Jaden Smith To Star In "Karate Kid" Remake

Will Smith's kids have been following in his footsteps, appearing in films and working red carpets, and now younger son Jaden is starring in a movie being made just for him: a remake of "Karate Kid."
Variety reports:

Columbia Pictures is back in the dojo with a new version of the 1984 hit "The Karate Kid," which has been refashioned as a star vehicle for Jaden Smith.

The film will be produced by Jerry Weintraub (who launched the original franchise) and Overbrook Entertainment's James Lassiter, Will Smith and Ken Stovitz. Will Smith, who is the 10-year-old actor's father, co-starred alongside Jaden in his feature debut, "The Pursuit of Happyness," which Overbrook and Escape Artists produced for Columbia.

The script is being written by Chris Murphy, and the film will shoot next year in Beijing and other cities. While the new film will be set in that exotic locale, it will borrow elements of the original plot, wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help of an eccentric mentor.

China Film Group Corp. will co-produce in China.

The younger Smith, who next stars in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," is a martial arts practitioner.

Smith has three children: son Trey for a first marriage and daughter Willow and Jaden with wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

Jaden, who turned 10 in July, wore his sunglasses at night this summer at premiere for "Kit Kittredge" and at "Hancock."

With sister Willow at "Hancock":

Comments

[HadEnoughCrap]

Worse case of nepotism EVER!!!

[ChrisR]

"show biz kids makin movies of themselves
you know they don't give a f**k about anybody else"
- Steely Dan

Sorry - couldn't resist - Lucky rich actor now inflicting his kids on the movie world. The words "obnoxious" & "nepotism" comes to mind, though nothing wrong with exposing a new generation to a great story.

[beanhole]

right... and i bet he had to audition for it like anyone else... and his father had nothing to do with it... and maybe he even used a different name....

give me a break

[OneLessReason]

Please!!! There is nothing wrong with the original movie.Why would someone want to see a remake of a classic that can't be outdone? Sorry but i think Holly Wood should be seeking a new genre of writers.This is really sad to say the least.

[rjmiller]

As long as they keep the Joe Esposito song "You're The Best."

[Hemkit]

"You're the best (cymbal crash) around (cymbal crash,) nothing's gonna ever keep ya down. You're the best around..."

[BowlingForRevenge]

Waaaay too young for the role....sorry have him wait about 5 years then MAYBE.

[truthyguy]

It is so nice to read a heartwarming story where a young person with no insider connections, from an average family, having worked long and hard, rises to a staring role in a movie solely because of his acting talent.

[OwenTupper]

That kid looks like a jerk.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

WTF?????? be nice to the kiddies!

[HadEnoughCrap]

He meant the parents...

[brummie]

Wax on. Wax off.

[HelloooCanada]

probably not the worst idea to teach that kid some self-defense techniques, if you know what i'm sayin.

[ninetwelve]

the greatest thing about the karate kid was the setting, the music, the time period, not just the fact that it was a movie with fighting. the aesthetics is what drove that movie so strongly.

if smith thinks such a great film can be recreated in our era, not only does he not understand the movie whatsoever, he doesn't understand our times.

when will people let the classics just BE?

[sarimn00]

They are always redoing classic movies. Some of them have been good, yes, but others have not lived up to the first movie. They should just leave them be. It seems like they are running out of ideas and have to ruin the classics.

[westphilly726]

Mostly bad.Original Stepford Wives-Good.Remake-Horrible.
The Omen-Excellent.Remake-Horrendous
Bewitched-Funny.Remake-Ugh
Need I say anymore.

[huzzah]

If it's shooting in Beijing, shouldn't it be "The Kung Fu Kid"? I mean, last I checked Karate was more...well...*Japanese* in origin.

[lattedrinker]

This is what happens when the intelligence of writters cease. Writers, then, take from the past add their own flavours and call it "THEIR" own remake. Personally, I think it's crap. Would not surprise me if we eventually see "Gone with the wind" or the original "Wizard of Oz" remakes.

So sad. Just goes to show that script writting is becoming a lost art, or maybe movie industries are keeping the real talent out of the loop.

[sarimn00]

I wouldn't be surprised either.

[QuietNetworker]

I'm more interested in how they play the "mentor" this time.

And will he be a stereotype.

Warmly,

Paulie Sabol

[provgrays]

Nepotism makes the world go round.

[Rock81]

Yeah, just ask George W. Bush.

[AlligatorShuz]

Will & Jada Smith needs to let those kids grow up normal because Jaden and Willow look like they are going to be some serious troubled teens in a few years....