Ballerina is finally about to make its way into theaters on June 6. As per Lionsgate, “Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.” Joining Ana de Armas in Ballerina as John Wick newcomers Gabriel Byrne as The Chancellor, Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Eve’s mentor Nogi and Choi Soo-young, who becomes part of an early mission for Eve. Other than Keanu Reeves and Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston returns as The Director and Ian McShane is back as Continental owner Winston Scott. The MPA has given the film an R rating – for strong/bloody violence throughout, and language.

From Apple Original Films and the filmmakers from Top Gun: Maverick comes the high-octane, action-packed feature film F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski. The film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Kosinski, seven-time FORMULA 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Chad Oman. The racing film that releases on June 27 has been Rated PG-13 for strong language, and action.

Daniel-san returns this May 30, along with Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han from the Karate Kid universe with Karate Kid Legends. The film stars Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) as a young teenager from China who finds identity and strength in martial arts. During his journey of self-discovery, Wang’s character meets a disciplined martial arts master. Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) also appear in the movie, alongside Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) as the romantic lead. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directed the movie from a script by Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day). The legacy movie has been Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence and some language.

On June 27, it’s “this b*tch vs. that b*tch” in M3GAN 2.0. Based on a story crafted by producer James Wan, M3GAN was directed by Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant). Johnstone returned to the helm for the sequel, and Cooper has written the script. The tongue-in-cheek AI horror thriller is Rated PG-13 for strong violent content, bloody images, some strong language, sexual material, and brief drug references.

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Of course, an enjoyable movie doesn’t have to be super long, but it will remain to be seen if the film doesn’t feel rushed or underdeveloped. After all, some classic Jackie Chan films equate to similar lengths, and the director of Karate Kid: Legends claims that this film will feel like an early Jackie Chan movie. Director Jonathan Entwistle says the new film takes its inspiration from past Jackie Chan flicks. “Ben (Wang) was fully training every day with the Chinese stunt team,” Entwistle said. “He knew that I wanted the martial arts in the movie to feel like an early Jackie Chan film, and that’s something we tried really hard to do. We used a lot of classic Hong Kong wirework.“

It’s not just the thrilling action that made Jackie Chan so great, but also his ability to work humor into the fights. “There’s a humour to the way the choreography unfolds,” Entwistle explained. “Something that Jackie — and the team — taught us was, ‘What’s the narrative for the fight? Does he pick up a thing off the floor and use that?’ We’re so used to seeing fights done in a certain way, VFX-heavy fight augmentation, the Marvel style of fighting. It was important for me to bring back an in-camera martial-arts approach.“

The official synopsis reads: “In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.“

For comparison, here are the runtimes for the other films in the franchise: The Karate Kid (1984), 127 minutes; The Karate Kid Part II, 113 minutes; The Karate Kid Part III, 111 minutes; The Next Karate Kid, 107 minutes; The Karate Kid (2010), 140 minutes.

Karate Kid: Legends will hit theaters on May 30. What do you think of this one having the shortest runtime of the bunch?

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Cobra Kai may have ended after six seasons, but the Miyagi-verse will continue with Karate Kid: Legends. The film unites Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han as they train a new karate prodigy played by Ben Wang. While speaking with Empire, Karate Kid: Legends director Jonathan Entwistle says the new film takes its inspiration from classic Jackie Chan movies.

“Ben was fully training every day with the Chinese stunt team,” Entwistle said. “He knew that I wanted the martial arts in the movie to feel like an early Jackie Chan film, and that’s something we tried really hard to do. We used a lot of classic Hong Kong wire-work.“

It’s not just the thrilling action that made Jackie Chan so great, but also his ability to work humour into the fights. “There’s a humour to the way the choreography unfolds,” Entwistle explained. “Something that Jackie — and the team — taught us was, ‘What’s the narrative for the fight? Does he pick up a thing off the floor and use that?’ We’re so used to seeing fights done in a certain way, VFX-heavy fight augmentation, the Marvel style of fighting. It was important for me to bring back an in-camera martial-arts approach.“

A new trailer for Karate Kid: Legends was screened at CinemaCon, but we regular folks didn’t have to wait that long as it was released online the very next day.

The official synopsis reads: “In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.“

Karate Kid: Legends will hit theaters on May 30th.

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A new student will wax on, wax off in the brand-new trailer for Karate Kid: Legends. Sony has just released the trailer as the film is also being exhibited this week at this year’s CinemaCon. The film stars Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) as a young teenager from China who finds identity and strength in martial arts. During his journey of self-discovery, Wang’s character meets a disciplined martial arts master. Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their roles of Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) also appear in the movie, alongside Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) as the romantic lead. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directed the movie from a script by Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).

