Joshua Jackson is ready for his long-awaited return to movies.
PEOPLE can confirm that Dawson’s Creek alum will join Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan and new lead actor Ben Wang in the latest installment The Karate Kid franchise, arrives in theaters on December 13.
Although his role in the project has not been announced, it is his first film since 2015 The sky. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to publish the news.
Joshua Jackson. Emma McIntyre/Getty
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The publisher reported that the new film will bring the story to the East Coast and “focus on a teenager from China (Wang) who finds strength and direction through martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two).”
Directed by Jonathan Entwistle, the film has a screenplay written by Rob Lieber and will be produced by Karen Rosenfelt.
The news of Jackson’s casting comes nearly five months after it was announced that Machchio and Chan would reprise their roles in the upcoming project. With the announcement came the news that a global call for the selection of the next Karate Kid will be opened.
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Ben Wang.
Emma McIntyre/Getty
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Wang was announced as the lead in early February after “giving an outstanding audition that showed his deep connection to the character,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The The Karate Kid films have grossed $618 million globally over the past three decades. In 2021, Macchio told PEOPLE that upon seeing The Karate Kid the universe lives on Cobra Kai was “really cool”.
“Kids see the show and then they say to their parents, ‘Hey, you should watch this. It’s really cool.’ To go through the ebb and flow of popularity for 36-plus years and now to be in a place where parents, kids and even grandparents share the same excitement is really special,” he told PEOPLE.
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Poster film for the original 1984 “Karate Kid” film.
Columbia Pictures/Everett
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Since then, I can still look young on screen The Karate KidMacchio told PEOPLE from the 1984 premiere, “Listen — I blame my parents. They both look very young for their age. For some reason, I have a youthful energy about me. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t hurt. But I think I just got lucky in the department for genes.”
Jackson’s breakthrough role was Pacey Witter Dawson’s Creek. His other TV appearances include Fringe, The Affair, Little Fires Everywhere, Dr. Death and Fatal attraction. He also acted on the big screen in Mighty ducks movies, Cruel intentions and Skulls.
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Source: HIS Education