Latest news with #KarateKid
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘The Karate Kid' series has more Oscar nominations than you might remember
The two branches of the Karate Kid series unite in theaters this weekend with a new entry, subtitled Legends. The film sees the original's student, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), and the 2010 reboot's teacher, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), teaming up to instruct a young martial artist (played by Ben Wang) in need of guidance. The reviews for Karate Kid: Legends, however, are not the best around and suggest that the latest movie in the franchise might not be able to crane kick its way to awards season. But previously, the series has had a decorated history, with two Academy Award nominations and nine Emmy noms. More from GoldDerby 'A lot comes with jumping into that inferno': Questlove explores the burden of Black genius in 'Sly Lives!' 'I cried a lot': Rob Delaney on the heart and humor in FX's 'Dying for Sex' - and Neighbor Guy's kick in the 'zone' 'Karate Kid: Legends' to close out May with a box-office boost, but 'Lilo & Stitch' stays on top Ahead of Legends, here's a look back at the awards history of the Karate Kid series. The Karate Kid Now considered a classic of '80s cinema, the original Karate Kid at the time of its release was an unlikely sleeper hit. The movie never ranked higher than No. 4 at the weekend box, but managed to leg it out to just over $90 million in U.S. receipts, making its the fifth-highest-grossing movie of 1984. Capping off the Cinderella story was the Academy Award nomination for Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, who played Daniel's sensei Mr. Miyagi, for Best Supporting Actor. He ultimately lost of The Killing Fields' Haing S. Ngor, who became the first person of Asian descent to win an acting Oscar. The Karate Kid Part II While not as fondly remembered as the original film, its quickly produced 1986 sequel managed to outdo the first film financially — earning $115 million at the domestic box office — and match its number of Academy Award nominations. Former Chicago frontman Peter Cetera sang the swooning "Glory of Love" on the soundtrack, punching The Karate Kid Part II's ticket to Oscar night. It ultimately couldn't beat "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun, but that doesn't really seem like a fair fight. Cobra Kai The sequel series, which ran on YouTube's premium platforms before moving over to Netflix, has racked up nine Emmy nominations over the course of its six-season run. It's been a mainstay of the stunt coordination categories, and in 2021, Cobra Kai scored a nomination for Best Comedy Series. The show has yet to win an Emmy, but with its final year of eligibility approaching, don't count it out just yet! Best of GoldDerby 'I cried a lot': Rob Delaney on the heart and humor in FX's 'Dying for Sex' — and Neighbor Guy's kick in the 'zone' TV directors roundtable: 'American Primeval,' 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,' 'Paradise' 'Paradise' directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra on the 'chaos' of crafting 'the world coming to an end' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The entire ‘Karate Kid' franchise, ranked (animated series included!)
This week, the Karate Kid franchise is back in theaters for the first time in 15 years with Karate Kid: Legends. And unlike the 2010 film, this movie is a true continuation of everything that came before it. Who could have predicted that there would be a new Karate Kid movie over four decades after the original? The 1984 original has withstood the test of time, and it gave Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita two of their most iconic roles as Daniel LaRusso and his mentor, Mr. Miyagi. More from GoldDerby Loretta Swit remembered by 'M*A*S*H' costars, including Alan Alda Loretta Swit holds this Emmy record that may never be broken 'Dept. Q,' 'Mountainhead,' Alfred Hitchcock on Netflix, and the best to stream this weekend Although Morita died in 2005, Macchio has kept the flame of The Karate Kid alive in both the sequel series, Cobra Kai, and the newly released Karate Kid: Legends. In honor of that film, we're ranking the entire Karate Kid franchise, including the two TV shows. READ: Unless you lived through the '80s, you may not appreciate how hilarious it is that nearly everything got a Saturday morning cartoon show, including R-rated flicks like Rambo and RoboCop. The Karate Kid's cartoon isn't exactly bad as far as old cartoons go, but it's more enjoyable as an unintentionally funny show than as a high-quality animated series. Joey Dedio and Robert Ito stepped in to provide the voices