The official plot synopsis reads,
“In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.”

Daniel-San himself couldn’t help but share his enthusiasm for this new entry into the series. “I’m not allowed to say a lot about it, except another awesome chapter is on its way,” Macchio said. “Ben Wang is a young kid in the show, he’s very exciting to watch. And working with Jackie [Chan], he’s a legend. They found, you know, it’s its own story in the vast universe, you know, so it’s another chapter in a different area that connects the mythology of where it all began. And fortunately, I was the guy that was there when it all began.“

It was originally scheduled to be released on June 7th, 2024. However, the 2023 strikes pushed it back. They decided it might make a good release for the holiday season 2024 when the box office is quiet. When Netflix decided to split up the final season of Cobra Kai into three different parts, they realized it might confuse the audience as the final collection of episodes hadn’t come out yet. Finally, it has been decided that on May 30, 2025, it will finally be time to drop it into audiences. We’ll have to see if that is a smart move, as the summer season is always crowded around Memorial Day.

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The first day of CinemaCon 2025 is drawing to a close. Still, before attendees gather for the first of many after-hours parties and make questionable life choices, Sony is ready to wow crowds with an exciting look at what they’ve got cooking! The studio is already teasing a new Karate Kid: Legends trailer for tomorrow, but who could have guessed that stars from the film would crane-kick audience members in the face with a unique look at the upcoming movie? It was me. I guessed. But I digress.

Sony isn’t stopping at Karate Kid: Legends; the studio also brought new looks and updates for several upcoming projects, including Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing, the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence sequel, Bad Boys 5, and an early look at Sony Animation’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Much like Sony’s Karate Kid: Legends presentation, the studio was ready to bring out the big guns by inviting Darren Aronofsky to the stage to hype his latest psychological drama, Caught Stealing, starring Austin Butler, Matt Smith, Vincent D’Onofrio, Zoë Kravitz, and Liev Schreiber. Caught Stealing focuses on a burned-out ex-baseball player, Hank Thompson (Butler), who unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the 1990s New York City criminal underbelly.

During the Sony panel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse co-writer Phil Lord said the delay in the third and final film in the trilogy would be worth the wait. He said they could not rush the production, and the film features new animation styles we’ve never seen before. Lord says Beyond picks up where Across the Spider-Verse left off and features a massive finale to the trilogy. The threequel is the first Sony animated movie formatted for large screens. A teaser was shown, mostly showing footage from the previous films. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse swings into theaters on June 4, 2027!

Next, Sony brought Pi and Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky to the stage. The Whale filmmaker joked that tonight would be his first at CinemaCon because this is the first time he’s made a film like Caught Stealing. He says the movie is purely fun, the polar opposite of his cerebral and emotionally devastating features. Aronofsky says the book Caught Stealing is based on takes place in New York in the late ’90s. His film keeps the setting, which Aronofsky says is peak humanity when the most significant threat was Y2K, and he hustled to make his first movie.

Aronofsky brought a Caught Stealing trailer to the show, featuring Austin Butler as a bartender whose best buddy, a punk rocker played by Matt Smith with a mohawk, is in trouble. The trailer features action, chases, and fights. The footage is wildly different from anything Aronofsky’s done before. Our editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, who’s at CinemaCon, thinks Caught Stealing looks great, fun, and like a late ’90s action flick.

Another movie on the table is Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which will be released in theaters on September 19. Sony brought a teaser to the panel. Colin Farrell plays a man who embarks on a journey through time and space while falling in love after picking up Margot Robbie. The duo see younger versions of themselves and reckon with the mistakes and issues they’ve overcome.

Another animated feature coming from Sony is Goat, a film about a little goat who wants to team up with his idol and earn their place in the world of professional sports. Stephen Curry produces Goat, with animation akin to Sony’s Spider-Verse movies.

Adding to the evening, Sony offered a special presentation for Karate Kid: Legends. The party started with an ensemble of Kendo drummers, Japanese flag dancers, and martial artists executing katas. Next, Ralph Macchio and Ben Wang introduced the film, saying the new film bridges the gap between the Jackie Chan film (The Karate Kid) and The Karate Kid (1984). Next, the duo showed the crowd some clips.

The first clip shows Ben Wang’s character, Li Fong, meeting Chan’s character, Mr. Han, who attacks Fong to test his skills. Chan recruits Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso in the second scene to help train Li Fong. The Bill Conde theme plays as Mr. Han enters Miaygi Do. Mr. Han was an old friend of Mr. Miyagi’s. LaRusso agrees to travel to New York to train the new student because Han feels the same way about him that Miyagi feels about Daniel.

