First Look At A New Karate Kid

Film Journalism is a strange biz to get into. Sure you make that leap because you like films – or at least certain films, but you soon come to realise that not everything that comes out of Hollywood glitters of gold or worse – you may have to report on something you completely disagree with. It’s easy for others to forget that while we get into this for us, we continue to write for the readers. A little heavy for a Monday morning? Probably. Lets start again.

A new image has been released by Columbia Pictures for the imminent remake of The Karate Kid. Gone are “Daniel-Son” Danny LaRusso and Mr Miyagi (pictured) and in their place are Will Smith’s youngest son Jaden Smith as the studious “ninja-in-waiting,” Dre and Jackie Chan as wizened Karate-master Mr. Han.

You see, while this film is a remake of sorts, it very quickly became something very different. The Karate Kid (or “Kung-Fu Kid” or whichever they finally decide on), sees young Dre and his mother move from America to China. Struggling to find his place in this strange land, Dre befriends Chan’s Mr. Han, the rest, I believe, is still a bit of a mystery.

Talking to People, Jaden was quick to point out that his training for the film doesn’t just consist of painting fences or catching flies with chop sticks:

“I trained every day for four months with Master Wu [the film's fight coordinator],” Jaden, 11, tells PEOPLE as he takes on his first leading role as an American boy named Dre Parker who moves to China. “We did a lot of stretching.”

Co-star and martial-arts specialist, Jackie Chan, was apparently amazed at how his 11-year-old co-star had taken his training so seriously:

Jaden mastered front kicks and upper blocks through his hard work ethic and dedication, says Chan, 55, who plays maintenance man Mr. Han – an unlikely friend to Jaden’s character. “He took the training very seriously. I was very impressed with him,” he adds.

“He is professional as many adult actors who have been in the business for years.”

Check out the brand new image of the pair below:

Tags: jackie chan, jaden smith, karate kid, Kung Fu Kid