YeinJee's Asian Journal

Jackie Chan has confirmed that he will star in the remake of box office hit “The Karate Kid”. The popular actor will star as a karate master who helps a teenager to stand up to high school bullies.

The role (known as Mr Miyagi) was original played by late Pat Morita in the 1984 film, which earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.

The teenage protagonist (by Ralph Macchio in 1984) will be played by Jaden Smith, Will Smith’s son.

The remake is a co-production between Columbia Pictures and state-run China Film Group; filming is scheduled to start in Beijing this summer.

The Mr Miyagi role was a classic… it’s a tough one for Jackie (or anyone else) to emulate. I have a feeling though, that they would switch the film from karate to Chinese martial arts oriented instead… “The Kungfu Kid” perhaps?