The latest trailer goes live online tomorrow. It shares similarities to the original Karate Kid film, simultaneously making it feel like a reboot and sequel.

Other projects teased at Sony’s panel include a third film in Jake Kasdan’s Jumanji franchise. The threequel rolls the dice in theaters in December 2026. Meanwhile, Neil Blomkamp’s Starship Troopers movie continues developing, with plans for it to be different from Paul Verhoeven’s original science-fiction satire.

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If Ralph Macchio has his way, Vinny Gambini may find himself in a courtroom once again. While speaking with People at PaleyFest, Macchio teased that he’s spoken with writers about a possible sequel to My Cousin Vinny, the comedy in which he starred alongside Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei.

“Yeah, I’ve had conversations with other writers about that,” Macchio said. “Yeah, that one’s a beloved piece. It’s about finding the smart angle in.“

Although Pesci doesn’t exactly do a lot of acting these days, Macchio knows that the great actor would need to be involved, at least in some way. “He could FaceTime it in here,” Macchio suggested. I’m not sure if that would fly.

The 1992 comedy involves two young New Yorkers who are arrested in Alabama and put on trial for a murder they didn’t commit. Macchio’s character calls up his cousin Vinny, who has only recently passed the bar and has no trial experience. He arrives with his fiancée (Tomei) to take the case. The film was a success, and Tomei even won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Macchio recently wrapped a six-season run on Cobra Kai, but he will reprise the role of Daniel LaRusso once more in Karate Kid: Legends, where he will star alongside the one and only Jackie Chan. “After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother,” reads the official synopsis. “Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.” Karate Kid: Legends will hit theaters on May 30th.

Hollywood sure loves a belated sequel, but how many of them are actually any good? Would you like to see a sequel to My Cousin Vinny?

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After the release of The Karate Kid Part III in 1989, Ralph Macchio thought he was done with the martial arts franchise, but thirty years later, he was brought back into the fold for Cobra Kai. The final episodes of the series are now streaming on Netflix, but Macchio isn’t ready to call it quits, telling the New York Times that he’d love to see a Cobra Kai movie in a few years.

“Listen, I said it was the end for me when I got done with the last 1980s Karate Kid movie. So I will say never say never,” Macchio said. “If Karate Kid: Legends does well, I would love to see a Cobra Kai movie in two or three years. As long as there’s a way to be truthful to the characters, to propel a story in a way that opens it up to generations, it’s something I’d be open to having a conversation about.“

As Macchio mentioned, he’s also set to reprise the role of Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid: Legends, where he will star alongside the one and only Jackie Chan. “After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother,” reads the official synopsis. “Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.” Karate Kid: Legends will hit theaters on May 30, 2025.

Cobra Kai creators Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald, and Jon Hurwitz have also been considering more spinoffs of the series, including a prequel series centered on Mr. Miyagi. However, nothing is official.

Unfortunately, our own Alex Maidy found the final episodes of Cobra Kai to be a little underwhelming. “Cobra Kai VI brings the series to a close in a way that could have been daring, special, and even unique, but rather than rock the boat or the legacy of The Karate Kid, the finale plays it safe and does only one surprising thing, which you will all see as you binge the closing chapters,” Maidy wrote. “I wish I was more satisfied with where this series ended up, but I will always look back fondly on the overall series as a worthy continuation of one of the most iconic films of the 1980s.” You can check out the rest of Maidy’s review right here.

Would you like to see a Cobra Kai movie after Karate Kid: Legends?

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With 2024 coming to a close, it’s time to start looking to the future for our cinema needs. What does the year hold in store for us cinephiles? While 2024 held some surprise hits, giant blockbusters, and small films that could, it’s looking like 2025 movie releases will hold more of the same. We can hope that the good fortune that Hollywood has brought us will continue into the new year and keep theater attendance up. Here’s our 2025 Movie Preview:

Den Of Thieves: Pantera – January 10

Gerard Butler is back chasing down diamond thieves on the streets of Europe. He stumbles across the planning of the largest diamond heist ever planned. If you liked the first movie, then this will probably be more of the same. I’m personally happy that Gerard Butler is making some fun B-movie action films like back in the day. Plane was fun, and I’m excited to see these types of films at the theater again.

Better Man – January 10

A biopic about UK pop star Robbie Williams as we see his childhood all the way through his superstardom. Robbie will be playing himself, but how do you do that without it being weird? What if you make it so he’s a chimp? Sure. With Pharrell releasing his biopic as a Lego movie and now Robbie Williams replacing himself with a CGI chimp it seems biopics are really trying to gain quirk appeal.

