Latest news with #KarateKid
Forbes
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Ming-Na Wen On ‘Karate Kid: Legends' And Film's Challenge To Persevere
Ming-Na Wen is still wondering how — after kicking butt as Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and as Fennec Shand in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett — she didn't have any fight scenes in Karate Kid: Legends. Plus, let's not forget that the iconic actor is also a force to be reckoned with as the long-time voice of Disney's Mulan. 'I didn't get to throw a punch after all the characters I play fighting all the time — and I was working with Jackie Chan,' Wen said, laughing, in a recent Zoom conversation. 'But I did try to convince Jonathan Entwistle, our director, that since [Jackie's] Wen stars in the pivotal role of Dr. Fong in Karate Kid: Legends, which merges the worlds of original Karate Kid franchise star Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso and Chan's Mr. Han from the 2010 reimagining of The Karate Kid. In Karate Kid: Legends, now playing in theaters, Ben Wang stars as Li Fong, a karate prodigy who studies under Mr. Han in Beijing against wishes of his mother, Dr. Fong. As it turns out, Li's brother, Bo (Oscar Ge), was killed in an incident stemming from a karate tournament and out of fear of losing her other son, Dr. Fong tries to keep Li away from the martial arts. After Dr. Fong lands a new job at a hospital in New York City, she and Li move from Beijing to get a fresh start. However, when Li settles into his new surroundings, he starts to get bullied by a local karate champ, Conor Day (Aramis Knight), and wants to fight back, so he enlists the help of Mr. Han — who in turn contacts Daniel — to train him. If all the pieces fall into place, Li will advance far enough in the New York City's prestigious 5 Boroughs Karate Tournament to take on his bully and help some friends in need in the process. Karate Kid: Legends also stars Sadie Stanley as Mia Lipani, whom Li befriends when he arrives in New York City, while Wyatt Oleff plays Li's tutor, Alan. Joshua Jackson also stars as Mia's father, Victor, a former boxing champion who hopes to get back into the ring with the help of Li's training. While Ming-Na Wen doesn't throw a punch in Karate Kid: Legends, that doesn't mean her character hasn't been in past battles, particularly those dealing with mental anguish. Since Dr. Fong has already suffered the loss of her son, Bo, she's desperate to keep Li safe. As a parent in real life, Wen admitted that playing out the worst fear every father and mother faces was tough to wrap her head around. Luckily, she added, the film also has an important element of hope. 'This particular Karate Kid film is quite dark and serious at times. It's more than just about a coming-of-age story in which Ben Wang plays Li so beautifully,' Wen said. '[Them losing Bo] is a huge loss and so incredibly tragic, but instead of making that the focus of the story, it's also about persevering. It's about being able to survive and go through the pain and still try to find meaning.' As such, Wen said Karate Kid: Legends presents a story from her character's standpoint that everybody can relate to, including herself. 'We've suffered several different losses in our family recently, and I took all of that emotion and pain and filtered it into that into my character,' Wen explained. 'Also, I've seen how other family members work through that pain and still try to find meaning in life and that is what Dr. Fong is all about.' Helping Wen channel those real-life emotions into Dr. Fong in Karate Kid: Legends was Wang, whom she said immediately felt like a family member when she met him. 'When I met Ben, I immediately had maternal feelings for him and playing his mom was very easy,' Wen said. 'He's such a lovable guy and it was easy to build a relationship and a chemistry with him. 'Art gets easier when you can just tap into the nuances of who you are and be able to work them into your character,' Wen added. 'So, it was quite easy for me to become Dr. Fong and be that mom who wants to protect her kids and guide them and set ground rules, which they always break.' That's not to say, however, that Wen is a super-strict mom in real life like Dr. Fong is in Karate Kid: Legends. 'I'm a much cooler mom than Dr. Fong,' Wen enthused. 'I'm kind of like the rock and roll mom!' In addition to working with Wang and Jackie Chan in Karate Kid: Legends, Wen was thrilled to have the opportunity to star in a project with Ralph Macchio for the first time. Of course, making the opportunity even better was that her work with Macchio happened to be in a Karate Kid film. 'I'm friends with [Karate Kid Part II star] Tamlyn Tomita and I've met Ralph a few times through conventions, upfronts and things like that, and he's always so gracious and so lovely to finally get to work with him and to see his passion and his love for this franchise and how protective he is of it. It's just so lovely to see. 'I think Pat Morita would just be patting him on the back and saying, 'Good job son,'' Wen added. 'He is really endearing, lovely, hard-working and detailed. It was so great that I got to work with the original Karate Kid.' Karate Kid: Legends is playing in theaters nationwide.
