Latest news with #Okinawa
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ralph Macchio Insisted That ‘Karate Kid: Legends' Delay Its Release Until After ‘Cobra Kai'
Forty-eight hours after wrapping Cobra Kai in Atlanta, Ralph Macchio was right back where he started on the Montreal-based set of Karate Kid: Legends. Macchio stepped foot onto Legends' version of the Mr. Miyagi house that he and Pat Morita made famous four decades earlier in John G. Avildsen's The Karate Kid (1984). The original house in Canoga Park was demolished after production concluded on 1986's The Karate Kid Part II, before being rebuilt at Warner Bros. Ranch for 1989's Part III. Cobra Kai then constructed an iteration of it that evolved across six seasons on its Atlanta-based set. More from The Hollywood Reporter Ralph Macchio on Decision to Return to 'Karate Kid' Films and Future of the Franchise 40 Years In 'Karate Kid: Legends' Review: Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio Return for a Messy and Uninspired Addition to the Franchise Cannes: Jackie Chan's 'The Shadow's Edge' Sells Wide 'It was the weirdest feeling. I literally was at somebody else's house, but I kind of helped build the house,' Macchio tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of Karate Kid: Legends' May 30 theatrical release. In Jonathan Entwistle's legacy sequel, Macchio's Daniel LaRusso is paid a visit by Jackie Chan's Mr. Han from 2010's The Karate Kid, folding the former stand-alone reboot into the mothership franchise. The Legends creative team realized that Part II's Miyagi family dojo scene could be expanded upon to link the Okinawa, Japan-based Miyagi family with the Han family in China. In 1625, Mr. Miyagi's fisherman ancestor, Shimpo Miyagi, fell asleep at sea and woke up off the coast of China. That's where the Han family took him in and taught him kung fu. Upon his return home, he established Miyagi-Do Karate, combining the two families' unique martial arts and creating a lasting friendship that endured through Mr. Miyagi and Mr. Han. (The 2010 film's brain trust used the same Part II scene inside the Miyagi family dojo as a jumping-off point for their China-set story.) Macchio previously met Chan at the 2010 premiere of The Karate Kid, and while he was always a good sport in public, he admits that he was privately conflicted about Chan's remake at first. But through the unlikely creative merger, Macchio couldn't be happier with how it all unfolded, especially now that he's shared action scenes with Chan in the name of training Mr. Han's great-nephew, Li Fong (Ben Wang). 'I was territorial upon first hearing of [2010's The Karate Kid]. I didn't understand what they were going for, and I had walked in the shoes for so long. I just felt, 'How are you going to do a retread of [1984's The Karate Kid]?'' Macchio says, 'But they made a movie that was well-crafted and highly successful. I always describe that movie as a lesson in how you can tell virtually the same story, but still make it a completely different movie.' Karate Kid: Legends was originally announced in September 2022, and it immediately raised a number of questions as to how it would navigate the then-upcoming final season of Cobra Kai. It's now known that Legends was always going to be set three years after the series finale of Cobra Kai, but two of its previous release dates — June 2024 and December 2024 — fell before the series' February 2025 conclusion. (Both projects were delayed by the 2023 strikes.) As a result, Macchio became adamant that the film delay itself until after Cobra Kai's completion — in order to not confuse the Cobra Kai audience and hopefully attract them to the movie off the strength of the satisfying series finale and successful overall run. 'When [Karate Kid: Legends] was initially slated for a December 13, 2024 release, I was screaming constantly every day: 'This movie has to come out after [Cobra Kai] finishes,'' Macchio shares. 'And once marketing got together and realized that [the December '24 release] would not benefit either, they did the right thing [by delaying until May 2025]. Karate Kid: Legends is now coming at a time where I like to believe that Cobra Kai fans are thirsty for another chapter.' As for the future of Daniel LaRusso, Macchio confirms that several Cobra Kai spinoffs are in development, and it's just a matter of time before Netflix and creators Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg decide which direction(s) to go next. 'There are a few balls up in the air. I don't know which one is going to land. I hope all of them do, or some of them do, or one of them does,' Macchio says. 'The success of Karate Kid: Legends could propel all that stuff. It's different, but the same. There's a Miyagi-ism for you.' Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Macchio also discusses the responsibility he feels to protect the Karate Kid franchise now that he's one of the last remaining principals from 1983's foundational film. *** When first came along, you were still shooting . So how was the movie's timeline explained in relation to the show? The first I heard about it, I said, 'Okay, where does this land?' because the Cobra Kai guys — [showrunners] Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg — were not involved with the creation of Karate Kid: Legends. So I got the concept, and to me, it was just about figuring out the genuine, honest connective tissue going forward. For me, it's always been about carrying the Miyagi-verse or the legacy forward. Chronologically, [Karate Kid: Legends] was always set about three years after the events of Cobra Kai. Cobra Kai started in 2018, and so the kids on that show would