of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi as they traveled the world with a Japanese girl named Taki Tamurai (Janice Kawaye) to retrieve a miniature magic shrine. Every episode ends with the shrine slipping from their grasp and starting things over again. But at least Pat Morita provided some in-character narration for most of the episodes. Although this film has been retconned into the larger Karate Kid universe, the 2010 reboot is very close to a remake minus some changes. All of the major characters from the original film have counterparts here, including Jaden Smith in the leading role as Dre Parker, a teenager who gets the culture shock of a lifetime when he moves to China Jackie Chan's Mr. Han plays the Miyagi role here as he helps Dre fend off his bullies. Even though the sequel acknowledged it, the fact that Mr. Han teaches Dre Kung Fu instead of karate means the studio should have given this film a new title. He's the Kung Fu Kid! READ: As disconnected as the 2010 film was from the rest of the franchise, it's fun to see Jackie Chan sharing the screen with Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid: Legends. But it's not a partnership that takes up a lot of time in the movie. Marco Zhang plays the new Karate Kid, Li Fong, the great-nephew of Mr. Han. And just like every other teen hero in this franchise, Li needs martial arts lessons so he can take down his bullies. Zhang might have a nice career ahead of him, and this is far from a bad movie. It's just not peak Karate Kid. The nods to the past are appreciated, though. Hilary Swank is clearly the biggest star to come out of the Karate Kid franchise, and it's a shame she didn't do a Cobra Kai cameo to reconnect with her past. The Next Karate Kid also boasts Michael Ironside as the villain, Colonel Dugan and a young Walton Goggins as Charlie, so clearly the casting director had an eye for talent. Morita returns as Mr. Miyagi one last time to mentor Julie Pierce (Swank), the granddaughter of one of his military friends. Julie also has an indirect link to Miyagi through the karate lessons he shared with her grandfather. And while Miyagi knew how to handle Daniel, there are times Julie was just a bit too much for him. The Karate Kid Part III can be forgiven for being such a carbon copy of the first film because Thomas Ian Griffith was a fantastic villain as Terry Silver, an old buddy of John Kreese (Martin Kove) who wants revenge and to reestablish Cobra Kai. Silver had a nonsensical plan to fake Kreese's death and ruin Daniel's karate mojo by teaching him the wrong way to practice the martial arts. There is some good drama between Daniel and Miyagi, but when push comes to shove at the All-Valley tournament, you know how it's going to go. Cobra Kai did a fantastic job of fleshing out William Zabka's Johnny Lawrence — one of the main villains in the first film — by giving him a redemptive journey through the reopening Cobra Kai. Johnny also backtracks a bit by starting a new rivalry with Daniel, but the way these two have slowly become friends over the course of the series is a beautiful thing and great character development. This show was a love letter to all things Karate Kid. Some of the new generation of martial artists, including Xolo Maridueña and Peyton List, seem like they're well on their way to becoming stars as well. In three decades, the kids on this show may be starring in their own Cobra Kai spinoff. READ: The film that started it all handled the Karate Kid formula better than any movie that came after it. As compelling as Zabka is in Cobra Kai, he's the perfect bully in this film when Daniel moves to town and romance's Johnny's ex-girlfriend, Ali Mills (Elizabeth Shue). Morita's gravitas as Miyagi was so apparent that he deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting actor. There's a real warmth between Morita and Macchio that's apparent whenever they're on-screen together. That's one of the big reasons why this is such a beloved classic over four decades later. Why does The Karate Kid Part II get the nod over the original? For one thing, it's got a much better power ballad on the soundtrack with Peter Cetera's Oscar-nominated "Glory of Love.' It's also the only sequel that didn't try to recreate the story structure of the first film. Instead, The Karate Kid Part II dares to try something new by sending Daniel back with Miyagi to revisit some unfinished business in Japan. It doesn't take long for Daniel to find a new love interest, Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), and a new rival, Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto). But the real drama comes from Miyagi's broken friendship with Chozen's uncle, Sato Toguchi (Danny Kamekona), who wants to fight his old rival to the death. There's no tournament this time, and the film is better for it. Best of GoldDerby Marilyn Monroe movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best Clint Eastwood movies: 20 greatest films ranked worst to best Morgan Freeman movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best Click here to read the full article.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
