14 Feb - Months after it was announced that there will be another "Karate Kid" movie to be made, Sony Pictures announced that it has found the right kid for the job; "American Born Chinese" star, Ben Wang. The casting of Wang came following thousands of submissions from around the world, with insiders saying that Wang was the standout among others due to his deep connection to the character. Wang is also fluent in Mandarin, and is highly skilled in various martial arts that include karate, wing chun, kempo and taekwondo, which he has already showcased on the said Disney+ show.
However, the casting did not come without criticisms, with netizens blasting the studio for doing an open casting around the world only to pick an already familiar face. Ben Wang will be joined by Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who will be reprising their roles as Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso from previous "Karate Kid" films. Nothing much has been revealed about the upcoming project, which is part of a franchise that began in 1984. The first movie stars Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, who learns karate under the tutelage of Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita).