Karate Kid film takes place, let's hope this new setting isn't too far from any of Cobra Kai's graduating characters; as we still have no clue how/if the Netflix hit series will tie into this next, next, next kid's tale.
Which naturally leads to the major question about Cobra Kai Season 6 our own Mick Joest has been asking, as well as a slew of other concerns that rise from this film's intriguing story. Chiefly among those concerns is how the story of the in-production final season of creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg's series will connect in the new and developing Karate Kid cinematic universe.
For the moment, everything seems to add up to the conclusion that the latest chapter in the Karate Kid legacy looks to be in good hands. That would seem especially true thanks to Ben Wang’s casting, as he also possesses skills in multiple forms of Martial Arts and fluency in Mandarin.
No matter what happens, at the heart of it all is Ben Wang, who will fight for honor, the glory of love, or whatever values this next chapter has to offer. What we know about The Karate Kid 6, or whatever your preferred title for this film should be, is that it's currently in training. As it should be, as in order to make its current release date of December 13, 2024, a lot of work still lies ahead.