Back In Action – January 17

Cameron Diaz is coming out of retirement and teaming up with Jamie Foxx for this Netflix original film. They play former CIA agents who are pulled back in when their identities are exposed. While I’m glad to see Diaz back on screen after a decade away, it’s odd that this generic spy action movie did it. Maybe just the idea of being in a movie with Jamie Foxx again was enough.

Star Trek: Section 31 – January 24

This direct to Paramount+ film is a spin off from Star Trek: Discovery starring Michelle Yeoh as her character Philippa Georgiou. This was originally planned as a series, but after COVID-19 delays, it was scrapped. Later they revived the idea for an original movie. Star Trek has always been a beloved franchise but with new movies going direct to streaming, will we ever see them return to the big screen?

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – February 13

For the first time in nine years, Bridget Jones is back! Only this time, it will be on Peacock in the United States and then in theaters everywhere else in the world. Seems backwards but okay. Bridget Jones is now a single mom and trying to figure out how that works when you’re trying to get back into the dating pool. Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant return, along with some other familiar faces. Are we past the Bridget Jones fandom, or is there still more life in this franchise?

Captain America: Brave New World – February 14

After the events of Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie is donning the shield as the new Captain America. Harrison Ford steps in for the late William Hurt as the new President Ross, who has a big red secret to share. Marvel only had one release last summer, and it seemed to work really well for them. Let’s see if something without Hugh Jackman’s claws still registers for Marvel fans.

Mickey 17 – March 7

The new film from Bong Joon-ho sees Robert Pattinson sent on a space mission because he is seen as expendable. With technology, he can be regenerated if something goes wrong. This time, something goes wrong, and he begins to experience an existential crisis. This darkly comedic film looks like a good time as we see Mickey die in numerous different ways and still have to get up to go to work the next day.

Black Bag – March 14

Steven Soderberg’s spy thriller is coming out with no details on the plot. With a cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, and Pierce Brosnan, you can bet lots of people will be interested in checking it out. Soderberg has always had an interesting take on just about any film he releases, and this will be no different.

Snow White – March 21

Disney continues its trend of doing live-action remakes of its old animated films. This one caused a stir when it was announced, as people seemed divided on how to handle the seven dwarfs aspect of the film. Ultimately, the dwarves will be completely CGI. It will be interesting to see how this plays in a modern culture. Expect some new songs, and Gal Gadot will be playing the evil queen, which is inspired casting compared to the look of the original character.

A Minecraft Movie – April 4

With Super Mario Bros. and the Sonic movies being big hits, it’s no surprise that the hugely popular game Minecraft would be getting its own movie. Jack Black once again jumps on board to play Steve, the generic character most players take control of when booting up Minecraft. Jason Mamoa, Jennifer Coolidge, and Kate McKinnon round out the cast as random characters are pulled into the cubic world and need the help of an expert crafter to get home. Seems very Jumanji.

The Accountant 2 – April 25

I don’t think anyone saw this sequel coming. In the first film, Ben Affleck played a neuro-divergent accountant who had a side job as a hitman. The film was a modest hit but nothing that would seem to warrant a sequel. Some other familiar faces from the first one return.

Thunderbolts* – May 2

The second of Marvel’s offerings this year sees a bunch of cast-off characters from previous Marvel films being rounded up for a new agency. Yelena will be leading the team of previous supervillains who are now taking jobs for the government. Of course, this will be complicated by a lot of in-fighting and some unexpected speedbumps. The trailer makes this look like a lot of fun so here’s hoping it will give MCU fans some laughs while providing some great action scenes.

Lilo & Stitch – May 23

This is the second of Disney’s live-action remakes. Stitch crash-lands on Earth and is adopted by a young girl. Hijinks ensue as others come looking for him. The original had a great sense of humor, and the trailers showing Stitch invading other Disney properties were great. I have no idea if this will translate well into live-action, but kids will probably love it.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – May 23

This was originally titled Dead Reckoning Part II, but after the last film underperformed, the title was quickly changed. It will continue the storyline from the last film, and we see Ethan Hunt trying to stop the deadly AI from causing worldwide chaos. Of course in order to shut it down, they have to make their way to the submarine that is crashed on the ocean floor.

