Ralph Macchio reflects on Karate Kid legacy in new film
Ralph Macchio wanted to "honour the legacy" of the franchise in Karate Kid: Legends.
The 63-year-old actor reprises his role as Daniel LaRusso on the big screen in the martial arts franchise for the first time in 36 years and is grateful that the new flick pays homage to the past through the connection between Jackie Chan's character Mr Han and karate master Mr. Miyagi, played by the late Pat Morita.
"(It) feels authentic and honours the legacy of the entire franchise, and I think we do that," Macchio told The Hollywood Reporter.
"It's another ecosystem in the grand universe. This franchise doesn't know how to not do it right when we care, and I try to always take great care and protect my character, and I like to believe I've done that again."
Macchio's appearance in Karate Kid: Legends comes after he returned to the role of Daniel in the TV series Cobra Kai, and he revealed he had lots of conversations with the studio before committing to the movie.
"I was in the middle of Cobra Kai and we were still finishing that story, so I wanted to know where it was landing in Daniel LaRusso's narrative and his evolution," he said.
"And once we figured out it was three years later and we landed him in the series (as) kind of the best version of himself through his little midlife crisis of the Cobra Kai soap opera, there's an element of him being more Miyagi in his way and paying that legacy forward to a kid who needs his help."
Macchio believes that there is scope for more stories in the Karate Kid franchise, provided the plots remain "truthful" to the characters.
Chan returns in the role of Mr Han, a role he first played in the 2010 remake, and explained he still opts to do the majority of his own stunts at the age of 71.
"Whatever I can do, I do it myself," the movie legend said.
"When I was young I could do a triple triple kick, double double kick; now, if I can do one kick, I do one kick. I think the audience knows we want to see Jackie do the real things."
Chan recently expressed concern that the use of CGI trickery in stunts is making viewers "numb" to the danger of action movies.
The Rush Hour star told Haute Living: "In the old days, the only (choice we had) was to be there and jump; that's it.
"Today, with computers, actors can do anything, but there's always a sense of reality that you feel is missing."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Perth Now
Julie Bowen surprised by Happy Gilmore comeback
Julie Bowen thought Sydney Sweeney was set to replace her in 'Happy Gilmore 2'. The 55-year-old actress starred in the original 'Happy Gilmore' movie back in 1996 - but Julie never imagined that she'd return for the sequel. The actress - who played Virginia Venit, Happy's romantic interest, in the original film - told The Hollywood Reporter: "I thought, 'Well I won't be in it'. And that was OK - it was like Virginia Venit, it's been 30 years, he's got a hottie. He's got some little bitty on the side, like a cart girl. "As a matter of fact my children told me, before I was even told officially that there was a 'Happy Gilmore' sequel, my now 18-year-old said, 'Mom, I hear they're doing a sequel and he's with Sydney Sweeney as a cart girl.'" Sydney, 27, was widely linked with a role in the new 'Happy Gilmore' movie - but Julie was pleasantly surprised to be offered a part in the sequel. Julie - who stars alongside Adam Sandler and Margaret Qualley in the new film - said: "I went, I'm hurt and I so respect that move. Of course, why wouldn't you? So when I got the call that I was actually in it, I was like, 'Are you sure? Come on.'" 'Happy Gilmore 2' features cameo appearances from a host of big-name celebrities, including the likes of Bad Bunny, Eminem and NFL star Travis Kelce. Julie particularly enjoyed working with Bad Bunny, admitting that she's a huge fan of the music star. The actress shared: "Seeing Bad Bunny on set I was just like, 'Oh, I can't actually look you in the eye, I'm going to have to walk away,' and I did. I think he was offended and I had to circle back and now I made it worse. "I'm the kind of person who doesn't want to meet her heroes because I think I'm just going to be a jack***." Meanwhile, Adam Sandler is convinced that the new movie can live-up to the original 'Happy Gilmore' film. The 58-year-old actor - who plays the titular character in both 'Happy Gilmore' films - resisted the temptation to make a sequel for many years, but he's convinced that fans of the original movie will love the new project. Adam said on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon': "People have been asking me for a long time, 'Do Happy Gilmore 2', and I was always like, 'Nah, I'll only let you down'. But then me and my buddy, Tim Herlihy, we came up with this idea. "We're really excited about it. We wrote our a**** off. We're continuing to try to make it a movie that you guys will like."
