Popular for starring as Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid franchise and its spin-off Cobra Kai, Ralph Macchio has played the character for decades. It has become one of the most popular roles of his career. So he was naturally concerned when Sony decided to reboot the series with a new cast. Jaden Smith was cast alongside Jackie Chan, and the story was re-imagined for the reboot, following a new character Dre, who moves to China and decides to learn martial arts from Mr. Han.
However, the star of the original franchise, Macchio, was concerned about the casting, as he believed that it would be hard to follow up the romantic angle with Jaden Smith’s age in the remake.
Ralph Macchio Was Concerned About The Karate Kid Reboot
Sony held the rights to The Karate Kid franchise for the first four films. However, Will Smith’s production company Overbrook Entertainment bought the rights to the 2010 remake. And it was described as a “star vehicle for Jaden Smith“ after the news broke out that Smith’s son would lead the movie alongside Jackie Chan.
Although the reboot went on to be a box office hit, the star of the original Karate Kid franchise was concerned about its casting. During an interview with MTV News, Ralph Macchio opened up about the same. While he said that the After Earth actor had potential, he was worried about “the romantic story arc.”
“That story will work forever when well told. So, it makes sense in that respect. … I don’t know where the romantic story arc goes at that age.“
He claimed that although it would copy some of the elements of the original series, it still “won’t be easy” for the makers.
While Macchio’s character was portrayed as a teenager, assumed to be aged 16 or 17 in the 1984 movie, Smith was just 11 years old when he was cast in the movie. However, Harald Zwart came up with a different take on the story for a much younger audience.
Ralph Macchio’s Thoughts on The Karate Kid (2010)
The 2010 martial arts drama starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in the lead, The Karate Kid, was a huge box office hit, grossing $359 million. Followed by the release of the 2010 movie, Ralph Macchio was asked about the reboot during an appearance on the Covino & Rich Show.
“I think that they did a good job of reimagining that story in contemporary times,” he said, talking about the 2010 reboot of The Karate Kid. He praised the makers, saying that it was the same story but a different movie. There have been several updates about a sequel to the 2010 movie. While it is still being planned, the original Karate Kid series has now developed into a popular Netflix series, Cobra Kai.
Source: MTV News