Karate Kid: Legends – May 30

The franchise returns to the big screen as we see Daniel from the original and Mr. Han from the 2010 “remake” join forces to mentor a new student. It’s a strange crossing of the streams which retcons the remake into being set in the same continuity. With Cobra Kai just ending when this hits theaters, will fans even care enough to go check it out? Fans of the original movie got their nostalgia fix with the series. Are there people who have nostalgia for the 2010 movie?

From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina – June 6

The spin-off of the John Wick films hits the big screen. We were introduced to the Ballerinas in John Wick 3. Now they get a film all their own while Keanu Reeves will still make an appearance since this is set during that time period. Ana de Armas takes over the role of Eve as she looks to get revenge on the people who killed her family. The intricate world of John Wick is fascinating to explore, and this gives us a chance to see even more of it.

Elio – June 13

An animated film from Disney that follows Elio. He’s a young space fanatic who gets tasked with saving the universe. They have been struggling to come up with animated films that really stick with audiences that aren’t already established Pixar properties. The shine of the early Pixar films has really dimmed after Disney bought them. Hopefully we can see Disney regain its footing with animated films like we used to have.

How To Train Your Dragon – June 13

Dreamworks seems to be taking a cue from Disney and remaking some of their more popular animated properties. We’re getting another round of dragons as we see the first meeting of Hiccup and Toothless. Again. Not sure if this trend will ever end, but at least Dreamworks doesn’t have as deep of a catalog as Disney. When can we expect to see a live-action Kung Fu Panda?

Jurassic World: Rebirth – July 2

Scarlett Johanssen is taking the lead role this time around. No one seems to have learned any lesson about bringing dinosaurs back to life. This time it looks like explorers have to go in to get DNA samples from some prehistoric animals to help cure a disease. Universal really just wants to see if there is any juice left to squeeze out of this fruit. It may be time to let it sleep for a few decades before heading back in.

Superman – July 11

James Gunn takes his stab at the Man of Steel as the DC Universe reboots itself on-screen once again. Reports are that Gunn held an early screening for WB execs and that it did not go well. That could be internet fodder, but it doesn’t instill a lot of hope for the new version of the DCU. With the DC shows on the CW just wrapping up, we’ll have to see if Gunn’s Superman will connect with comic fans. The recent trailer seemed to gain a lot of views very quickly, so we at least know that fans are interested.

The Smurfs Movie – July 18

Those magical little blue creatures will grace theater screens once again. This time, the film will be fully animated and musical. Paramount/Nickelodeon will take on the film, and it seems to be inspired by the popularity of the Troll movies. Rhianna will voice Smurfette and be joined by Nick Offerman, John Goodman, Kurt Russell, Dan Levy, and Hannah Waddingham.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps – July 25

Marvel’s first family finally makes their way into the MCU. While they have been on-screen before as part of Fox’s Marvel movies, this time, we’ll see what the MCU has in store for the group. Marvel’s third film in six months will really test if audiences are in superhero fatigue or not. The early footage shown at Comicon seems fun, so hopefully, it will bring something new.

Naked Gun – August 1

Liam Neeson is hoping to try something drastically different than we’ve seen from him before. He has some big shoes to fill, as Leslie Nielsen based the whole second half of his career on the original Naked Gun. It will be hard to see anyone else trying to play that role. Plus, does that type of comedy have a place anymore?

Freakier Friday – August 8

Disney’s calendar of releases this year is crazy, as we see the reteaming of Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. The last film was a remake of an old Disney Classic. Now, twenty-one years later, we are getting a sequel. Expect more body-swapping jokes as the Lindsay Lohan resurgence seems to be taking shape. She’s been on an upswing lately, and hopefully, we can see her get a victory lap as she has matured.

Nobody 2 – August 15

Somehow, Bob Odenkirk became an action star after starring in Nobody back in 2021. Now, we get to see some more middle-aged dad action as he returns for this sequel. The first movie really worked to show what appears to be an ordinary man who decides to get back into a life he left a long time ago. Now that we have seen him for what he really is, here’s hoping for more action and more Christopher Lloyd running around with a shotgun.

Downton Abbey 3 – September 12

The third film spin-off of the popular period drama. Many of the cast return to once again play their characters, showing the divide between the upper class and the working class. This drama captivated audiences when it first premiered, and both previous films have been big hits. It only makes sense to keep it going with another film.

Tron: Ares – October 10

We’re traveling back into the world of Tron. Jeff Bridges is back, along with a slew of other familiar faces like Jodie Turner-Smith, Evan Peters, and Jared Leto. This time, a program is sent from the digital world to the real world. Each Tron film so far has pushed the boundaries in terms of special effects and technical marvels. Let’s see what they come up with this time.