How ‘Karate Kid: Legends' turned Montreal into Manhattan
Two branches, one tree. Spoilers below for 'Karate Kid: Legends.' The newest 'Karate Kid' film follows kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) as he moves from Beijing to New York City with his mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen). Advertisement But while 'Karate Kid: Legends' is mainly set in NYC, it was almost filmed one hundred percent in Quebec, Canada. 8 While 'Karate Kid: Legends' is mainly set in NYC, it was almost filmed 100% in Quebec, Canada. Sony Pictures In an exclusive interview with The Post, the movie's production designer, Maya Sigel, revealed how she and her crew recreated Manhattan on a soundstage in Montreal – and how they were able to make it as close as possible to the real thing. 'First, I always start with lots of research and reference photos, even when it's something I'm familiar with, like NYC,' she explained. 'I go through lots of old books, the internet, and, in this case, Google Street View.' Advertisement 'Then, along the way, different crew members will do additional research on certain elements and then bring them to me, and we'll add some of them to the mix,' Sigel continued. 'There were certain buildings that I specifically called out, and the set designers modified them for our space constraints.' 8 The Post spoke with the film's production designer, Maya Sigel, about how she and her team went about recreating Manhattan on a soundstage in Montreal. NurPhoto via Getty Images Even more impressive was the fact that Sigel used some of her own experiences living and working in NYC as personal references for the latest 'Karate Kid' film's production design. Advertisement 'I have lived in NYC and have made movies and TV shows there, so it's very much ingrained in my consciousness and design vocabulary,' she told The Post. 'When designing Li's Apartment set, for example, I'm thinking about apartments I've lived in or friends' places and location scouting that I've done in NYC in the past.' 'It also helped when I was looking for locations in Montreal with the location manager, knowing what looks right and where it might fit geographically in NYC,' Sigel continued. 'There are certain locations that I imagined designing and building from the first time I read the script because of either the page count there, the importance of the geography to the story, the fight sequences, or other practical constraints.' 8 'I wanted it to have this old-school New York feeling, a place that is both familiar and charming but also unique,' Sigel said. AP Plus, Sigel and the film's director, Jonathan Entwistle, talked about certain NYC locations 'right away' and ultimately settled on a few specific landmarks that one could easily believe were filmed there on location. Advertisement 'The alley was one of these sets, and it was inspired by Cortlandt Alley in NYC and modified for our story and needs, including the stunts,' she explained. 'Another was the rooftop set for the final Five Boroughs Tournament fight.' The Five Broughs Tournament serves as the climax of the film, when Wang's character must fight his rival, Connor Day (Aramis Knight), with the help of shifu Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and sensei Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio). 8 Ben Wang's character Li Fong fighting on a rooftop designed to look like the NYC skyline is in the background. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 8 Another shot of Ben Wang's character with the NYC skyline in the background. ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'It was written as the rooftop of a skyscraper in Manhattan, and we – the art department, director, cinematographer, production, VFX and stunts – all worked together for months figuring out what the best way to achieve this would be, and in the end we landed on the Volume,' Sigel said. 'We built the rooftop set on stage, had hundreds of extras, and the Volume work turned out looking good,' she added. Sigel later described the production design for 'Legends' as a 'love letter to New York' and the 'old-school kind of New York nostalgia.' 8 Jackie Chan, Ben Wang and Ralph Macchio in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' AP Advertisement One set that captures those ideas the best is Victory Pizza, the pizzeria owned by the family of Li Fong's love interest, Mia Lipani (Sadie Stanley). 