Ming-Na Wen, Fennec Shand in Star Wars, has joined the cast of the new Karate Kid film, alongside previously announced cast members Ben Wang in the titular role, Joshua Jackson and Sadie Stanley.
Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio will reprise their characters from the earlier films in the franchise.
Much like the film’s plot, details of Wen’s role are currently under wraps. The movie will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle, the creator and director of Netflix’s “I Am Not Okay With This” and “The End of the F—ing World.” “Peter Rabbit” writer Rob Lieber will pen the screenplay, while Karen Rosenfelt will produce. Sony Pictures will release the film in theaters on Dec. 13, 2024.
The “Karate Kid” films have earned $618 million globally, and spawned the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Cobra Kai.” The series, created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, takes place decades after the events of the original movies, reawakening a rivalry between Macchio’s Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).
Fennec Shand appears in the trailer for the third and final season of The Bad Batch, streaming now on Disney+, although she’s not been in the first five episodes.
