Will Smith made a 2010 remake of the classic 1984 movie titled The Karate Kid. The original movie, which starred iconic actor Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso was replaced by Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith in the remake.

Starring alongside Jaden Smith was Jackie Chan and the movie received average ratings from audiences. Talking about his character, Ralph Macchio talked about the time Smith offered him to reprise his role in the 2010 movie but he wasn’t interested.

Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid (2010)

Ralph Macchio Wasn’t All Too Pleased With Will Smith’s Remake

For his son Jaden Smith, Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith decided to produce the 2010 remake of the 1984 classic titled The Karate Kid. In the original movie, Ralph Macchio portrayed the role of Daniel LaRusso who was the main lead of the movie at that time.

A still of Jaden and Will Smith from After Earth

With the remake going in full swing, Ralph Macchio talked about the time he was offered to reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso in the 2010 remake. Stating how Will Smith wanted Macchio to be as comfortable as possible with the remake going forward and even wished that he would reprise his role in The Karate Kid.

“Listen, he [Will Smith] didn’t offer like, ‘I’m gonna write you a big role in this remake’. He just said, ‘Any involvement you want, we could figure it out.’ He wanted me to feel comfortable with it going forward.”
Talking about how he wasn’t really interested in a remake, Macchio stated that he had hoped that Hollywood wouldn’t start making remakes so soon.

Ralph Macchio Wasn’t Interested In Reprising His Role

Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid

Although Will Smith tried to make the actor comfortable with the remake, Ralph Macchio wasn’t convinced by the project. Stating that he had no interest or desire to star in the remake, the actor shared that he would simply stand back and let the legacy unfold.,

“I just said, ‘You know what, I’m going to stand back, be a fan and see what you guys come up with’. I think the legacy stands on its own, and I didn’t have any great desire to fit a square peg in a round hole if you will. I just didn’t know enough about it and what they wanted to do for me to really participate.”

In the end, The Karate Kid received average reviews with the film managing to gain a rating of 6.2/10 on IMDB and 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. The 2010 starrer is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

Source: Fox News