'Karate Kid': Where the Cast Is Now

June 3, 2010— -- The filmmakers of the new "Karate Kid" had a huge obstacle to overcome: how to remake the original film from the 1980s when it's constantly replaying on cable television.

The original iconic film starring Ralph Macchio inspired a generation of kids to take up karate, earned co-star Pat Morita an Academy Award nomination and spawned three sequels, including one starring newcomer Hilary Swank.

The new film, which stars Will Smith's youngest son Jaden in the title role and Jackie Chan filling Morita's shoes, is more like an "homage" to the original, according to director Harald Zwart.

The remake, which opens at theaters on June 11, maintains the same new-kid-on-the-block-beats-the-bully motif of the original. But this time Jaden Smith is transported from Detroit, where he is a popular middle schooler, to China, where his mother, played by Taraji P. Henson, finds work after losing her job.

When Jaden's character, Dre Parker, falls for schoolmate Mei Ying, he makes him an enemy of the class bully, Lui Wei Cheng, a kung fu disciple. Dre knows a little karate but no kung fu, so he turns to his building's handyman, Mr. Han, played by Chan, to teach him.

Even with the new location and the swap of kung fu for karate, Macchio, now 48, had his doubts about the remake.

"I was happy to hear their goal wasn't to do a copycat version, but the movie still airs all the time," he told the New York Post last year. "The reason 'Ocean's 11' worked was because no one had seen the original in 30 years. 'Karate Kid' was on ABC Family last week."

So Will Smith, one of the remake's producers, along with wife Jada Pinkett Smith, put in a call to Macchio to assauge him.

"Will called me up and he's such a cool guy," Macchio told the Post. "He was like, 'I know I'm messing with your baby, but I want you to be happy, so we'll do anything you want.'"

One thing Macchio wouldn't do was a cameo.

"I don't think it makes sense to show Daniel as an adult, since I think he represents so many people's childhoods," he told the paper. "I think seeing him as a grown man could sully that legacy."Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita from the original "Karate Kid" and Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in the remake.