'I wanted it to have this old-school New York feeling, a place that is both familiar and charming but also unique,' Sigel explained. 'The slice shop on your block that is cozy and family-owned, with the grit and sweat and history that comes along with that.' 'There are family photos on the wall along with NYC memorabilia, Mets gear, and Victor's old boxing photos and awards,' she continued. 'It's a cozy place that's welcoming and makes you feel grounded and at home.' 8 'The Karate Kid is, at its essence, a story of a kid being thrown into a new environment, struggling, and eventually building strong relationships, finding his center, and returning home to himself,' Sigel explained to The Post. Sony Pictures Advertisement By the end of the film, and with the help of Sigel and her crew's production design, the audience witnesses Li Fong's true journey from his old home in Beijing to his new one in NYC. 'The Karate Kid is, at its essence, a story of a kid being thrown into a new environment, struggling, and eventually building strong relationships, finding his center, and returning home to himself,' Sigel said. 'I wanted to show New York as it can be at its best,' she concluded, 'a beautiful mish-mash of people and cultures, a place of possibility and vibrance, and a wild and warm place to call home.' 8 Ben Wang's character on what was designed to look like the NYC subway in 'Karate Kid: Legends.' Sony Pictures Advertisement As for why the movie was filmed in Montreal despite being set predominantly in Manhattan, Sigel said that the decision was already made when she joined the project. Still, she advocates for a boost in tax incentives and credits to bring productions back to the US – especially as more studios are ditching NYC and Hollywood for other countries to save on production costs.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karate Kid: Legends Review: SOOOOO Many Cliches
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth Karate Kid film, not counting the spinoff series Cobra Kai, and it is so riddled with cliches that there is almost nothing new, special, or interesting about this rehashed, remixed, clone-of-a-clone-of-a-clone-of-a-clone of a movie. Jonathan Entwistle directs Karate Kid: Legends, which stars Ben Wang as Li Fong, this film's titular Karate Kid – who actually practices Kung Fu. Jackie Chan returns from the remake made in 2010, Ralph Macchio returns from the original three films from the 1980s, and Ming-Na Wen plays Wang's character's mother, who initially disapproves of Li fighting. The story is familiar to anyone who has seen a Karate Kid movie: Li must fight in a city karate tournament to save his girlfriend's father's pizzeria from loan sharks. Friendship review Karate Kid: Legends is entirely composed of cliches. It is easy to know exactly what fights he's going to win, what fights he's going to lose, and where these characters are going to go at every single turn. If the mother character begins by disapproving her son's karate, what do you think is going to happen by the end? If there is a fight at the midpoint that would solve all of the characters' problems, do you think the protagonists are going to win? If Li needs to train to be successful, do you think there's going to be a montage? That question I can answer without fearing spoilers: yes, in fact, there are going to be several montages. Even if you're going to Karate Kid: Legends for the martial arts action, you will be disappointed. The martial arts action is cut to ribbons; the editing makes it almost impossible to figure out what is going on in these fights. Like most modern action films, the frenetic cutting makes it feel like stuff is going on, but any clarity of motion or geography gets lost in all the cuts. Most deceptive is the film's use of the two great stars of the franchise, Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. These two actors are given almost nothing to do in Karate Kid: Legends. The plot bends itself into a pretzel to include them, and yet it still gives them nothing to do. Neither character has an arc, and both characters don't show up on screen for any extended amount of time until the film is half-over. Heavily featured in the training montages, they exist to spout cliché dialogue and block a few punches in sparring sequences. For fans of the franchise or Cobra Kai, Karate Kid: Legends wastes the franchise's main draws. Most of the film's heavy lifting relies on Ben Wang, and he is the one good thing about Karate Kid: Legends. He is almost charming enough to save it, and it is through sheer force of will that he is able to make the movie halfway watchable. But with hackneyed 80s villains, bad action sequences, and a plot that regurgitates cliches, not even Wang's strong performance can save Karate Kid: Legends. Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Ralph Macchio's net worth: The ‘Karate Kid: Legends' star's wealth & income