be in their third year of college [during Karate Kid: Legends]. That was determined early on, and then it was about landing Daniel LaRusso in a way that feels like a natural evolution and progression when we see him three years later. That's where my real focus was and how I would layer him into this fresh separate storyline. It's like its own ecosystem in the grand universe. At the end of Cobra Kai, he lands in a very positive way. He and Johnny Lawrence are the best versions of themselves going forward. In Karate Kid: Legends, we find him being far more Miyagi in his sensibilities and his grounded wisdom. In Cobra Kai, it was designed that the more knee-jerk and up-in-Johnny's-face he was, the better it was to service Johnny Lawrence's redemption. So I'd be like, 'Okay, but when do we land in Miyagi-land?' That is where I thought LaRusso would end up with all his wisdom from his mentor, a very grounded mother, a good life, a good business and a good wife. And then we landed Daniel at that place. So when we pick him up three years later, he's in Miyagi''s yard, and to him, that house is like a museum of his childhood. He takes off his gardening gloves after Jackie Chan's Mr. Han comes into the dojo, and then he's reminded of the [Miyagi-Han family] connection. The [flashback] piece of Karate Kid Part II talks about how [Miyagi-Do] karate came from China, and so we were off to the races. It made sense. It was then all about protecting LaRusso and that relationship that was born in 1984, which has now given birth to this whole franchise. For many of us, you will always be 'The Karate Kid,' but for a younger generation, you are now what Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi was to my generation. Did it take a while to get used to seeing yourself as the sensei character after being the kid all these years? Yeah, and that's a great question. It evolved early on in Cobra Kai. I'll never forget a moment in the first episode of season two where Tanner Buchanan's Robbie was now the one waxing the car and painting the fence and sanding the deck. We camera-blocked the rehearsal of that little montage, and I went back to my trailer to get changed because we hadn't changed into wardrobe yet. I then had this rush of emotion by myself. I won't say I was bawling, but I started getting misty. There was a little lump in my throat as I was getting ready to do the scene because I had just remembered all the magic that happened in Miyagi's backyard in 1983. Pat Morita showed me how to paint the fence and all the stuff that has become a piece of pop culture. So I was now on the other side of the mat, and all those years were gone. John Avildsen was no longer here. Pat Morita and producer Jerry Weintraub had both passed. And I just felt the emotional responsibility of carrying this legacy forward in that poignant moment. So that was the time that I felt that. As far as feeling the sensei versus the student, I've had that experience as a parent. I would also tell stories of yesterday to the young cast of Cobra Kai, and just like any dad telling a story of his childhood, they would lean in and listen. I did the same thing with Ben Wang on Karate Kid: Legends. I take pride in sharing a piece of yesterday because, in essence, we don't have any of this right now without what was created back in the early 1980s. I don't like to get lost in that nostalgia, but you do need to pay it forward and make it relevant. Cobra Kai did that very well, and I'd like to believe that this film has a fresh or different kind of feeling with the same underlying themes. Repurposing that Daniel-Miyagi flashback scene from was a clever way to build a canonical bridge to Jackie Chan's . To be honest, when Jackie's movie came out in 2010, I refused to see it for the longest time. I thought it was blasphemous to remake . Did you get territorial about it at the time? Yeah, I absolutely did. First of all, when they start remaking your stuff, you never think you're old enough that they'd remake your stuff. I now have The Outsiders on Broadway, which won best musical [at 2024's Tony Awards]. So you don't want to believe how much time has gone by that they're going to do it for the next generation, but I'm like the third time around in generations. So I was territorial upon first hearing of [2010's The Karate Kid]. I didn't understand what they were going for, and I had walked in the shoes for so long. I just felt, 'How are you going to do a retread of that?' But they made a movie that was well-crafted and highly successful. I always describe that movie as an exercise and a lesson in how you can tell virtually the same story, but still make it a completely different movie. When they brought the concept into the room of how they would connect these two [unconnected stories], I was like, 'You have the footage.' It was all connected in a way. Miyagi tells the story that the secret to Okinawa karate came from China, and we laced that through Cobra Kai. So it's consistent, and it's in the scriptures, if you will. Then Hollywood steps in to figure out how to make a movie, and here we are. And it allowed you to trade moves with Jackie Chan, so it all worked out quite nicely. Yes, I went from one legend to the other. What can you say? It's really the gift that keeps on giving, and now that's working with someone like Jackie. I didn't know him personally, but I obviously knew his work. He paved the way for so many, and he's like a kid in a candy store. He just loves being on set. He loves making movies, and he cares. We both come from that place, and even though we have two different perspectives, we have the same end result in mind. So it was a joy to work with