A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

AS BEN WANG TAKES UP THE KARATE KID MANTLE, THE YOUNG ACTOR JOINS CO-STARS JACKIE CHAN AND RALPH MACCHIO TO EXPLAIN WHY IT WAS TIME FOR A NEW MOVIE IN THE MARTIAL ARTS FRANCHISE. BY ELLA WALKER

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IT’S a risky business, adding yet another film to such a legendary canon as The Karate Kid.

“I've been careful over the years with protecting this franchise, protecting this character,” says actor Ralph Macchio.

The 63-year-old played the original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso in the hit 1984 martial arts movie, and returns to the role for Karate Kid: Legends. He adds: “The evolution of these characters, the themes in the original movie, they still stand the test of time and win over each generation.”

“I wanted to come back to this role because the audience wants to come back,” adds Jackie Chan, 71, who is reprising his role as Mr Han from 2010 remake, The Karate Kid.

“We've been looking for a good story. We've been waiting.”

Directed by Jonathan Entwistle, who created The End Of The F****ing World on Netflix, Karate Kid: Legends follows kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang), who moves to New York from Beijing with his mum (Mulan star Ming-Na Wen).

Threatened by a local karate champion, Fong decides to enter the ultimate karate competition and enlists the help of his kung fu expert uncle, Mr Han, and the Karate Kid himself, LaRusso.

Fong learns to integrate their styles - with some boxing thrown in, courtesy of retired fighter Victor (Dawson's Creek and Cruel Intentions actor Joshua Jackson) - in an effort to wow the martial arts world.

Ben, who made a name for himself in The Long Walk and American Born Chinese, had just moved to the US from Beijing when The Karate Kid remake came out in 2010, and he says Fong’s outsider story really touched him.

“It gets me emotional, this idea of going somewhere completely new and having to start over and finding people who help you along the way,” says the 25-year-old, who was born in Shanghai, China.