Before the plan for the new movie was revealed, Jackie Chan's 2010 Karate Kid remake was the only part of the franchise that wasn't officially part of the same canon. However, the movie is so different from the original that crossing them over won't cause any meta clashes among the Karate Kid 2024 cast.
To answer your question, yes, "The Next Karate Kid" is generally considered non-canon in the original Karate Kid film series. You see, the original Karate Kid series primarily revolves around Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio, and his journey with his wise karate mentor, Mr. Miyagi, portrayed by Pat Morita.
While serving as a remake and following a similar narrative as the original The Karate Kid film from 1984, with the setting moved to China, and the martial art changed (despite the film's title) from karate to kung fu, the film is set in the same fictional universe as the previous films, retroactively serving as a ...
Starring alongside Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso in the 2024 Karate Kid, Mr. Han will be a canon character in the franchise. Although 2010's The Karate Kid has never been considered canon among the rest of The Karate Kid franchise, Jackie Chan's involvement in the new movie will finally bridge this gap.
Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz later stated that he was not involved with the project, and that it was not directly connected to the television series. In August 2023, it was reported that Jackie Chan would be reprising his role from the 2010 film.
Is The Karate Kid 2010 the same universe as Karate Kid?
However, seeing that both Macchio and Chan are reprising their roles, it appears that the new movie will be set in the same universe as the original Karate Kid films as well as the 2010 reboot that starred Jaden Smith.
In addition, Chan and Macchio announced a world-wide open casting call for an actor to star as the film's iteration of the titular character, described as a Chinese teen who moves to the East Coast and begins studying martial arts. In February 2024, Ben Wang was cast as the titular character, Li Fong.
Mr. Miyagi died November 15, 2011, as depicted by his gravestone in Cobra Kai, meaning that he was 86 years old at the time of his passing. Cobra Kai began in 2018, where the continuation of the "Miyagi-verse" splits the focus between Daniel and Johnny.
Macchio will be back in his familiar role as Daniel from The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, and Jackie Chan will be back as Mr. Han from the 2010 Karate Kid remake. This move confirms that all eras of the Karate Kid franchise are not only canon but will be represented in the new movie as well.
It's an update that, along with the shifted setting and expanded characters, that makes The Karate Kid remake a worthwhile companion to the original. The Verdict: The 1984 original, by split decision, mainly because Macchio is so good.
The underlying reason why Sony Motion Pictures targeted China's market was not just to create a more accurate movie but also to improve profit. This market grossed a net of 195 million dollars for Avatar and producers from The Karate Kid were not going to miss out on this opportunity.
Sony owned the Karate Kid franchise when the first four movies were made, but Smith's production company Overbrook Entertainment acquired the rights to spearhead the 2010 Karate Kid.
Development. The Karate Kid is a semi-autobiographical story based on the life of its screenwriter, Robert Mark Kamen. At age 17, after the 1964 New York World's Fair, Kamen was beaten up by a gang of bullies. He thus began to study martial arts in order to defend himself.
In Columbia Pictures' The Karate Kid, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China.
Miyagi fought against the Japanese Empire in the Second World War and while he was doing that his wife Mrs. Miyagi, gave birth to a son inside an internment camp and got sick and they didn't send any doctor to her so she and the son both died. Mr. Miyagi still won a medal of honour for being a war hero.
As a way of saying "thank you," Miyagi taught him karate (and Pierce taught him ballroom dancing). While still fighting overseas, he received a telegram informing him that on November 2, 1944, his wife and newborn child (who were still interned at Manzanar) died due to "complications arising from childbirth".
What do Sonny Liston, one of boxing's all-time best, and Pat Morita, the Japanese-American actor who played Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Kid,” have in common? Both are buried in Las Vegas area cemeteries.
Bill Conti, the composer of the previous films, returned to score the fourth. It is the first film in the series not to feature Ralph Macchio in the lead role as Daniel LaRusso.
After his defeat, he was suicidal, but Sato and Kumiko helped him to recover and find purpose. As an adult, Chozen became the Sensei for Miyagi-Do karate in Okinawa (which he inherited after Sato died). He is on friendly terms with Kumiko and has romantic feelings for her. He never married and does not have children.
Han lost his wife and son during a car accident that was his fault. He was arguing with his wife and not focusing on the road, and ended up crashing. He's never forgiven himself for it, and spends his spare time fixing the car, only to destroy it again on the anniversary of their deaths to remind him of what happened.
The short answer: It was a remake, and the original was named THE KARATE KID. Having the marketing hook of a previous success can add coins at the box office. When the producers decided to move the film to China and Chinese Martial Arts, they decided to keep the original title.