him. Ben Wang also does a wonderful job, physically, mentally and emotionally. He will be who new 8- to 19-year-olds will cheer for and root for, but they also get a piece of the legacy throughout the movie. That's been very evident with Cobra Kai, and I'm hoping that's the case here. It's family viewing and a very positive story of good over evil. And you get to share a communal experience in the theater where you're hopefully high-fiving the stranger next to you because you had a wonderful time. And when you get home, perhaps your uncle pulls out a DVD of the original Karate Kid, and the whole family gets to watch Mr. Miyagi for the first time. It's cool when I have kids run up to me who know who Mr. Miyagi is and think he's the coolest. One of the biggest surprises about adulthood is that I don't feel as far removed from my 17- or 18-year-old self as I thought I would. Do you feel all that different from the young guy in the aforementioned flashback? That's a great question. (Macchio asks for a few moments to ponder.) When I did one of my first Cobra Kai scenes with Billy Zabka, we'd been in the skins of our characters for 34 years at that time. But when we stepped onto that mat inside the Cobra Kai dojo in the second episode, there was wisdom on both sides of us from different perspectives. When we spoke to each other through our characters, there was a heightened element of awareness. It felt like yesterday, yet it felt new at the same time. When I look at young LaRusso in that opening scene, I think of Hawaii and Pat Morita. I can smell the day. I remember the humidity level and what it felt walking in the Miyagi family dojo. So it takes me back to a moment in time. Now there's life lived and wisdom gained, but the person is the same. Ironically, when I think of Daniel LaRusso in that specific scene, he was a very earnest Daniel LaRusso. He wasn't the knee-jerk guy with the temper that got up in Johnny Lawrence's face every time he got pissed off. He was the earnest student wanting to learn, and then when you look at Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid: Legends, he is very much on the opposite side [à la Mr. Miyagi]. He's open and earnest in sharing that wisdom with the next generation. So it's an interesting perspective to look at him in that opening scene as a youngster and later as the wiser, more grounded, experienced teacher. Based on your first scene with Jackie and the coda, I assumed that you killed two birds with one stone by shooting ' Miyagi house scenes on 's Miyagi house set in Atlanta. But actually rebuilt the house in Montreal? Yeah, when I finished Cobra Kai, we had the wrap party the next day, and the following morning, I was on a plane to Montreal. I stepped onto a running train, and it was the weirdest feeling. I literally was at somebody else's house, but I kind of helped build the house. So it was interesting to do this full shift by leaving this family of seven years' time and 65 episodes, which is kind of unheard of today, certainly in the streaming world. And then I was stepping onto a big screen movie that I was a part of but wasn't settled into yet. So that transition was a bit of a challenge, not that anyone made it difficult. I was just in my own head now that I was shifting gears in a story three years later. Just so you know, when this movie was initially slated for a December 13, 2024 release, I was screaming constantly every day: 'This movie has to come out after the show finishes.' And once marketing got together and realized that [the December '24 release] would not benefit either, they did the right thing. Karate Kid: Legends is now coming at a time where I like to believe that Cobra Kai fans are thirsty for another chapter. There's also brand-new fans, who may or may not have even seen Cobra Kai or the original film, that would have a great time at the cinema. The showrunners of have alluded to more story. Do you know what that is yet? There are a few balls up in the air. You have to be diplomatically safe, and I don't know which one is going to land. I hope all of them do, or some of them do, or one of them does. The success of Karate Kid: Legends could propel all that stuff. It's different, but same. There's a Miyagi-ism for you. ***Karate Kid: Legends opens May 30 in movie theaters nationwide. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Karate Kid: Legends' Director Jonathan Entwistle on Navigating ‘Cobra Kai' and the Test Screening-Inspired Epilogue
On the heels of Cobra Kai's 65-episode run, Karate Kid: Legends director Jonathan Entwistle strived to restore the cinematic identity of the beloved franchise. The British filmmaker — who's most known for helming idiosyncratic streaming series such as End of the F***ing World and I Am Not Okay With This — designed his feature directorial debut to unite Karate Kid and Cobra Kai fans from every generation. That included those viewers who were raised on Jackie Chan's 2010 standalone remake of The Karate Kid. To pull off this creative merger, Entwistle and screenwriter Rob Lieber realized that they could utilize the Miyagi family dojo scene from John G. Avildsen's The Karate Kid Part II (1986) to connect Chan's story with the Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita-led mothership franchise. More from The Hollywood Reporter Ralph Macchio Insisted That 'Karate Kid: Legends' Delay Its Release Until After 'Cobra Kai' Ralph Macchio on Decision to Return to 'Karate Kid' Films and Future of the Franchise 40 Years In Sony Is Using Roblox to Market 'Karate Kid: Legends' to the Next Gen (Exclusive) The Part II scene established that 400 years earlier, Mr. Miyagi's (Morita) ancestor, Shimpo Miyagi, spent some time in China before returning home to Okinawa, Japan. The Karate Kid: Legends brain trust then used animation to flesh out how Shimpo was taken in by Mr. Han's (Chan) forebears and taught kung fu. He then founded Miyagi-Do Karate to combine both families' unique martial arts, creating a familial friendship that endured all the way through Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi. Entwistle unearthed a great deal of Karate Kid Part II footage to make sure he left no stone unturned in uniting and retconning the franchise. '[The Part II] piece had been the inspiration for the entirely different team back in 2010. They crafted that movie's concept using this beat or this notion of the Hans and the Miyagis,' Entwistle tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of Karate Kid: Legends' May 30 theatrical release. 