THE KARATE KID remake, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, has garnered the second highest test score among research audiences in studio history according to Sony Pictures. The top scorer remains Will Smith’s 2005 comedy HITCH. The results of the research were revealed by the studio to Entertainment Weekly.

While the test viewers were undoubtedly picked to represent Sony’s preferred demographic, it’s rare for a studio to reveal test scores that are in the 97th percentile as this one was. This could mean that Sony has a genuine hit on its hands despite concerns from fans of the original film and possible confusion stemming from the use of THE KARATE KID title in conjunction with use of Chinese wushu in the film.

Coincidently, this news happens to drop on the same weekend that Chan’s family comedy THE SPY NEXT DOOR opens to near universal panning from critics. Rotten Tomato’s Tomatometer currently rates the movie at a low 9%. The film is currently in sixth place on its opening weekend with an estimate of just under $10 million earned according to Box Office Mojo.
Source: Kung Fu Cinema

Jackie Chan says “Kung Fu Kid” co-star Jaden Smith’s dedication to martial arts puts his own son to shame.

The 11-year-old son of Hollywood stars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith has been training under Chan’s stunt co-ordinator for his role in the China Film Group-Columbia Pictures remake of the 1984 hit “The Karate Kid,” which kicked off filming in Beijing on July 11.

In a diary entry on his official Web site, Chan said he was deeply impressed by the younger Smith’s progress when he visited Los Angeles last month.

The veteran Hong Kong action star said Jaden Smith learned the Chinese phrases for different kung fu moves, responded to orders in Mandarin, and treated his teacher, Wu Gang, according to traditional Chinese custom. (more…)

When Will Smith announced that his production company would be remaking “The Karate Kid,” he set off waves of speculation about how drastically he would break from Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita’s original story.

Macchio went on record, saying that recreating the figure of Mr. Miyagi with Jackie Chan, let alone the rest of the story, would be a challenge. Smith assured everyone from the beginning that his new film would have “a Chinese adaptation to it,” though, and new details about the script seem to confirm that it will head in a very new direction. (more…)

Jackie Chan told a film Web site that his forthcoming update of the “Karate Kid,” from producer Will Smith, will carry a different name in order to avoid unfair comparisons to the original.

“They don’t want to call it ‘Karate Kid’ any more,” Chan told FirstShowing.com. “They want to call it ‘The Kung Fu Kid.’”

The Web site said further, “[Chan] quickly changed topics and unfortunately didn’t add any more as to why this change was being made. (more…)

Will Smith gave Ralph Macchio quite the surprise recently, calling the Karate Kid star out of the blue to talk about his remake of the 1984 film. Smith’s a producer on the updated kickfest, and his son Jaden is set to star.

“It was very cool,” Macchio tells E! News. “He called and said, ‘Would you mind getting on the phone with my son?’ I felt like Yoda to young Skywalker.”

The original Daniel-san, who currently has a guest spot on ABC’s Ugly Betty, said Jaden was “adorable and completely respectful and excited. I just told him to have fun. That was my advice.” (more…)

Jackie Chan soon could be mentoring a karate kid.

The action hero is in negotiations to star in Columbia’s remake of “The Karate Kid.” He would take on the role of mentor Mr. Miyagi, made famous by Pat Morita in the original franchise.

Jaden Smith, son of actor Will Smith, would play Miyagi’s young protege, a role originally played by Ralph Macchio. The studio also has signed Harald Zwart (“Agent Cody Banks”) to direct the picture, which possibly will begin shooting this year in Beijing. (more…)

Will Smith normally appears in action films that feature aliens and big explosions, but with his son Jaden’s forthcoming starring role in a remake of the ‘Karate Kid’, the whole family may soon become synonymous with martial arts as well.

Though Smith Jr. is locked in for the Ralph Macchio role, a key character is yet to be cast, that of Daniel’s wise sensei. “We don’t have a Mr. Miyagi yet,” Smith told MTV News. “There’s a couple of people that we’re really intrigued by, but I don’t want to say any names because I’ll be in trouble.” (more…)

Jaden Smith, who stole the limelight in his debut in the successful 2006 hit “The Pursuit of Happyness” is set to take the lead in a totally different role.

The 10-year-old actor, son of Hollywood icon Will Smith is to star in a remake of the hit 1984 film “The Karate Kid”, say entertainment industry press reports.

Some say the movie is even being written just for the real life Karate student and will be produced by daddy Will Smith who last worked with his son acting alongside each other in “The Pursuit of Happyness”.

The original “Karate Kid” starred “Ugly Betty” star Ralph Macchio who was then a teen and cast as new kid on the block, Daniel LaRusso, who has to learn to defend himself from martial arts-trained bullies at his new school. (more…)

With a little help from Big Daddy Will Smith, Jaden Smith made one hell of an Hollywood entrance with ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. Not only was the film a worldwide success, but it put Jaden above the rest when it comes to casting young actors in major films.

With that being said, and I’m sure after carefully looking over future projects, Jaden, through the help of his parents (Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith), has pick his next film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jaden Smith has landed a part in Fox’s sci-fi thriller “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”
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