Karate Kid: Legends

The sixth film in the Karate Kid franchise opened in the US on 30 May 2025. Directed by Jonathan Entwistle from a script by Rob Lieber, it brings the franchise's two teachers together for the first time: Jackie Chan, Mr. Han from the 2010 film, and Ralph Macchio, Daniel LaRusso since 1984 and through Cobra Kai. Ben Wang plays the lead. It was shot in Montreal from 1 April to 3 June 2024 under the working title Victory Boulevard.

Kung fu meets karate

Li arrives with Mr. Han's kung fu and has to learn Mr. Miyagi's karate from Daniel, with Pat Morita in archive footage. For practitioners, the interest lies in that dialogue between a circular, flowing style and a more linear one. The final tournament follows movie rules, with heavy contact and flashy combinations, far from a sanctioned karate event.

The Jackie Chan school

Entwistle wanted the feel of early Jackie Chan films: Hong Kong-style wirework and fights shot in camera. Ben Wang trained every day with the Chinese stunt team for about six weeks before the shoot, and with Chan's encouragement did most of the roughly twelve-minute rooftop finale himself. Chan said he needed no special preparation after more than sixty years of daily training.

Reception

Reviews were mixed (57% on Rotten Tomatoes, 51 on Metacritic), while audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore. It grossed about $117 million worldwide.