Sony has moved one of its most anticipated films from late this year to mid-next year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Karate Kid, starring Ben Wang, will now release on May 30, 2025, 6 months later than the original date of December 13, 2024. This date will now be occupied by Kraven the Hunter, which has also been moved from August 30, 2024. The film will now premiere after the final season of Cobra Kai. This move allows the movie to follow Cobra Kai, which is also based in the broader universe the film is set in of martial arts. Sony has not confirmed if there will be any crossover between the two apart from the obvious. Ralph Macchio, who has been with the franchise since 1984, will appear in the new Karate Kid film as Daniel LaRusso, a role he has embodied since Cobra Kai premiered in 2018.
The new iteration of the Karate Kid follows an East Coast Chinese teenager (Wang), who finds his purpose in martial arts. The movie will combine the lore of past films to build a universe for the new protagonist as Jackie Chan and Macchio reprise their roles. Chan played Mr Han in the 2010 Jaden Smith-led Karate Kid. In the film, Smith plays Dre Parker, a Detroit teenager who moves to China with his mother (Taraji P. Henson) and learns Kung Fu from a maintenance man named Mr. Han to defend himself from bullies. Specific details about this new film’s plot are yet to be revealed.
Who Is Behind the ‘Karate Kid’?
Wang leads the film as the titular Karate Kid. As noted before, Chan will reprise his Mr Han character, while Macchio will reprise his LaRusso character. Several other cast members have been revealed, with Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) being cast as the female romantic lead. In undisclosed roles, Joshua Jackson (Dr. Death), Ming-Na Wen (The Book of Bobba Fett), Aramis Knight (Into the Badlands), and Wyatt Oleff (I’m Not Okay With This) were added to the cast. The screenplay was written by Rob Lieber (Peter Rabbit). It will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F****ing World) and produced by Karen Rosenfelt (The Summer I Turned Pretty). Filming began earlier this month, and the director marked the occasion by sharing a clapper board on Instagram.
The Karate Kid will now be released in theaters on May 30, 2025. Cobra Kai will be released sometime in the second half of this year. The original films are available to stream on Netflix.
via Collider