Will Smith to Produce New ‘The Karate Kid’ Starring Kid Jaden Smith

CHICAGO – Sometimes rumors do become true. Will Smith will produce a new version of “The Karate Kid” with his 10-year-old kid, Jaden Smith, in the starring role.

The confirmed news surfaced on Tuesday in contrast to denied reports from a year ago that Will Smith was planning to wax on a remake of the 1984 classic “The Karate Kid”. That film featured Ralph Macchio in the starring role with Pat Morita as the infamous Mr. Miyagi.

Left image: Will Smith (left) and Jaden Smith (right) | Right image: Ralph Macchio in 1984’s “The Karate Kid”
Left image credit: Jeff Kravitz, Getty Images | Right image credit: (source)

The new version of “The Karate Kid” will shoot in 2009, according to Variety. Will Smith will produce the Columbia Pictures release through his Overbrook Entertainment production company.

“The Karate Kid” remake will be an adaptation from the original. While writer Chris Murphy plans to take the plot to more exotic locations such as Beijing, actor Jaden Smith will again be bullied and will again turn to a Mr. Miyagi character.

That character, though, is currently not yet cast. The original Mr. Miyagi sensei (to both Ralph Macchio and then to Hilary Swank in 1994’s “The Next Karate Kid”), who was played by Pat Morita, died in 2005.

In addition to starring in the new “The Karate Kid,” Jaden Smith co-starred with Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness”. Jaden Smith will also appear opposite Keanu Reeves in the upcoming winter film “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.

By ADAM FENDELMAN Editor-in-Chief HollywoodChicago.com adam@hollywoodchicago.com