American Born Chinese’s Ben Wang has been cast as the new Karate Kid.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Wang has been tapped to star in the new Karate Kid movie, which is currently scheduled to release at the end of this year.
Wang played Jin Wang in Disney+’s American Born Chinese series. He also appeared in 2022’s Sex Appeal, 2023’s Good Egg, and 2024’s Mean Girls, among other roles.
Sony Pictures did a global search to cast Wang’s role, with over 10,000 entries being received in the first 24 hours. “According to studio insiders, Wang delivered a standout audition that demonstrated his deep connection to the character,” The Hollywood Reporter’s article reads. “It also helped that he is fluent in Mandarin and highly skilled across many forms of martial arts, including karate, wing chun/kung fu, gumdo, kempo, and taekwondo.”
What do we know about the new Karate Kid movie?
The new Karate Kid movie is being directed by Jonathan Entwistle, while Rob Lieber wrote the script. Karen Rosenfelt serves as a producer on the film.
Not much is known about the plot of the new Karate Kid movie, though it will reportedly be set on the East Coast and focus on a teenager in China.
In November 2023, it was announced that Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan are both reprising their roles in the forthcoming movie. Macchio played Daniel LaRusso in 1984’s The Karate Kid, along with the movie’s two sequels, 1986’s The Karate Kid Part II and 1989’s The Karate Kid Part III.
Macchio also reprised the role for Netflix’s Cobra Kai sequel series, which will release its final season later this year. It’s not immediately clear if the new Karate Kid movie will play into the events of Cobra Kai.
Chan, meanwhile, played Mr. Han in the 2010 reboot of The Karate Kid, which also starred Jaden Smith.
The new Karate Kid movie is currently scheduled to release on December 13, 2024.