'So we went back into the vault and into the archives to find all the scraps of film from that [Karate Kid Part II] sequence.' Entwistle's film is set three years after the events of the franchise's hit Netflix series, Cobra Kai, as Chan's Mr. Han asks Macchio's original 'Karate Kid,' Daniel LaRusso, to help train his great-nephew, Li Fong (Ben Wang), for a New York City-set karate tournament. However, the film was originally going to hit theaters before the show's February 2025 series finale. Thus, Macchio soon became adamant that the film should delay itself for the sake of the Cobra Kai audience, and Entwistle is ultimately glad that the studio didn't risk any confusion. 'We are not a Cobra Kai movie in any way, shape, or form, and that was never the intention. Cobra Kai is so important within the overall gamut that it was only right to let it have its absolute air to breathe,' Entwistle says. 'I saw no point in confusing [the audience] with a Karate Kid movie that sits right next to the end of Cobra Kai. So it was really, really good, certainly as a Cobra Kai fan, that it had its moment and was allowed to finish. And now it's like, 'Hey guys, we've got a different story over here. Let's just keep going.'' One of the franchise's many hallmarks is that most of the films conclude on a triumphant freeze frame. Entwistle's film does in fact have one as well, but test screenings prompted him to add an epilogue, one that includes a surprise cameo that is discussed later on in this interview's brief spoiler section. 'The movie ended, solidly ended, on a freeze frame for such a long time until we started to preview it and realized that people wanted a flavor of, 'Well, where's Jackie? Where is everybody?'' Entwistle shares. 'But we still wanted to maintain the ending with the freeze frame. And it indeed remains in the movie, albeit with the logo that plays afterwards [until the coda].' Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Entwistle also discusses the tall order of casting a Peter Parker or Miles Morales-like Li Fong. *** How did the guy behind pitch black comedy series like and end up making a movie? It was me following a dream to make a real theatrical motion picture. That should really be every director's end goal. I was enticed by the idea of being able to make a big theatrical movie and bringing my tone, my craft and my team. I had my cinematographer [Justin Brown] and production designer [Maya Sigel] from all of my shows, and I was actually very excited to bring the martial arts element back to the big screen. I saw this as a really fun opportunity to do some fights and do some action in a different way than you normally see delivered in this type of movie. When you signed on, were Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan on board already? Or were there still some details to hammer out? Yeah, at the time when I came on board, it was the how. We knew that we really wanted to try and find a way to turn the spotlight back to the theatrical versions of what this story was, specifically with Columbia Pictures. So it was a case of, 'Well, what's a cool way to be able to do this? How can we play with that and actually still tell a new chapter in the story or a new graphic novel in the sequence?' And when was it realized that 's Miyagi family dojo scene could be retconned in order to fold Jackie Chan's 2010 standalone reboot into the mothership? It was when we realized that [the Part II] piece had been the inspiration for the entirely different team back in 2010. They crafted that movie's concept using this beat or this notion of the Hans and the Miyagis. So we went back into the vault and into the archives to find all the scraps of film from that [The Karate Kid Part II] sequence. There were so many different iterations. There were pieces of a Blu-ray and some television versions that had been scanned at some point. So there were all these different kinds of pieces of how the movie was made, and it was fun to be able to put all that together. takes place three years after 's series finale, but was anything off limits with regard to ? For example, if your movie wanted to use Cobra Kai for the villain's dojo, would that have caused all sorts of problems? We could use anything that's in the movies. We could have used and touched on any concept that was in the original movies. So we could always use Daniel and Miyagi, but any elements that are Cobra Kai-specific are not a Columbia Pictures property. So you could've gone with Cobra Kai for the villain's dojo, but would that East Coast expansion have required too much exposition? Yeah, I think so, for sure. Cobra Kai had also ended its run, and we knew very much that we were in tandem with the end of that piece. Cobra Kai is Johnny Lawrence's story, which is one of the things that makes it so fun and so good. And