“Karate Kid: Legends”, the eighth entry in a franchise that counts six movies, Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” and a short-lived 1989 animated series, kicked up about $20 million this weekend. When 2010’s “The Karate Kid” hit theaters, it was considered a remake of the original 1984 film, with Jackie Chan playing karate master Mr. Han — a facsimile of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) from the first four movies. But now, 15 years later, that movie has been retconned into a sequel, and Chan brought Mr. Han back for “Legends.”
Ralph Macchio, who has appeared in every “Karate Kid” incarnation minus the cartoon and the 2010 film, was excited to work with Chan in spite of initial apprehension.
“I was territorial upon first hearing of [the 2010 movie],” Macchio said during a recent interview with THR. “I didn’t understand what they were going for, and I had walked in the shoes for so long. I just felt, ‘How are you going to do a retread of [‘The Karate Kid’]. But they made a movie that was well-crafted and highly successful. I always describe that movie as a lesson in how you can tell virtually the same story but still make it a completely different movie.”
Macchio said that when he heard how the previously unrelated entries would be tied together, he told them, “You have the footage.”
“It was all connected in a way. Miyagi tells the story that the secret to Okinawa karate came from China, and we laced that through ‘Cobra Kai.’ So it’s consistent, and it’s in the scriptures, if you will. Then Hollywood steps in to figure out how to make a movie, and here we are,” he said.
Macchio added that it was a “joy to work” with Chan.
“It’s really the gift that keeps on giving, and now that’s working with someone like Jackie. I didn’t know him personally, but I obviously knew his work. He paved the way for so many, and he’s like a kid in a candy store. He just loves being on set. He loves making movies, and he cares. We both come from that place, and even though we have two different perspectives, we have the same end result in mind,” Macchio shared.
Just as he has for decades, the 71-year-old Chan performed all of his own stunts in “Legends” and did not need training, though he says he does take a little easier than during his martial arts heyday.
“I’ve been training every day for 64 years. I’ve been fighting, fighting, fighting,” the “Rush Hour” star told Variety. “I’m not liked I used to be when I was 20 and could do a triple kick in the sky. Now, I do one kick.”
“Legends” hits theaters just a few months after “Cobra Kai” streamed its sixth and final season. In order not to confuse the greater “Karate Kid” audience,” “Legends,” originally set to premiere before “Cobra Kai” dropped its final installment, saw its release date delayed.
“Once marketing got together and realized that [a December ‘24 release] would not benefit either [project], they did the right thing [and delayed it until May 2025]. ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ is now coming at a time where I like to believe that ‘Cobra Kai’ fans are thirsty for another chapter,” Macchio said.
