Karate Kid: Legends Breaks Franchise Record with Shortest Runtime Ever!

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In an unprecedented move for the Karate Kid series, the upcoming film has broken records before its May 30 premiere. Titled “Karate Kid: Cobra Kai – The Movie,” this installment reunites Jackie Chan as Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, alongside newcomers Ben Wang, Sadie Stanley, and more. As the sixth Karate Kid movie, it will reportedly boast the shortest runtime in the franchise at approximately 94 minutes.

In 2010, Chan starred as Mr. Han in the film “The Karate Kid,” sharing the screen with Jaden Smith. Notably, this movie is the longest of the series, lasting for 2 hours and 20 minutes. For comparison, the original “Karate Kid” from 1984, featuring Macchio and Pat Morita, ran for 2 hours and 6 minutes. The sequel from 1986, titled “The Karate Kid Part II,” was slightly shorter at 1 hour and 53 minutes. The third installment, released in 1989, had a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes, while the one from 1994 was the shortest, with a duration of 1 hour and 47 minutes.

The Film Follows a New Kung Fu Prodigy

Legends,” young kung fu master Li Fong (played by Ben Wang) experiences a heartbreaking family event that forces him and his mother to relocate from Beijing to New York City. As Li grapples with leaving behind his past, he finds it difficult to adapt to his new school life. Despite his desire to avoid confrontations, conflicts seem to follow him around. When a friend is in trouble, Li decides to join a karate tournament – however, his skills alone may not be sufficient. To help him, his kung fu mentor, Mr. Han (portrayed by Chan), brings in an original sensei. This leads Li to learn a unique fighting method, combining both martial arts styles for the climactic ultimate martial arts battle.

2022 saw Sony unveil plans for the sixth Karate Kid film. While some speculated that the creators of Netflix’s yet-unnamed series might be connected to the project, it was clarified that they were not officially involved in Karate Kid: Legends. However, in a previous statement, the movie’s director, Jonathan Entwistle, mentioned having “extensive discussions with the Cobra Kai team” regarding potential collaborations and integrating elements from both productions to create a cohesive experience.

The Karate Kid Franchise Film Runtimes

FilmYearRuntime
The Karate Kid1984126 minutes
The Karate Kid Part II1986113 minutes
The Karate Kid Part III1989112 minutes
The Next Karate Kid 1994107 minutes
The Karate Kid2010140 minutes
Karate Kid: Legends202594 minutes

Legends Adds Jackie Chan’s Character to the “Miyagiverse”

In December 2024, Entwistle hinted that in the upcoming film, “There’s a connection between Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi with Daniel. The Han family and the Miyagi family have roots tracing back to ancient times. For those interested, there’s a reference to this within the Karate Kid movie series,” Entwistle added.

Jackie Chan’s Character is Like Dumbledore

In a recent conversation with, the director of the upcoming film hinted at a connection between Dumbledore and the character Mr. Han, alluding to a similarity that had been mentioned before. The filmmaker explained, “I drew significant inspiration from the events experienced by Mr. Han during that time period. Although you’ll have to watch the movie to fully appreciate it, there is an air about the aging Mr. Han character that Jackie Chan embodies remarkably well, making one yearn for him to appear on your doorstep and prepare you for a competition – particularly after seeing this film.

Karate Kid: Legends will premiere in movie theaters on May 30.

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2025-05-03 20:55