that having wrapped up, I was just like, 'Well, that exists. I have that show. It's there. I can always watch it.' And then I was like, 'Let's just keep going with another novel in the long sequence.' That allowed us to connect back to the big screen after living on television for a very, very long time. I was like, 'What's a 90-minute version of this story that we can do on the big screen for all the audiences?' There's really three audiences: the Karate Kid audience, the Cobra Kai audience and the moviegoing audience, which is actually a huge, huge piece. So it was very important for me to be audience-first and make this a great experience in the theater. I enjoyed the show, don't get me wrong, but I definitely missed the cinematic flourishes of the films. That cliffside helicopter shot in is one of the most beautiful shots ever put to screen, and then there's the indelible Bill Conti score. So it sounds like you were glad to bring some of those qualities back. A hundred percent. I wanted all the elements to not just feel theatrical, but also cinematic, and we got that opportunity to do that. We built lots of sets. The large pieces of New York are set builds, such as the pizza shop and the neighboring alleyway. We had a classical approach to the filmmaking, and I wanted New York to feel like a cozy movie New York. That's very much a filmic approach where you don't need to bother with the specifics. We're not running around on location just shooting things; we're crafting everything. The same goes for the music. We wanted to make sure that the music was score-based and bespoke. I firmly believe that television should consist of tracks, and movies should be score. A lot of the things that feel like tracks in this movie are actually score, and it was really key to me to blend themes with the original Conti orchestral approach. We recorded in Burbank with a full orchestra, which is a filmic approach to finishing the movie. So there was an overall analog approach to the fight sequences, the set builds, the cinematography and the color palette. It was all crafted with an eye toward revitalizing the franchise cinematically. 's final season and filmed at roughly the same time, so I figured that you killed two birds with one stone and shot the Miyagi house scenes on the show's Atlanta set. But you actually built your own set in Montreal? Yeah, we rebuilt the Miyagi house in Montreal. [Cobra Kai] was shooting at the same time, and their [Miyagi house] is a Cobra Kai set. For the motion picture, we went back to the original version of Miyagi's house [in The Karate Kid] and where it would be today. Sadly, the original house [in Canoga Park] is now gone. It was lost in a fire. [The next question contains spoilers for ' mid-credit scene.] The Miyagi house-set coda featuring Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William 'Billy' Zabka) is why I initially assumed you utilized 's infrastructure. How did that cameo come together? It was just the perfect way to round everything out. It became quite clear that we were putting all of the pieces together and that Cobra Kai would have ended by the time audiences see this. And like I said, that's Johnny's story. So to bring the two of them together to round that out just felt really perfect. Billy came [to set], and a lot of it was improv. A lot of that was just Ralph and Billy. After so many years of working together, they could just do their thing together. So we just wanted to capture that, and we wanted to put that at the end of the movie. This is by no means the end of Daniel LaRusso's story at all. But this movie was an opportunity to round out that piece and to physically hand over something from Daniel to Li Fong, but also Ralph to Ben [Wang]. They had a real relationship that I think was very, very sweet. So shooting those guys in the original Miyagi house, albeit the rebuilt version, was really quite special. [Spoiler talk for ' has now concluded.] The original plan was to release in 2024 for the 40th anniversary of , but the strikes got in the way. Ralph then felt passionately about it releasing after 's February 2025 finale, especially since takes place three years later. Do you like where you ultimately ended up, release date-wise? I think it's very important to piece out the stories in the correct way. We are not a Cobra Kai movie in any way, shape, or form, and that was never the intention. Cobra Kai is so important within the overall gamut that it was only right to let it have its absolute air to breathe. So I saw no point in confusing [the audience] with a Karate Kid movie that sits right next to the end of Cobra Kai. So it was really, really good, certainly as a Cobra Kai fan, that it had its moment and was allowed to finish. And now it's like, 'Hey guys, we've got a different story over here. Let's just keep going.' It's nothing but a positive addition to the overall world. Ben Wang's casting feels like a needle in a haystack, and as one of your producers said, he really does have a Michael J. Fox quality about him. You apparently auditioned 10,000 candidates for the role of Li Fong. Were you looking more for actors who you could teach kung fu? Or martial artists who you could train to act? I was looking for the person who could do it all. We needed a native Mandarin speaker and someone who understood what it was to live in America, but also someone who was a fantastic actor and could do the martial arts. For me, the Li character was very much a Peter Parker or Miles Morales-like character. So that was really important for me, both in terms of the martial arts and the tone of the performance. And when I first saw Ben, I was like, 'Well, there's a Marty