Ralph Macchio reprises his role as Daniel LaRusso in the movie Karate Kid: Legends, which premiered on May 29, 2025. In the sixth installment of the Karate Kid franchise, Macchio's character joins forces with Jackie Chan's Mr. Han - from the 2010 remake - to help mentor a young kung fu prodigy. Macchio has had significant roles in major movies such as My Cousin Vinny and The Outsiders, but he is best known for playing a martial arts student in 1984's The Karate Kid and its two sequels later in the 1980s. It's a role he reprised more than 30 years later on the small screen for the Cobra Kai TV series, and that has revived his career and popularity among Karate Kid fans. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Here's how much Ralph Macchio is worth now and how he has built his isn't as wealthy as his Legends co-star Jackie Chan, but his revival as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid franchise for Cobra Kai has boosted his net worth. Macchio probably has a net worth of around $10 million or more, largely based on his recent earnings and property. Related: Jackie Chan's net worth: The 'Karate Kid: Legends' star's wealth & income Macchio's acting career has been on and off over the past few decades since the end of his last starring role as Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid Part III in 1989. The Cobra Kai series, which ran from 2018 to 2025, has provided him with a steady income in recent years. Macchio reportedly earned $100,000 an episode for the first two seasons it aired on YouTube's subscription services. After that 20-episode run, Cobra Kai was picked up by Netflix (NFLX), and Macchio reportedly started making $200,000 an episode for the third season. Based on those pay figures, Macchio likely earned at least $11 million on the 65-episode series. Macchio and co-star William Zabka, who played his nemesis in the original Karate Kid film, served as co-executive producers on Cobra Kai, further adding to Macchio's earnings. Endorsements and speaking engagements are another source of income. Macchio is represented by the MN2S agency, and he is available for commercial work and private bookings. AAE Speakers, another talent agency, lists his speaking fee for a live event at between $30,000 and $50, salary from Legends isn't known, but he shares credit as an executive producer for the movie. With a budget reportedly around $45 million, Macchio and co-star Chan may have been paid at scale actor rates in exchange for a share of the box-office profits. Legends is forecast to make $25 million to $30 million in its opening weekend. The Karate Kid films have been good to Macchio. The first three films, in which he had the starring role, earned a collective $700 million, adjusted for inflation in 2025 dollars. The first sequel alone, which aired in 1986, took in more than $330 million in 2025-adjusted dollars. The following are global gross box-office revenues for the five Karate Kid films and selected movies in which Macchio had a role, based on figures compiled by Box Office Mojo, which tracks movie theater receipts. More on actors' net worth: Kelsey Grammer's net worth: The 'Cheers' star's wealth at 70Val Kilmer's net worth: Building a fortune through triumph and tragedyWill Ferrell's net worth: How much money does the 'SNL' star have in 2025? Macchio isn't known to be a lavish spender. According to the YouTube channel House of Celebs, Macchio lives in a three-bedroom, three-bathroom house valued at $4 million in Montauk, New York, which is the easternmost point of Long Island and New York State. Ralph George Macchio Jr. was born in Huntington, New York, on November 4, 1961. His early acting roles were onTV shows, such as Eight Is Enough, and before long, he transitioned into acting in feature films. Macchio's IMDb profile lists 57 credits for acting roles, including movies, TV shows, and video games. He has also appeared in theatrical productions. In 2022, Random House published Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me, which is Macchio's memoir about his acting career, the Karate Kid franchise, and working with co-stars Pat Morita (who played his mentor Mr. Miyagi), Elisabeth Shue, and William Zabka. In 2025, Macchio finally received a black belt in karate - more than 40 years after he first played the black belt Daniel LaRusso in the original Karate Kid film. Related: Miley Cyrus' net worth: A look at her wealth as 'Something Beautiful' drops The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
