By Kate Rodger
When I first met the legendary Jackie Chan in 2009, I sort of auditioned to be the next Karate Kid.
I thought I had potential – how hard was it to be more convincing than Hilary Swank?
Now I see my competition, I was just too tall.
Jayden Smith, of the Will Smith dynasty, is the new Karate Kid.
The film’s story is essentially the same as the 80s classic, however the action has moved to the home of Kung Fu – China.
Jayden seems a natural for the part and had months of serious training from a master handpicked by Chan himself.
“He’s training, rehearsal, school, sleeping – he’d be sleeping right there then boom – they up filming. I say, ‘Jayden, concentrate’,” Chan said.
He plays the old Mr Miyagi role, now Mr Han – a maintenance man who decides to help Jayden’s character Dre deal with the school bully.
Chan playing a kung fu master seems a match made in movie heaven.
“I think I’m really lucky,” he said.
“I picked up a good script. And thanks Will Smith, he keeps his promise. We’re in a Japanese restaurant. He say, ‘Yeah, we make a movie together'. But most Holly wood stars; Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone, they say, ‘Let’s do it, yeah, yeah, yeah’ – but Will did call me.”
New Zealand just signed a Film Co-Production Agreement with China and Chan says The Karate Kid is the perfect showcase for his home town.
“It really shows China’s culture. Locations, food, everything. People still misunderstand China. They don’t wanna hear the good things, just the bad. China is different now,” Chan said.
The new Karate Kid has already high-kicked the US Box Office taking over US$200 million.
There is now talk of a sequel.
3 News