McFly.' I joke that I wanted Morty from Rick and Morty in the way that he is like Michael J. Fox. So Ben had what I was looking for in an actor, but the martial arts element of the movie was so important that I just wanted to make sure that we were actually able to do real in-camera stuff. So the guy had to be able to do it himself, and there was no question about that. Much to the studio's annoyance, I was forever saying, 'The guy's got to be able to fight.' And so when I saw Ben, I was like, 'Please be able to do the martial arts.' He'd been in Destin's [Daniel Cretton] show, American Born Chinese, and once I saw the tapes, I was like, 'Okay, this is great.' He then got trained 24/7. We started to work with the stunt team and with Jackie's team, and it was next level. Ben does a huge percentage of the stunts himself, and you can see that in the movie The dragon kick is the crane kick of this movie. Who decides what that signature move of the movie is going to be? Weirdly, it was led by the approach to the fights. I wanted to make sure that they felt real and in your face with as much physical contact as possible. So our wonderful stunt coordinator, Peng Zhang, went out and found this fantastic kid, A.J., who could do the move he was looking for without any wires or VFX. He wanted someone who could do it from scratch so that we could shoot it and choreograph around it. We were like, 'For a kid who knows kung fu, what would that move look like when blended with karate?' So we worked backwards to where it became the dragon kick that Li's brother could do [but he couldn't]. Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso aren't the only legends in this movie. ' Charlie Conway is also in the mix. That said, seeing Joshua Jackson play a dad to a teenage daughter (Sadie Stanley) and be described as 'old' caused me to have an existential crisis. Can you believe that this much time has passed to where Josh is now playing an 'old' dad? (Laughs.) No, I grew up with Dawson's Creek, and I'm a huge, huge fan. [Writer's Note: Entwistle also has a Mighty Ducks jersey hanging in his office.] Josh was probably most annoyed by the number of times I quoted Dawson's Creek to him whilst we were shooting. So he's very well-versed in that, and he's absolutely wonderful in the movie. He really committed to the fight sequences and the boxing. That is Josh. There's no stunt double in that entire sequence. He takes every single punch. He really committed because he saw how hard the kids were working in martial arts, and when Jackie Chan shows up, you take every punch you can. So the millennial in me is enjoying the Josh renaissance, and it's been an absolute pleasure working with him on this movie. He brought a wonderful softness and a little glint in the eye to his character. He plays the man being taught by the kid [Ben Wang's Li Fong]. So he's got to be able to handle that, but he's not being taught kicks and punches. He's being taught that as a former boxer who now makes pizzas, he can still get back in the ring, and that's quite a nice sentiment. Knowing you were making a movie, was the concluding freeze frame a prerequisite for you? Oh, a thousand percent. The movie ended, solidly ended, on a freeze frame for such a long time until we started to preview it and realized that people wanted a flavor of, 'Well, where's Jackie? Where is everybody?' But we still wanted to maintain the ending with the freeze frame. We shot that moment knowing it would be the freeze frame, and we did all of these different versions of how the freeze frame could be. Was it a still photograph that [Wyatt Oleff's] Alan takes at the end? There were all these different versions, but the freeze frame was always going to be the final moment from the get-go. And it indeed remains in the movie, albeit with the logo that plays afterwards [until the coda]. ***Karate Kid: Legends is now playing in movie theaters nationwide. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's overtures a ‘pointed signal' to stabilise ties with Japan: analysts
China has made a string of subtle yet telling overtures towards Japan in recent weeks – from removing controversial maritime buoys to easing a politically charged seafood import ban – in what observers see as a tactical recalibration rather than a true reset in bilateral ties. On Thursday, Japan 's government confirmed that China had dismantled the second of two oceanographic buoys it had installed without Tokyo's consent within Japan's exclusive economic zone near Okinawa. The following day, it was announced that the two governments had reached an agreement on procedures to resume exports of seafood products from most of Japan to China, 22 months after Beijing imposed a blanket ban on imports in response to Japan starting to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. China also appeared to temper its rhetoric during President Xi Jinping 's summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin earlier this month. A joint statement issued on May 8 emphasised expanded military cooperation, including regular joint air and sea patrols, but omitted a reference to securing 'Northeast Asia' – reportedly at Beijing's request – to avoid provoking Tokyo. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (centre) with farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi (right) during a meeting on Friday on the resumption of seafood exports to China. Photo: Kyodo 'I see this as China sending a pointed signal to Tokyo that it wants to stabilise the relationship, for a couple of reasons,' said Masayuki Masuda, director of Chinese studies at the Ministry of Defence's National Institute for Defence Studies in Tokyo.
CNA
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNA
Diners, ice cream parlours and soba: An essential guide to Okinawa's surprising food scene
You walk into a local restaurant in Okinawa, and on the menu are its bestsellers: Okinawa soba, a dish that feels unmistakably Japanese; chanpuru, a stir-fry of bitter melon, egg, and tofu – also a common South China or Southeast Asia dish; and then, oddly, a Tex-Mex style taco rice. To the uninitiated, it might come across as a cuisine with no clear identity, but this culinary mash-up has deep roots. Okinawa was once the independent Ryukyu Kingdom, a prominent trade partner with imperial China and Southeast Asia for centuries, before it was annexed by Japan, then later occupied by American forces after WWII. Each era left its mark in the language, the culture, and especially the food. Today, Okinawa is Japan's most popular domestic holiday spot, and an increasing number of travelers from East Asia and Southeast Asia are making their way there too, thanks to more direct flights (Jetstar flies direct from Singapore three times a week). Part of the allure? Subtropical weather, some of the best dive spots in the world, pristine, uncrowded beaches next to five-star resorts – no wonder it's called the 'Hawaii of Japan' by some. But if you ask us – start with the food. Because not only is it a delicious, underrated side of Japanese cuisine with tropical twists and turns, it's also an easy way to get acquainted with the island's layered history and culture. So if you're planning a trip, let this culinary guide be your way in. NAHA CITY RESTAURANTS FOR TRADITIONAL OKINAWAN CUISINE ROYAL COURT CUISINE Back in the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Okinawa was a tributary state of Ming China, and food played a diplomatic role. Royal chefs were sent to China to train, returning with refined dishes meant to impress visiting envoys. Served in elegant lacquerware, these became the foundation of Ryukyu court cuisine. After the kingdom was abolished by Imperial Japan in the late 1800s, these once-exclusive dishes gradually made their way to the masses. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 琉球料理 ぬちがふぅ (@nuchigafu) Today, you can still taste that royal heritage in Naha city. Ryukyu Cuisine Mie stands out for its traditional, pared-back style, while Nuchigafu in the quaint pottery neighbourhood of Tsuboya and Omoro Dun-chi just outside the center offer a more homely take in charming, old-style settings. IZAKAYAS For a more casual take on Okinawan food, hit up a local izakaya. The lively atmosphere in these eateries are perfect for sharing small plates over drinks. One staple to try is goya chanpuru – a bitter melon stir-fry with egg and tofu. Variations may include ingredients like okra or even Spam, a pantry staple dating back to the American postwar era. The word chanpuru means 'something mixed,' and is said to originate from the Malay word 'campur' – a nod to the multicultural influence on Okinawa's cuisine. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) Other favourites include a mochi-textured peanut tofu, tender pork belly simmered in local rice wine and squid ink somen – a thin noodle alternative to soba, usually served stir fried. Popular izakayas in Naha include Yunangi and Dachibin, both local favourites known for their buzz and variety. If you spot Agu pork on the menu, order it. This Okinawan native breed is prized for its marbled richness, often dubbed the wagyu of pork. For a dedicated experience, head to Shima Buta-ya, a restaurant that specialises in all things Agu. Not to be missed are the black sesame pork and side dishes like peanut tofu and fried yam. Tip: These places fill up fast – go early or make a reservation to avoid the queue. OKINAWA SOBA Okinawa soba is to the islanders what ramen is to the mainland Japanese – an everyday staple with countless variations, but the fun is in trying them all. Typically, expect thick, chewy wheat noodles in a clear, light broth, topped with sweet-savoury pork belly, fishcake and ginger slices. In Naha, try the Insta-famous Eibun (expect to queue), or go hyper-local at Susuriba Okinawa Soba, where ordering is done vending-machine style – no-frills and tucked in a nightlife-heavy neighbourhood of Matsuyama. For something different, head to Restaurant Arinkaya in Minatogawa Stateside Town – a repurposed American military housing area now home to indie boutiques and cafes. The chef, originally from Yonaguni Island, brings a southern twist to the classic bowl. MAKISHI PUBLIC MARKET Located along the main Kokusaidori Street, this 74-year-old establishment is a great sampling ground for fresh Okinawan produce, from tropical fruit to fresh seafood which can be purchased and prepared on the spot at one of the restaurants on the second level. You'll also find stalls selling traditional fare like fishcakes – a delicacy enjoyed during Shimi, Okinawa's tomb-sweeping festival. Much like Qing Ming in Chinese culture, families gather at ancestral graves to offer food and share a meal together. Keep an eye out too for traditional snacks like Okinawan donuts – a treat with roots in South China. Nansei Donuts (previously located opposite the market, with plans to relocate as of April 2025) is known for frying them fresh to order, offering contemporary flavours like lemon, mugwort, and brown sugar. Tip: For a food-focused stay in Naha, consider OMO5 Okinawa Naha, located in the heart of Matsuyama, Naha's buzzing nightlife and dining district. In the lobby, you'll find an interactive map of top local eats curated by insiders – or enjoy Okinawan dishes at the in-house cafe, which serves dishes from beloved neighbourhood restaurants. The hotel also offers daily Awamori (a local rice wine) tastings and English-language market tours for a