Sony Pictures announced on Wednesday, November 22, a new The Karate Kid film 13 years after the last installment.

Reprising their previous roles, Hong Kong actor and filmmaker Jackie Chan and American actor Ralph Macchio will be teaming up in the upcoming movie. The two starred in the martial arts film franchise decades apart.

Ralph starred in the first three Karate Kid movies from 1984 to 1989 as Daniel LaRusso. He also brought back his iconic character in Netflix’s series, Cobra Kai, which announced its sixth and final season earlier this year.

Jackie, on the other hand, will take part again as the kung fu master Mr. Han. who coached Dre Parker, played by Jaden Smith, in the 2010 movie.

Directed by Jonathan Entwistle and written by Rob Lieber, the next movie is set to premiere in theaters on December 13, 2024.

As per Variety magazine, the plot for the film is still being kept under wraps with the sprawling story of Cobra Kai possibly having an impact on the new Karate Kid movie.

Together with the announcement, the two actors also officially opened the global search for the next Karate Kid star.

“We’re looking for next Karate Kid,” Jackie said.

“The global search for the star of our new film starts right now so let’s wax on wax off everybody,” Ralph said while referencing to his iconic character’s line and training technique from Mr. Miyagi.

Jackie also referenced his "jacket on, jacket off" technique.

“I’m very, very excited,” he expressed.

As per the casting call website, the movie franchise is looking for an actor to portray the lead character Li Fong. 

They are looking for someone 15 to 17 years old, Chinese or mixed-race Chinese who is fluent in English. Conversational Mandarin is also a plus.

They also included the chacteristics such as “smart, scrappy, and a skilled martial artist (any sort of martial arts, movement, gymnastics, and/or dance experience is a strong plus)” as part of their criteria.

Aspiring actors can check other details on their website to KarateKidCasting.com