Quote:
Jackie Chan eyed for 'Karate Kid' remake
By MIN LEE – 1 day ago
HONG KONG (AP) — Mr. Chan may be the new Mr. Miyagi.
Jackie Chan is in talks with Columbia Pictures to star in a remake of "The Karate Kid," a spokesman for the Hollywood studio said Thursday.
Steve Elzer, senior vice president for media relations at Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, confirmed the talks in an e-mail to The Associated Press but didn't give further details.
The plot of the remake will mirror the original, with Chan being eyed to play a mentor who helps a youngster stand up to bullies — a role similar to Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 film, Hollywood trade publication Variety reported Wednesday.The youth will be played by Will Smith's son, Jaden Smith, who starred alongside his father in "The Pursuit of Happyness" and appeared in the Keanu Reeves sci-fi movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Variety reported.
The setting has been changed to Asia from California, with shooting due to start in Beijing this summer, according to Variety.
The movie will be a co-production with state-run China Film Group, according to Variety, which would allow Columbia to bypass China's annual quota of 20 film imports on a revenue-sharing basis.
Chan, who juggles careers in Hollywood and Chinese-language film, has been shooting the American film "The Spy Next Door," an action comedy about a Chinese spy working in the U.S. who loses his cover.
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The Associated Press: Jackie Chan eyed for 'Karate Kid' remake
Many from my generation view
The Karate Kid as one of the best coming-of-age underdog films of our time. I can't say how much I loved this film as a kid. My friends and I looked up to Daniel LaRusso as a hero--we all wanted to be just like him--and wished we all had our own Mr. Miyagi living in our neighbourhood. And then there's the unforgettable and glorious power of the Crane Kick. It's actually a bit of a wonder as to why I never got into karate.
They are remaking this film, apparently. The purist in me says, "
Noooo!" but the other side of me says, "It's about time. Kids today need a constant stream of positive role models to look up to in a world just as mad today as it was then, if not madder." Now although I cannot condone violence as an answer to anything, I do support the ideal of striving to reach your goals and to keep on keeping on despite the odds: discipline, persistence, focus....
The remake, if done well enough, should be well received based on these principles. I just hope it doesn't have that Disneyfied feel that a lot of remakes for younger audiences tend to have.
What are your thoughts? Do you think this film is due for a remake? Is Jackie Chan as the new Mr. Miyagi a good choice? A part of me wishes it was David Carradine, but I'm not sure either one of them even knows karate. What do you guys think of Jaden Smith as the new Karate Kid? I've yet to see him perform.
Whatever. Does this sit well with the
Karate Kid crowd?