Sony’s Karate Kid: Legends came out swinging, raking in $2.3 million during Thursday preview screenings, setting up for a solid opening weekend. According to Variety, the latest Karate Kid flick is eyeing $25 million to $30 million at the box office across 3,600 theaters. With a tight $45 million budget, that’s a pretty good start for this new chapter in the iconic franchise.
The movie brings together two Karate Kid legends: Ralph Macchio, back as the OG Daniel LaRusso from the 1984 classic, and Jackie Chan, reprising his role as Mr. Han from the 2010 remake. They’re mentoring a fresh face, Ben Wang, who plays Li Fong, a kung fu whiz who moves from Beijing to NYC and trains with both to compete in a big Five Boroughs karate tournament. It’s a cool mash-up of the old-school Karate Kid vibes and the modern energy of Cobra Kai, the Netflix show that’s got fans hyped all over again.
But it’s not an easy fight at the box office. Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch is still crushing it after a massive $182.6 million Memorial Day debut and is expected to pull in over $60 million this weekend. Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is also in the ring, aiming for $27 million to $30 million in its second week. Plus, A24’s creepy Bring Her Back is looking at about $6 million. So, yeah, it’s a packed weekend.
Directed by Jonathan Entwistle with a script by Rob Lieber, Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth film in the series and the first to blend the original trilogy with the 2010 remake, set three years after Cobra Kai’s finale. Fans of the show are pumped, and some box office folks think it could hit the higher end of those projections if the Cobra Kai crowd shows up. That said, reviews are kind of meh—57% on Rotten Tomatoes—with some saying it feels a bit rushed and doesn’t hit as hard emotionally as the older films. Still, audiences are digging it, giving it a 68% “definite recommend” on PostTrak, and kids under 12 are loving it, handing out 4.5 stars and a 79% “must-see” score.
Clocking in at just 94 minutes—the shortest Karate Kid yet—it keeps things moving fast. Some fans aren’t thrilled that Macchio and Chan don’t get more screen time, with one review joking their roles are like “breadsticks to a pizza meal.” But Ben Wang’s performance and the action scenes, especially a killer kitchen fight with Jackie Chan, are getting big cheers.
With its low budget and major nostalgia factor, Karate Kid: Legends is set to make bank, even if it lands third behind Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible. As the summer box office heats up, this one’s got a shot to win over both longtime fans and newbies with its mix of heart and high kicks.