Ben Wang from American Born Chinese is the new Karate Kid in the next instalment of the movie franchise filming in Montreal this Spring.
The new movie takes the 1984 original storyline and the 2010 reboot and reimagines them on the East Coast with Ralph Macchio and Jack Chan starring alongside the newcomer Ben Wang, who plays a teen from China.
Li is a skilled fighter and a student in Beijing who has his life uprooted when his mom decides that they’re moving to Brooklyn for a work opportunity. Li is grappling with a past tragedy and bumping up against his doctor mother, who is dealing with the same tragedy but in an altogether different manner.
Li meets Mia who goes to his high school and her dad, Victor, who runs a pizza restaurant in his new neighborhood in Brooklyn and forms a bond with both. While his mom is against violence and Kung Fu, Li finds purpose by training Victor in the art and finds himself back in the ring as well.
Ben Wang , who speaks fluent Mandarin and is skilled in karate, kung fu, tae kwon do and other martial arts, won the role of Li after a global casting search.
Karate Kid:
Working title: VICTORY BOULEVARD
Montreal filming dates: April 1 2024 – June 03 2024
Director: Jonathan Entwistle.
Cast: Ralph Macchio., Jackie Chan, Ben Wong, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen.
Producers: Sony Pictures.
The new movie is set to be released in theatres on December 13, 2024.
The Karate Kid 1984
The Karate Kid 2010.