In case you’ve repressed the memory, Will Smith is producing a Karate Kid remake in China, to be partially financed by China’s state-run China Film Group Corps, starring Jaden Smith as Daniel-san and Jackie Chan as Mr. Miyagi.  Moviehole recently dug up some details on the project and here is what they learned:

  • Daniel-san will be named “Dre”.
  • Story set in motion when Dre’s mom gets transferred to Beijing
  • Dre’s “a skateboarding video-game buff” who has a rough time adjusting and gets beaten up by bullies, especially one named Li Quan Ha
  • Chan’s Mr. Miyagi character, now called “Mr. Han,” is Dre’s building maintenance man, who discovers Dre (with a black eye) practicing martial arts kicks from his video game.
  • “It’s still called “The Karate Kid” despite rumours it’d be retitled “The Kung Fu Kid” – which would make sense, considering it’s Kung-Fu, not Karate, that our hero learns in the film.”

And instead of a karate tournament, later in the film, Mr. Han helps Dre get a job with the government, where he’s on the front lines of a brutal crackdown on Li Quan Ha’s pro-democracy demonstration.  In the climactic scene, Dre crack’s open Quan’s skull with a “crane stick.”  Take that, bully.