Latest news with #Legends
Yahoo
17 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.
Miami Herald
a day 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.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Karate Kid: Legends Movie Review: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio train the next gen in tropey franchise product
These subtleties are lost on Legends which is only concerned about traversing established tropes and stirring film nostalgia. Jackie Chan's Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio's now-older Daniel LaRusso, the OG Karate Kid, join hands to train Li to fight Mia's ponytailed bully of an ex-boyfriend Conor (Aramis Knight), whose only character motivation seems to be that he is psychotic. He trains at a gym called 'Demolition', which doesn't leave much to the imagination. I so miss the villainy mystery of the Cobra Kai dojo. Jackie and Ralph coming together is the USP of the film but their characters are glanced over, and offer no more depth than a cameo appearance. The film often felt like a long training montage with a threadbare of a plot. The only respite was the New York imagery. It wasn't fresh but it briefly made me relive the big city charm offered by 90s Hollywood rom-coms. Karate Kid: Legends is just content trying to pass off as a film. It brings all these elements together, the casting, the callbacks, the references, the mid-credit cameo but misses out on the magic ingredient. It doesn't build a relationship with its viewer and the only way to do that is to be human, vulnerable, real. In his broken English, Mr. Miyagi gave a lesson which wasn't just about Karate. 'If come from inside you, always right one.'
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Two Scenes In ‘Karate Kid: Legends' Could Set Up A Sequel
Ming Na Wen, Wyatt Oleff, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Jackie Chan and Sadie Stanley in ... More "Karate Kid: Legends." The Karate Kid movie saga continues Friday with Karate Kid: Legends, starring Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan and Ben Wang. The film leaves the door open for a sequel if the franchise chooses to go that route, but how? New in theaters on Friday, Karate Kid: Legends begins with a flashback to a previous Karate Kid movie that serves as a primer for Macchio's Daniel LaRusso and Chan's Mr. Han paths to cross in a sensible way. After all, Macchio and Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita's version of The Karate Kid was released in 1984 and was followed by three sequels, while Chan starred in what effectively amounted to a reboot of the original in 2010 opposite Jaden Smith. In 2018, The Karate Kid franchise made a comeback with two seasons of Cobra Kai on the now-defunct YouTube Red channel before it was acquired by Netflix, which in turn produced four more seasons that came to a conclusion earlier this year. As Karate Kid: Legends proves, however, Macchio's time in the Karate Kid Universe is not quite over yet. The film introduces a new Karate Kid named Li Fong (Ben Wang), who moves with his doctor mother (Ming-Na Wen) from Beijing to New York City to work at a hospital and to give her and her son a fresh start after a family tragedy. Not long after Li and his mother settle into their new place, he befriends Mia Lapani (Sadie Stanley) and her pizza parlor owner father Victor (Joshua Jackson). Li's friendship with Mia, however, leads to a violent encounter with her ex-boyfriend, Conor (Aramis Knight), a local karate champ who uses his skills to bully Li. To help confront a tragedy from the past and make a bid to earn money for Victor's struggling business, Li enters the famed 5 Boroughs Karate Tournament, where he'll inevitably need to face off against Conor. If Li is to have any chance of winning, though, he'll need to enlist the help of his old sensei from Beijing, Mr. Han, who in turn recruits the help of Daniel in California. Note: The next section of this story includes spoilers for 'Karate Kid: Legends.' Since The Karate Kid solidified itself as an enduring franchise with its successful six-season run of Cobra Kai, the studio behind the film and series, Sony Pictures Entertainment, is clearly looking for a way to keep the franchise alive and Karate Kid: Legends marks their first bid to do so. Wisely, the studio is keeping the story in the same universe by involving both Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan's Mr. Han while starting a new story with Ben Wang's Li Fong. The air of familiarity goes a long way in establishing a new story and avoiding a wash, rinse and repeat cycle involving any stories or other characters from The Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Karate Kid: Legends leaves the door wide open in a couple of different ways at its conclusion for another Karate Kid movie should Sony wish to pursue it. First of all, Li Fong faces off against Conor in the 5 Boroughs Karate Tournament championship match and — not surprisingly — wins. While Conor appears to accept the defeat with relative