Mortal Kombat 2 – October 24

We’re heading back to the arcade, so get your quarters ready. The reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise continues as our heroes are heading back to Outland to continue the fight for all existence. The last film was released during the pandemic, so a true gauge of the popularity is hard to judge, but audiences seem to have a positive response. During the initial film franchise run, the second entry pushed it off a cliff. We can hope they learned their lesson.

Now You See Me 3 – November 14

Another entry into the magic mystery franchise is in the pipeline. All of our sleight-of-hand artists are returning, but no plot has been released so far. The previous movies have gained an audience through their unique use of stage magic and illusions to foil their adversaries. It is a fun and interesting way of doing a mystery based action film. If it lives up to the previous entries, then audiences should leave the theater happy.

Wicked: For Good – November 21

The second part of the recent smash hit. Those who haven’t seen the Broadway play or read the book will get to see how the story ends. I expect more fantastic songs, some great visuals, and more Oz. We all need all the Oz we can get. Let’s all get ready to defy gravity once again.

Zootopia 2 – November 26

Disney has quite the release schedule this year, and we’re not even done yet. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are teaming up to solve a wild case that could change their entire lives. It will be fun to travel back into the world of Zootopia and see where the characters are. It looks like more of the same fun we had in the last film.

Avatar: Fire And Ash – December 19

It’s time to head back to Pandora. Last time James Cameron dealt with water motifs and explored more of the world. Looks like we’ll be dealing with fire this time around. While the films seem to always be a wonder of motion capture and CGI, it would be great to see Cameron go back to other projects before his film career comes to an end. We can always hope.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants – December 19

Hey Kids! SpongeBob is back with another movie. This time, he will explore the depths of the ocean to deal with the ghost of the Flying Dutchman. This franchise just keeps engaging generation after generation. At this point, The Simpsons might be about the only animated franchise that has lasted longer. As long as fans keep checking out the movies, the more they will keep making.

What 2025 movie releases are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments. And, if you’re looking for more info on horror releases, check out our horror movie preview HERE!

The post 2025 Movie Preview: All the big movies hitting theaters next year! appeared first on JoBlo.

Wax On, Wax Off. For those of us who lived through the 1980s, The Karate Kid has been in our lives in one way or another. Even if you have never seen any of the films, you know what Wax On, Wax Off means. In 2018, we got to take a trip back to the All Valley Karate Tournament to see what Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence were up to. The series Cobra Kai became a big hit on Netflix (after moving from YouTube Red), but with that series winding down, are we saying goodbye to our beloved characters? Not quite yet.

World’s Collide

Before Cobra Kai became a hit, they tried once again to get some juice out of the Karate Kid IP. Only this time without any previous characters. In 2010, a “remake” of The Karate Kid was made. They transported the action to China with a young Jaden Smith learning Kung Fu from a wise Jackie Chan. The movie was a hit, but a sequel never materialized.

When Cobra Kai hit, fans began to wonder when some of the characters from the movies would start appearing. Outside of Johnny and Daniel, not many showed up in the first two seasons. Then the gates opened up, and we’ve seen the likes of Elizabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Thomas Ian Griffith, Yuji Okumoto, and Sean Kanan reprise their characters from the movie series. We’re still holding out hope for an appearance by Hillary Swank in the final season.

With the new film Karate Kid: Legends, Ralph Macchio is reprising his role as Daniel LaRusso, but this time, he’ll be teaming up with Jackie Chan’s character Mr. Han. This creates a bridge and retcons what the 2010 film actually was. It’s no longer a remake but another story in the same universe.

What’s It About?

It seems like it might be more of the same as we saw in the original Karate Kid movies. A young kid is getting bullied and turns to martial arts and a wise instructor to help them through their problems. That was basically the plot of the original four movies and the 2010 reboot. This time, it looks like Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han will be playing the wisened martial arts instructors. It looks like it will be set three years after the end of Cobra Kai. The premiere date for the film was even pushed back to accommodate the show’s series finale.

Different story synopsis doesn’t seem to know if the story is set in the United States or China. The official description on IMDB says it takes place in Beijing, while others, such as Wikipedia, claim that the titular “Karate Kid” will be a young kid on the East Coast. Either way, it looks like school will be back in session once again. What does a new Karate Kid movie look like in 2024, where bullying is looked at a whole lot differently than in the 80s, and a young kid hanging out with an old man might raise a few eyebrows?

Who’s In It?

Are we going to see some of our favorite characters from the previous movies and the Cobra Kai series? Sadly, it doesn’t look like it. As previously stated, Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan will be back, but the rest of the cast seems to be filled with new characters.