deeper dive into local food culture. THE POSTWAR ERA: OKINAWA'S DINER AND DRIVE-IN CULTURE After Japan's surrender in WWII, Okinawa came under US administration until 1972. During this time, the island became home to one of the most strategic American military bases in the Asia-Pacific – and with it, a wave of American cultural influence that still lingers today. Nowhere is this more visible than in Okinawa's love for American-style diners. In Chatan, you'll find Ruler's Taco Rice, a diner dedicated to the dish that defines Okinawa's East-meets-West culinary identity. Taco rice – ground beef and salsa over fluffy Japanese rice, topped with shredded lettuce, cheese, and other fixings – was born out of the island's military presence but is now beloved by locals. Be sure to order a side of their onion rings. Blue Seal Ice Cream, a local institution, began in 1948 as a dairy supplier to the US military. While you'll find outlets all over Okinawa, the newly-renovated Makiminato branch is worth a visit. Styled like a 1950s diner straight out of Grease, it features a small exhibit on the brand's history and the full lineup of flavours. This writer's top picks: Strawberry cheesecake and Okinawan salt cookies. If you're road-tripping up north, swing by Sea Side Drive-In – Okinawa's oldest drive-in, opened in 1967 by a refrigerator mechanic who once worked with the American military and was inspired by the diner-style restaurants on base. This roadside institution is loved by locals for its order-at-the-window charm and hearty fare: Think oxtail stew, cream of mushroom soup, and a surprisingly great club sandwich. The vibe is reminiscent of a Hainanese-Western cafe one would find in Singapore. Another worthwhile stop if you're heading north toward Cape Zanpa is Cape Zanpa Drive-In, known for its crispy chicken burgers. Add a side of homemade slaw and freshly fried sweet potato chips. This humble diner is also the perfect spot to kick back and enjoy the sunset after a day of road tripping and sight-seeing. LONGEVITY FOOD AT OGIMI VILLAGE Okinawa is one of the world's five Blue Zones – regions with the highest concentration of centenarians. One village in particular stands out: Ogimi, in the island's north, where it's not uncommon to see old folks tending to their vegetable gardens with quiet vitality. Many elderly folk are self-sufficient and aging healthily. Ogimi is also famed for another powerhouse of longevity – Shikuwasa, a local citrus rich in Nobiletin, a compound known for its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, particularly in combating Alzheimer's. Two stops not to miss: EMI NO MISE For lunch, head to Emi no Mise, a humble eatery where you're served a longevity meal in the owner's own home. Expect a nourishing spread of homegrown, home-pickled, mostly plant-based dishes — all prepared with care and tradition. Seating is very limited, so reservations are essential. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 金城笑子 (@eminomise) SHIKUWASA PARK While you will find Shikuwasa juice all over Okinawa, here you'll get to taste it right at the source. The park offers English-language tours that take you through the production process and highlight the fruit's health benefits. Don't leave without stocking up on some Shikuwasa produce, with everything from cakes, sweets, and juice concentrates. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 大宜味シークヮーサーパーク | 沖縄 | やんばる | シークヮーサー専門店 (@shikuwasa_park_ogimi) AWAMORI: THE LIQUOR THAT PREDATES SAKE AND SOCHU Long before sake or shochu, there was awamori – Japan's oldest distilled rice liquor, with roots tracing back to Okinawa's trade with Thailand and China in the 15th century. The technique eventually made its way to mainland Japan, evolving into the sake and shochu we know today. Yet despite its heritage, awamori remains under the radar, often dismissed as an "old man's drink" by younger generations. Now, a new wave of bartenders and distillers is breathing fresh life into this forgotten spirit. In Naha, make a beeline for El Lequio – the city's only mixology bar and a proud entry on Asia's 50 Best Bars extended list (2023). Portuguese for 'the Ryukyu,' El Lequio champions Awamori through inventive cocktails that spotlight local ingredients – think bitter gourd-infused spirits and house-made awamori blends.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Japan Coast Guard rescues injured crew from Chinese ship near contested waters
Japan 's coast guard has dispatched a patrol vessel to rescue an injured crewmember of a Chinese survey ship in the contested waters in southwestern Japan, officials said Friday. The Chinese survey ship Ke Xue requested the rescue by the Japan Coast Guard on Wednesday, saying that one of the crewmembers suffered a hand injury during the survey operation in the area off the southern coast of Miyako Island, according to the JCG. The JCG patrol vessel picked up the crewmember, a Chinese national in his 40s, from the survey ship and transported him to Naha on the main Okinawa island for hospital treatment. The Ke Xue is one of a number of Chinese survey vessels that operate in waters in the East China Sea, where China has increasingly stepped up maritime activity and routinely sends survey vessels, coast guard ships, as well as warships and aircraft, often violating Japanese territorial waters and airspace. Japanese officials said that on Monday, another Chinese survey ship lowered a wire into the sea known as the Japanese exclusive economic zone — an area where Japan claims rights to conduct economic activity — east of Japan's southernmost island of Okinotorishima, without permission from the Japanese government. The JCG patrol aircraft warned the survey ship to move out of the waters, and the Japanese government lodged a protest to the Chinese side.