New York Post
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Cobra Kai' creators reveal Hilary Swank declined to join show: ‘Disappointing'
Hilary Swank said thanks, but no thanks. The creators of the hit Netflix show 'Cobra Kai' have revealed that they tried to get Swank, 50, to appear in the popular 'Karate Kid' sequel series. But the Oscar-winning actress, who played Julie Pierce in 1994's 'The Next Karate Kid,' politely declined. 10 The creators of 'Cobra Kai' have revealed that they tried to get Hilary Swank to appear in the popular 'Karate Kid' sequel series. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Swank portrayed Julie Pierce in 'The Next Karate Kid' in 1994. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Cobra Kai' creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg opened up about the situation during a sit-down with Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday. 'We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path,' Heald said, revealing that they approached the actress shortly before the show's sixth and final season began production in 2024. 'We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something,' he continued. 10 Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi and Swank as Julie Pierce in 'The Next Karate Kid.' ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 The Oscar-winning actress politely declined the 'Cobra Kai' creators' offer for her to appear in the Netflix show. Getty Images 'It was going to feel like it could be a one or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue,' Heald added, 'where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship.' Shue, who starred as Ali Mills alongside Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso in the original 1984 'Karate Kid,' reprised her character for the last two episodes of the Netflix show's third season. Although Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg did reach out to Swank's reps to find out if they could have a discussion with her and introduce themselves, the trio never even got that far. 10 'We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something,' creator Josh Heald explained. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 'She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that,' Heald said. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy,' Heald explained. 'She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that.' 'She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting,' he added. 'She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment.' Swank welcomed twins with her husband, Philip Schneider, in April 2023. She joined the cast of Showtime's 'Yellowjackets' for Season 3, which premiered this year. 10 'Cobra Kai' followed Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) 34 years after the events of the original 'Karate Kid' movie. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection 10 Many other characters from the six-movie 'Karate Kid' franchise joined Macchio and Zabka on the small screen for 'Cobra Kai.' ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection Despite Swank's refusal, the three creators still hope to see her return as Julie Pierce in a potential 'Cobra Kai' spinoff. 'It's a big piece of the Miyagi-verse that's still out there,' Heald said. 'For us, it was a little disappointing because we like getting everybody, but at the same time, we didn't sacrifice any huge story that we had fully developed.' 'It's more fruit on the vine for if we can revisit this universe going forward,' he concluded. The Post has reached out to Swank's reps for comment. 10 'Cobra Kai' premiered on Netflix in 2018 and wrapped up its sixth and final season in February. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Cobra Kai,' which premiered on Netflix in 2018 and wrapped up its sixth and final season in February, followed Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) 34 years after the events of the original 'Karate Kid' movie. While Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg were unable to convince Swank to return, they did bring back other characters from the six-movie franchise to join Macchio, 63, and Zabka, 59, on the small screen. Yuji Okumoto reprised his character Chozen Toguchi from 1986's 'Karate Kid Part II,' and Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes), Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver) and Robyn Lively (Jessica Andrew) all returned to their roles from 1989's 'Karate Kid Part III.' 10 Ralph Macchio with some of his 'Cobra Kai' cast members during a screening of the show in Los Angeles in March 2025. Getty Images Plus, Macchio recently reprised his role as Daniel LaRusso for the 10th time for the franchise's newest film, 'Karate Kid Legends,' which premiered on May 30. The movie also saw Jackie Chan return as Mr. Han from the 2010 'Karate Kid' remake. 'Reprising this role means paying that legacy forward,' Macchio said upon the release of 'Karate Kid Legends' last month. 'It's about spreading that wisdom and knowledge in a good way, in a positive way.' Pat Morita, who played the beloved character Mr. Miyagi in the original 'Karate Kid' trilogy and 'The Next Karate Kid,' died in 2005. He was 73.
