Actor Cast As New Karate Kid Is From Small Town Minnesota + Learned English From TV

An actor from Minnesota will be the next Karate Kid in a movie that will be coming out in late 2024. A global search was started for the next kid to take on the role, and in the first 24 hours of a casting call, there were 10,000 entries from around the world.

Minnesota native Ben Wang won the part.

The Hollywood Reporter announced the news this week that Ben Wang won the part. Ben Wang immigrated to Minnesota when he was six years old, and he is very qualified for the role. It's said that Wang delivered a standout addition. He also is fluent in Mandarin and is highly skilled in many forms of martial arts like karate, kung fun, gumdo, kemp, and taekwondo.

Wang comes from a small rural Minnesota town.

In an article in TIMID, Wang talks about growing up in a small town in rural Minnesota, where if you weren't good at football, you better find something.

He learned English from watching TV.

He didn't speak any English when he came to Minnesota. He would wake up and sit in front of the TV and watch to learn the language. Infomercials were incredibly helpful because they shout about the product and demonstrate what it does. This is how he learned English. Read more about his fascinating story in the interview in TIMID.

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Many people will recognize Ben Wang from the Disney+ original series American Born Chinese. It's an adaptation of the coming-of-age fantasy novel written by Gene Luen Yang. The show also stars familiar faces like Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and others.

Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio will return.

Jackie Chan was the mentor in 2010's The Next Karate Kid. He'll be returning alongside Ralph Macchio who starred in the original Karate Kid with Pat Morita as his mentor.

What we know about the plot:

So far all we know is that the story will be set on the East Coast. The karate kid played by Wang is a Chinese immigrant who finds strength and purpose through martial arts, and his mentors. Sony is producing the film which is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2024.

See some of Ben Wang's acting chops in this trailer for American Born Chinese on Disney+