grace (he hesitantly shakes Li's hand), it's not a stretch to believe that a rematch is on his mind, which would be an easy way to ease into a sequel. Conor, after all, trains with a hard-hitting Cobra Kai-like dojo named Demolition with an edgy John Kreese-like sensei named O'Shea (Tim Rozon), even though O'Shea barely has a presence in comparison to Martin Kove's Kreese in the Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai. That lack of presence really doesn't matter, though, since dirty dojos like Cobra Kai and Demolition don't accept defeat too easily. The other scene that allows room for a sequel comes in a scene that plays out at the beginning of the end credits, where we find Victor's pizza parlor is not only solvent — but has a second location — thanks to Li's winnings. The film ends with Victor traveling from New York City to California to deliver a pizza to Daniel. When Daniel opens the box, he sees a photo of Li Fong's victory celebration at the 5 Boroughs Karate Tournament and a note written on the inner flap of the box from Mr. Han that reads, 'If you ever need help, you know where to find me.' While Mr. Han's cleverly delivered message doesn't have the sort of cliffhanger feel most end credits scenes have, it certainly can be construed as an invitation for Macchio to participate in another Karate Kid film if Sony decides to go that route. In a red carpet interview at the red carpet premiere of Karate Kid: Legends this week, The Hollywood Reporter asked Macchio if he was game for more and his answer was encouraging. 'We'll see. As long as it's honest, genuine and truthful to the base of this character and these characters, I'll always be open to listen because I like that the next generation can experience the joy of what we've been through,' Macchio told THR. 'In a world that's not always joyful, it's really cool to bring some of that.' The end credits scene is also made distinct by a cameo appearance from a familiar face, which won't be spoiled here. The scene is more of a nod to the original Karate Kid movies and a Cobra Kai series, though, than it is a teaser of a potential sequel. Of course, the first thing that needs to happen before Sony starts thinking about a sequel is for Karate Kid: Legends to be financially successful. If Karate Kid: Legends' box office projections from Deadline (which projects a $25 million to $30 million opening weekend from 3,809 theaters domestically) and Variety (which forecasts a $25 million bow), are any indication, the film should get a good start in its first three-day frame. Also benefitting the film is its production budget of $45 million before prints and advertising, per Variety, a modest enough cost for any major studio to invest in any film, much less a sequel to a film that earned money. Directed by Jonathan Entwistle, Karate Kid: Legends, which is rated PG-13, opens in theaters in wide release on Friday.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Karate Kid Legends movie review: Jackie Chan, Ben Wang film is worth rooting for
There are few greater pleasures than watching Jackie Chan do his thing. Pair him up with Ralph Macchio, and it could be Karate Kid from 40 years ago all over again. But just because it could, doesn't mean it is. Legends has the moves and lands its karate kid on his feet – but it flutters rather than floats like a butterfly and pricks rather than stings like a bee. So if you are not expecting heady knockouts, there are enough handy knockabouts for the film to seal its place in this franchise. Apart from the fact, of course, that it has veterans Chan and Macchio. This time round, the kid being bullied whom karate / kung fu will rescue is Li Fong (Wang), who has been plucked from Mr Han's (Chan's) academy in Beijing and brought to New York by his doctor mother (Wen). She doesn't want him fighting for reasons that become clear by and by. But, of course, there is no avoiding destiny for Li, who due to his double-quick friendship with a friendly neighbourhood pizza owner and daughter (Jackson, Stanley) lands right in the midst of the Big Apple's karate scene. Watch Karate Kid Legends movie trailer: There are absolutely no surprises in Legends or its story curve, from the time of the meet cute between Li and Mia (Stanley), to her sulking ex-boyfriend (Knight), to the fights that Li loses, to the entry of Han and LaRusso (Macchio) just when needed, to even the kick that finally sets the universe right. The trick then lies in making us believe in Li, which Wang pulls off with ease. And ease is what Legends is all about, like the comfort of a regular pepperoni pizza, which has several big moments in the film. As he is wont to, Han offers several aphorisms to his young protege, one of them being: 'In life, there is only one question: Is something worth fighting for?' Karate Kid, certainly, is worth rooting for. Karate Kid Legends movie cast: Ben Wang, Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight Karate Kid Legends movie director: Jonathan Entwistle Karate Kid Legends movie rating: 3 stars