Geek Tyrant
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Hilary Swank Turned Down COBRA KAI and the Creators Are Still Bummed About It — GeekTyrant
Cobra Kai pulled off something few legacy sequels manage to do, reignite the heart of a beloved franchise and bring back nearly every major player from the original Karate Kid films. But, one character never made it back into the dojo… Julie Pierce, played by Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid . Now, the show's creators are opening up about how that door was closed before it ever really opened. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cobra Kai co-creator Josh Heald explained they had plans in place for Swank, but it just never came together. 'We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear]. We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something. ' It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue, where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship.' The creative team team did a great job managing to pull legacy characters back into the fold. William Zabka and Ralph Macchio were game from the beginning. Yuji Okumoto (Chozen), Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes), and Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver) all returned and got meaningful story arcs. Elisabeth Shue even came back for a key moment. So naturally, they thought Swank might be up for something similar. But that wasn't the case. 'On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy. 'She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that. She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting. 'She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment.' Still, for the creators, it's clearly a missed opportunity. They had the 'beginnings of a genesis of an idea' for Julie Pierce and were eager to see how she could've fit into the larger Miyagi-verse. But they never got to pitch it. For fans holding out hope, all might not be lost. The creators are already developing spinoffs and have hinted there's more story left to tell in the world Mr. Miyagi built. So who knows? Maybe Julie's moment could still come, just not in the way we expected.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Cobra Kai' creators say it was 'disappointing' Hilary Swank turned down an offer to return
The creators of Netflix's Cobra Kai managed to pack in an impressive amount of Karate Kid Easter eggs in the show's final season, but there was one major callback they weren't able to make happen: an appearance from The Next Karate Kid's Julie Pierce, played in the 1994 film by future Oscar winner Hilary Swank. It wasn't for lack of trying. Knowing how much fans wanted Julie to show up — and being huge fans of the Karate Kid franchise themselves — Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Huwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg began outreach to Swank's representatives in the lead-up to the show's sixth and final season. "We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear]," explains Heald. "We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something. It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue, where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship." Armed with what Heald calls "the beginnings of a genesis of an idea," he, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg reached out to Swank's team "to find out if we could have a discussion with her about it and introduce ourselves." That approach has worked before, not only on Oscar nominee Shue, who reprised her role as Ali — who dumped Johnny (William Zabka) for Daniel (Ralph Macchio) in the original Karate Kid — in Cobra Kai season 3. Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg also brought back Yuji Okumoto (Karate Kid Part II antagonist Chozen Toguchi), Sean Kanan (Karate Kid Part III villain Mike Barnes), Thomas Ian Griffith (Part III's big bad, Terry Silver), Robyn Lively (whose Jessica from KKIII turned out to be the cousin of Daniel's wife, Amanda, played by Courteney Henggeler!), and many more. Unfortunately, the conversation with Swank never happened. "On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy," Heald says. "She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that. She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting. She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment." But Cobra Kai never dies — and neither do the creators' hopes about a possible visit from Julie Pierce in a future Miyagi-verse project someday. (The trio is already at work on potential Cobra Kai spinoffs.) "It's a big piece of the Miyagi-verse that's still out there," says Heald. "For us, it was a little disappointing because we like getting everybody, but at the same time, we didn't sacrifice any huge story that we had fully developed. It's more fruit on the vine for if we can revisit this universe going forward." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Thought Karate Kid: Legends Was Going To Be A Cash-Grab, But As A Fan, I Was Pleasantly Surprised