Perth Now
21 hours ago
- Perth Now
Black Phone 2 is 'more violent, scarier, more graphic'
'Black Phone 2' is "more violent, scarier" and "more graphic" than the original film, according to director Scott Derrickson. The first movie - starring Mason Thames and Ethan Hawke - was based on a short story by Stephen King's son Joe Hill and was released in 2021 with the second instalment now due for release in October - and Derrickson has now told fans they can expect more gore in the follow-up. He told The Hollywood Reporter: "It is certainly more violent, scarier, more graphic. And part of that is because of the age of the kids." The first film followed the story of a teenage boy Finney Shaw (Thames) who is abducted by a serial killer called The Grabber (Hawke) and thrown into a soundproof basement. The youngster then finds out he can hear the voices of the villain's previous victims through a disconnected phone and they try to help him escape. Thames is back for the second film, and Derrickson revealed he wanted to make a follow-up quickly before the young castmembers aged too much. He added: "I thought if I go make another movie first and don't make a sequel now like you're supposed to, then by the time I finish, these kids are all going to be in high school." The second film was helped along by Hill, who sent the director some ideas, and Derrickson is convinced having a slightly older cast gives the film a different feel. He said: "A middle school coming-of-age horror movie is a different animal than a high school coming-of-age horror film ... There's a ratcheting up of intensity because of that." Derrickson previously admitted making a sequel 'wasn't a foregone conclusion". When Screen Rant asked the director what fans could expect from 'Black Phone 2', Derrickson said: 'A lot of surprises, for sure. I just finished shooting 'Black Phone 2', and what I can tell you is that I didn't feel obliged to make a sequel. It wasn't a foregone conclusion that I would make a sequel." On a production budget of roughly $18 million, 'Black Phone' grossed $161.4 million at the box office. Before his return for 'Black Phone 2' was confirmed, Hawke - who had previously worked with Derrickson on the 2012 horror flick 'Sinister' - said he would happily reprise his role as The Grabber in the sequel. The 'Before Sunrise' actor told Collider: 'I had a really wonderful experience making my first scary movie with him. We did a movie called 'Sinister', and he's just a real filmmaker. "I love the way he thinks about film and storytelling. And as I get older, I really enjoy working in different genres as an actor. It's a way to shape [and] change yourself as a performer. 'By trying to learn the math of what makes a great romantic comedy, what makes a great art film, what makes a great horror film, what makes a great Western, you know, there's a certain geometry to all that and Scott is brilliant at that. 'And so, basically, if he wants me to be in 'Black Phone 2', I'm gonna do it.' 'Black Phone 2' is due for release on 17 October 2025.
Perth Now
21 hours ago
- Perth Now
Sadie Stanley explains why she found it 'very natural' to work with Joshua Jackson on Karate Kid
Sadie Stanley found it "very natural" to work with Joshua Jackson on 'Karate Kid: Legends'. The 23-year-old actress plays the on-screen daughter of Jackson's character in the what has become the sixth instalment in the martial arts franchise, and thinks that they gelled so well to begin with because he is a father in his own life. She told ScreenRant: "That process was very natural. We got lunch when we first arrived and hung out for a little bit and just got to know each other. "He has a daughter of his own, Juno, who's adorable, and he is such a dad. He talks about her constantly, gushes about her, shows pictures, talks about what she's into these days and what she's like. He very clearly just has such dad energy." The 'Kim Possible' star noted that her character Mia is "very protective" of her father throughout the story of the film and She said: "Of course, Mia's a little protective of her father. She lost her mom when she was young, and that really forces you to grow up a lot when you're that age. She just has her dad. It's just them two against the world working in this pizza shop trying to make ends meet. "I think that definitely informs her relationships with other people." In the film, Mia strikes up a relationship with Ben Wang's character of Li Fong and noted that was one of the turning points for her on-screen father because it served as a "challenge" in his own life. She said: "I think when she meets Li, she really holds up a mirror to him and challenges him to be more honest with himself and with others. She really sees his potential before he fully sees it in himself. "I think that's really special when you can do that for somebody. Just in general, Mia is a person who sees through the noise, and she's very emotionally intuitive, a grounding force." In the early 1990s, Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank appeared in 'The Next Karate Kid' and Sadie insisted that she would love for the Hollywood star to make a comeback to the franchise. She said: "Absolutely. Great question. Please bring her back. She's fantastic. I'm obsessed with her. That would be so cool. We can have all four of them train Mia."