Ben Wang

Just like with the original film, producers searched worldwide to find the perfect fit for the title character. Ben Wang was chosen and will be playing Li Fong. He’ll be seeking the help of both Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. It seems he’ll be torn between his new mentors and which approach works best for him. Does he concentrate on Kung Fu with Mr. Han or immerse himself in Miyagi-Do?

Joshua Jackson

He is only listed as Victor on the IMDB page, and there is no indication of where that makes him fall. The great thing about Joshua Jackson is that over the past decade, he has proven that, with his acting chops, he can fall on either side of the fence. We all remember him as the lovable screw-up Pacey from Dawson’s Creek. Well, lately, he has been taking on darker roles, such as Dr. Duntsch on Doctor Death. It should be great either way.

Ming-Na Wen

A veteran actor, Wen is always great no matter what she is cast in. Old-school martial arts fans will remember her as Chun-Li from the disastrous 1994 Street Fighter film, but Disney fans will know her as the voice of Mulan. We’ve seen her tackle some fun action roles in the recent past on shows like Agents Of Shield and The Book Of Boba Fett. Maybe she’ll be able to play a more motherly role as Li Fong’s mother. However, most mothers can be scarier than just about anything when they find out their child is being bullied.

When Can We See It?

It was originally scheduled to be released on June 7th, 2024. However, the 2023 strikes pushed it back. They decided it might make a good release for the holiday season 2024 when the box office is quiet. When Netflix decided to split up the final season of Cobra Kai into three different parts, they realized it might confuse the audience as the final collection of episodes hadn’t come out yet. Finally, it has been decided that on May 30th, 2025, it will finally be time to drop it into audiences. We’ll have to see if that is a smart move, as the summer season is always crowded around Memorial Day.

Are you excited about catching Karate Kid: Legends? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Everything We Know About Karate Kid: Legends appeared first on JoBlo.

Sony has just released the trailer for Karate Kid: Legends. The film stars Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) as a young teenager from China who finds identity and strength in martial arts. During his journey of self-discovery, Wang’s character meets a disciplined martial arts master. Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their roles of Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) also appear in the movie, alongside Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) as the romantic lead. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directed the movie from a script by Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).

The official plot synopsis reads,
“In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.”

Daniel-San himself couldn’t help but share his enthusiasm for this new entry into the series. “I’m not allowed to say a lot about it, except another awesome chapter is on its way,” Macchio said. “Ben Wang is a young kid in the show, he’s very exciting to watch. And working with Jackie [Chan], he’s a legend. They found, you know, it’s its own story in the vast universe, you know, so it’s another chapter in a different area that connects the mythology of where it all began. And fortunately, I was the guy that was there when it all began.“

Cobra Kai recently came to a close, and returning for Karate Kid: Legends wasn’t an easy choice for Macchio after spending so many years on the Netflix show, reprising his iconic role. However, in the end, it felt right. “It was not a quick decision, because it was about protecting the Daniel LaRusso character, and finding where he would be at that point, and then protecting the whole legacy in the Miyagi-verse,” Macchio told Variety. “Once we were able to line that up, for the ‘Cobra Kai’ story to lead into the new film — even though they’re separate ecosystems — it all made sense for me. Then, working with Jackie was just super exciting. I started this on the big screen. How cool is it to get it back to the big screen?” As for whether this will be the last time we see Daniel LaRusso, Macchio wouldn’t say. “I don’t want to overstay the welcome of a character that’s so beloved,” he said. “But he’s aging like I am, so there could be other areas to explore as well. Never say never.“

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Entertainment Weekly‘s 2025 Preview is showing some new looks at some of the anticipated big releases of next year. First up is Marvel Studios’ film that teams up the villains of movie’s past, Thunderbolts*. The plot is about “Yelena, US Agent, Ghost, and Taskmaster are sent by Val to kill someone in a vault. They realize they’ve been set up and were meant to die on this mission. So they team up against their boss to take her down.“

Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek, Jason Tamez and Scarlett Johansson serve as executive producers.

In addition to Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Thunderbolts also stars Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as US Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster. Geraldine Viswanathan will also make an appearance, replacing Ayo Edebiri, who was originally attached. Lewis Pullman is also on board as The Sentry, taking over for Steven Yeun, who was cast in the role before he had to leave. 

Next up are some new images from Karate Kid Legends. The film stars Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) as a young teenager from China who finds identity and strength in martial arts. During his journey of self-discovery, Wang’s character meets a disciplined martial arts master. Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their roles of Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) also appear in the movie, alongside Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) as the romantic lead. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directed the movie from a script by Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).