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Alright…we have to talk about Karate Kid: Legends. If you know me, you'll see that I'm a big fan of the series. While I wouldn't say I've been a fan since the beginning – since I wasn't even around in the beginning – the Karate Kid movies have become a massive part of my life. I started young and my enjoyment has only grown into a genuine love and appreciation for the entire franchise – I even have two bonsai trees that my boyfriend and I take care of, called LaRusso and Miyagi, because we love the series so much. So, of course, when I found out there was going to be yet another movie in the franchise I was a little hesitant, but excited nonetheless. It's always a risk to bring another movie into a long-beloved franchise and potentially mess up its film legacy. And, honestly, The Karate Kid didn't have the best traction with many of its later films. But I wanted to give the new movie a shot, and I'm pleasantly surprised as a longtime fan. Let's get into why, and why you should watch it. I'll be honest and say I wasn't expecting this to be a great movie going into the theater for my screener. A part of me thought it was going to be terrible, and that's the truth behind it. Often, when franchises continue to expand and attempt to add another sequel or bring characters from separate franchise movies into one film (as seen with LaRusso and Mr. Han), it doesn't end well. You end up with either a horrible story that the writer hoped would be original or a hodge-podge of characters that don't make sense together. That's sort of what I felt going into this. There are so many potentially great movies coming out as part of the 2025 movie schedule, and this one was up there, but I didn't think it was going to become the next big hit of this year. However, what I expected and what I was given are two completely different things. Is it the best Karate Kid movie? No, but there's a lot to love about it. If you're a fan of the best action movies, you're going to enjoy the fight choreography. There is something so visceral and raw about watching people kick-ass and take names in a full-fledged karate fight. Maybe it's just me – because I'm clumsy as heck and could barely kick a soccer ball, let alone a living, breathing, moving person – but that is just so impressive. Besides that, of course, there are plenty of other reasons to enjoy the film, too. I grew up around New York City, so having a Karate Kid movie set in the city I love is something I will always support. There's also the fact that Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio are fun as heck in the same scenes together. We're all very aware of who these two actors are. Macchio is a legend for his films in the '80s/'90s and, of course, keeping this franchise alive and kicking. Chan is, well, Jackie Chan. We've seen him for decades. We've watched him fight. We know how kick-butt he is, and he also has great comedic timing. Put these two in the same scenes together, and I found myself belly-laughing plenty of times. There's just something that happens between them that allows them to play off each other so well. And, not only that, but watching them fight is like watching a dance. They have two completely different fighting styles – karate versus kung fu – and yet somehow, they move together like yin and yang, two opposites that flow yet also harmonize in a way that leads to Li becoming a better fighter. I feel like whenever someone sees a new film in a franchise they love, they always have such high expectations – like 'you better not mess this up.' It has happened with many Star Wars movies. It's happened with the Jurassic Park films. Now, it's happened with the Karate Kid movies. But I don't think Legends ever aimed to be as good as the original. Sure, with a title like that, it's obviously trying to lure people in with the idea that it's the 'legends' of the franchise (Macchio and Chan) coming together to teach a kid and that, in itself, is a cool concept. However, what this movie does well is that it distinguishes itself sufficiently from the original to stand on its own as a film rather than trying to outshine it. That's where most films that fall into sequel-itis tend to go – they try to outdo the original, which is near impossible, and then fall so far behind that the franchise suffers. These films have attempted to do that before, and most have not been successful. This one knew exactly what it was – a fun movie meant for the family with great chemistry from its leads and intense fight scenes. It didn't need to be philosophical because the first film already exists. It just needed to be its own thing. I think the biggest thing I like about Legends is that it's not really a film for long-time fans. Sure, it's a part of the Karate Kid franchise, but this is the karate kid for this generation. This is what introduces kids to the world of Mr. Miyagi. I know, I know, people will say, 'Well, why not just show them the original, then? What's the point of these new movies if we have the original?' And I'll give you the exact reason why – because sometimes kids just don't get it. I say that from experience. As a kid, I didn't fall in love with this franchise because I watched the original movies. I fell in love with it because my dad took me to see the new (at the time) film with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, and I loved the fight scenes in it. Then, from there, I finally checked out the originals. As a kid, you don't want to watch 'old' stuff. You want to see all the new, funky, and fresh things that everyone is talking about. But, if the new stuff is relatively good, it can get you hooked on the older films as well, and that's what happened here. I'm a massive fan of the series now. Do I think the 2010 movie is still good? Heck no – but because it came out when I was a kid, it introduced my generation to the series and created a whole slew of new fans who went back and watched the previous movies. That's what this movie is for – it's for Gen Alpha and to carry on the legacy of Mr. Miyagi. To introduce this world to the next heap of fans, who will then want to see what came before, so the cycle continues, on and on. This is a great movie to introduce you to the series. Is it as deep? No, of course not. But it has all the right moments and flair you would expect from a Karate Kid movie. If you like the fight scenes in Cobra Kai, or the drama of getting injured from a fight, or action films in general, this movie is for you. If you have a kid who's watching this series for the first time and they ask about the earlier movies, then Karate Kid: Legends has done its job correctly. That's all that matters. It might be time for another Karate Kid marathon. Who's with me? I need to learn that special kick — and somehow not break my legs.
