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FIRST LOOK

First Logo Unveiled for Jackie Chan's Karate Kid Remake

by Alex Billington
September 18, 2009
Source: SlashFilm

It looks like Sony is still going back-n-forth on whether they want to call this Karate Kid remake The Karate Kid or The Kung Fu Kid, as it was supposedly retitled to. Maybe they're concerned about losing some brand recognition by changing the name. Anyway, considering they've starting shooting in China, it's not a surprise that some details and photos have started to leak out. SlashFilm discovered the first official title treatment for the film hidden on some Sony site. It's not that impressive but it is a cool first look at the film, in addition to that photo at the top of Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith working on some kung fu training.

The Karate Kid Logo

Those set photos weren't interesting enough to feature on their own, but this title was. The Kung Fu Kid or The Karate Kid (whatever you want to call it) stars Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, and Taraji P. Henson. Smith plays Dre, a skateboarding video game buff who moves to China after his single mother is forced to go there for work. Unable to speak Chinese, Dre finds it hard to settle in, and gets beat up by the local bully. Chan plays Mr. Han (the Mr. Miyagi character), a maintenance man who spots his black-eye and offers to teach him both martial arts and Chinese, so he can defend against the students at the nearby school of kung-fu.

Explore tags: Cool Stuff, First Look, Hype

xerxex

well...it sounds like a good attempt but it looks like they are trying too hard.
Blue Silver

That annoying kid from "The Day the Earth Stood Still"?? I don't buy it at all. Poor Jackie Chan. They should have left this remake alone!!!!!
Sabes

I hated that kid from The Day the Earth Stood Still too! It makes me not want to see this, not like I really wanted to see it before. >.>
Timo

i thought jackie chan and jet li agreed to stop making martial arts films. is it just me?
Sumit

studio executive: "hmm what do kids like these days?" "skateboarding video game buff " and kung fu - they are really ticking all the boxes sounds like filmmaking by committee haha if they can get in a myspace reference then they will have hit the jackpot also very sad jaden smith is billed before jackie chan!
Brandon

Can't wait to see the trailer for this one. Even though it'll probably suck.
smacky63

And then all the world died because this is the shittest idea since Jennifer's Body.
PimpSlapStick

I'm down for this Jaden will handle himself well
JimD

But of course you have to remake it to star a black kid especially since there is such an obvious mis-represntation of black people in cinema and pop culture....NOT.
lego

dunno bout jackie, though he'd be kind of old for it, but jet li said he'd stop doing full blown chinese epics....ie hero. i dun think u'll see either of them in anything without any martial arts...ever.
I am Ron Burgandy?

ugh..looks like another bubble gum MTV genre movies that you download if your really bored. Put a litlle hip-hop music and a hip young black kid in there and it will sell to the youth (number 1 holders of disposable money) ......F.M.L.
http://trailerunleashed.com Andrew | TrailerUnleashed.com

oh well, shitty movie..
Locker

I'll go see it
beavis

first karate kid was cheesy and this remake looks like a "straight to the bargain bin" release. like we don't have enough bad movies done by will smith, now we have more with his son.
Janet

My only problem is his age. I wish they'd waited until he was older or chose someone else.
Fearl3ss

LOLz agreed with #5 Like I said with one of older posts, remaking films from cult classics will always be classics. Jackie should have grown his beard and really looked the part, (leaving the grey hair). But modern cinema has been really shit lately, apart from classic directors saving some films.. Apparently Jaden is Will Smith's son!
Linkfx

This boy was the reason I walked out of the theater for "earf stood still"...what a boring crappy movie and ijust got really irritated with this whiny kid. I liked him in pursuit of happyness though so Ill give him some credit...there is no way they're gonna end ip calling this film anything but karate kid...westerners will never no the difference is the studio thinking haha...they did the same thing when they cast all chinese actors in memoirs of a geisha...haha then again that movie was shot almost completely in Los Angeles.
Dirty Dutchman

Thank you #2, #3 and #17... that kid ruined "The Day the Earth Stood Still" for me as well and I had no idea at the time that he was Will Smith's kid. You will see some heavy marketing for this film and chances are that it will be somewhat profitable. I can already imagine a horrible sequel to this horrible attempt of a classic. The only way I will ever watch this film is if this kids character gets killed off and I am able to watch it in all its glory. If this does ever happen then I know a "God" does exist or "Xenu", which apparently Will Smith now worships.
tazz

how the hell Jaden made you the reason to walk out "The Day the Earth Stood Still" the movie was already crap to begin with. it has proven Remakes of classic movies never work well nowadays and i dont think this movie will not work well too. Jaden Smith was actually good in "The Pursuit of Happyness"
craig

#9 nothing wrong with a remake starring a black kid we already seen loads of Asian based remakes starring white people. #5 the reason jaden smith is billed before jackie chan is because his playing the starring role. i dont have much faith with this movie, until i see a trailer i make some real judgement about the movie. but as we know with remakes nowadays they also turn into a pile of crap.
Chris

@20 - Too much common sense in one post. Tone it down, fella!
craig

#21 first time i hear someone complaining about too much common sense in a post. its good to have common sense cause we know alot of people aint using their common sense at all
Tra la la la la di da

Looks like the silhouette of a girl in the poster.
Everwen

If he is learning kung-fu, then why the hell do they keep calling this "The Karate Kid"? #5: Yeah, it's kinda weird Jaden Smith gets first bill, then again, his dad it's the producer.
d

JAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCKKKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
After the Truth

Ai so here is some more common sense... the POSTER has been there for months. It is NOT 'just' unveiled. Don't believe what other blogs say as 'truth'.
cj

I could have cast this better. How about calling it "middle aged karate guy" we can get ralph machio back and Chuck Norris can teach him "Karate" so he can defend his cubicle at work. Or we cast an up and coming young actor (like Machio was) and cast the actor who played the leader of the samurai in "the last samurai" Keep the names and the brand recognition and film it in japan or okinawa, with of course some
cj

I could have cast this better. How about calling it "middle aged karate guy" we can get ralph machio back and Chuck Norris can teach him "Karate" so he can defend his cubicle at work. Or we cast an up and coming young actor (like Machio was) and cast the actor who played the leader of the samurai in "the last samurai" Keep the names and the brand recognition and film it in japan or okinawa, with of course some basic changes and creativity to make it at least a little original. see im a better producer than hancock.
cj

yes twice...glitch
marilou

On principle, I will boycott this movie. I saw the Pinkett-Smiths on Oprah on Monday and they come across as a very tight knit unit, with great values. That said, I am shocked that their 11 year old son gets top billing on the poster of the remake of the Karate Kid. Really shocked. Alphabetically, it would be Chan before Smith. Out of respect for an older, more experienced actor, it would be Chan, first. I can't imagine what the negotiations were, or what thought processes would have led the Pinkett-Smiths to think that it was a good thing for Jaden to get top billing? I'm bemused. On the show on Monday it was apparent that Jaden was very aware that he was the star of the movie. Keep it real, little one.