Daniel-San himself couldn’t help but share his enthusiasm for this new entry into the series. “I’m not allowed to say a lot about it, except another awesome chapter is on its way,” Macchio said. “Ben Wang is a young kid in the show, he’s very exciting to watch. And working with Jackie [Chan], he’s a legend. They found, you know, it’s its own story in the vast universe, you know, so it’s another chapter in a different area that connects the mythology of where it all began. And fortunately, I was the guy that was there when it all began.“

The post Entertainment Weekly releases exclusive new photos from Thunderbolts* and Karate Kid Legends appeared first on JoBlo.

We may be nearing the end of Cobra Kai, but the Karate Kid universe will continue with the upcoming feature film. Karate Kid: Legends will find Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their roles of Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso, and Macchio teased the film while speaking on CBS’s The Talk.

“I’m not allowed to say a lot about it, except another awesome chapter is on its way,” Macchio said. “Ben Wang is a young kid in the show, he’s very exciting to watch. And working with Jackie [Chan], he’s a legend. They found, you know, it’s its own story in the vast universe, you know, so it’s another chapter in a different area that connects the mythology of where it all began. And fortunately, I was the guy that was there when it all began.“

Returning for Karate Kid: Legends wasn’t an easy choice for Macchio after spending so many years on Cobra Kai, but in the end, it felt right. “It was not a quick decision, because it was about protecting the Daniel LaRusso character, and finding where he would be at that point, and then protecting the whole legacy in the Miyagi-verse,” Macchio told Variety. “Once we were able to line that up, for the ‘Cobra Kai’ story to lead into the new film — even though they’re separate ecosystems — it all made sense for me. Then, working with Jackie was just super exciting. I started this on the big screen. How cool is it to get it back to the big screen?” As for whether this will be the last time we see Daniel LaRusso, Macchio wouldn’t say. “I don’t want to overstay the welcome of a character that’s so beloved,” he said. “But he’s aging like I am, so there could be other areas to explore as well. Never say never.“

In addition to Macchio and Chan, Karate Kid: Legends stars Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) as a young teenager from China who finds identity and strength in martial arts. During his journey of self-discovery, Wang’s character meets a disciplined martial arts master. Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) also appear in the movie, alongside Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) as the romantic lead. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directed the movie from a script by Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).

The second part of the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai debuted on Netflix earlier this month, with the third and final part of Season 6 arriving in 2025 before the movie. Nothing is official, but creators Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz have been entertaining the idea of more spinoffs, including a prequel series centered on Mr. Miyagi.

Karate Kid: Legends will hit theaters on May 30, 2025.

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The audience at New York Comic Con got a special treat during the Sony Pictures panel: the first trailer for Karate Kid: Legends. The crowd got the exclusive first look at this highly anticipated project, which blends the Cobra Kai universe and the reboot universe. Unfortunately, the trailer hasn’t been made available online (yet), but we do have a description courtesy of Variety and Deadline.

The Karate Kid: Legends trailer naturally focuses on the three leads (Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio, and Jackie Chan). It begins with Chan’s character (Mr. Han) recruiting Wang’s character (Li Fong) at a martial arts academy. We’re reintroduced to Macchio’s character (Daniel LaRusso), who teams up with Mr. Han to help mentor Li Fong, but their training styles don’t always mesh. We also see a glimpse of a portrait of Mr. Miyagi, as well as some fight scenes and martial arts matches. As Li Fong faces off against some bullies, we hear Mr. Han say, “In life, you only have one question: Is it worth fighting for or not?“

The film stars Ben Wang (American Born Chinese) as a young teenager from China who finds identity and strength in martial arts. During his journey of self-discovery, Wang’s character meets a disciplined martial arts master. Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their roles of Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction) and Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian) also appear in the movie, alongside Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer) as the romantic lead. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directed the movie from a script by Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).

Getting to work with Jackie Chan was a huge honour for Ralph Macchio. “Jackie Chan is a legend, just to have that opportunity was exciting. He was wonderful,” said Macchio earlier this summer. “Lot of heart, lot of soul and caring, I will say that about Jackie. He loves being on set and it was like his first day every day. I love seeing that at his age and time of his career because I like to try to bring that as well, but a great young cast on that one, and we’ll see where it goes.“

The first five episodes of the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai debuted on Netflix this summer. Part 2 will follow on November 15th, and Part 3 will conclude the series next year. Nothing is official, but creators Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz have been entertaining the idea of more spinoffs, including a prequel series centered on Mr. Miyagi.

Karate Kid: Legends will hit theaters on May 30, 2025.

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