Pay attention, Jackie Chan is a martial arts legend, so when he is forged in a film like Karate Child: Legends, you recognize he’ll ship. Director Jonathan Entwistle positively obtained to see Chan’s abilities firsthand. When the filmmaker behind the marquee 2025 film launch spoke to CinemaBlend about working with Chan for his return as Mr. Han, he shared an awesome story that illustrates how a lot of a professional the 71-year-old actor is.
Contemplating simply what number of stunts Chan has carried out over the course of his profession, it is pure to assume that he is realized a number of tips. Apparently, a type of got here into play on the primary day of filming, throughout which the revered Chinese language star dislocated his shoulder. As Entwistle defined to me although, Chan corrected that with a wise, however considerably gross, plan of action:
He dislocated his shoulder on the very first thing that we rolled within the kitchen combat, and he simply was like, boop [motions popping shoulder back into place], ‘Okay, let’s go.’ I used to be similar to, ‘Oh, Jackie Chan’s right here. I forgot.’
Karate Child: Legends is actually not Jackie Chan’s first rodeo. Chan’s films are broadly revered and symbolize a number of the better of what Asian cinema has to supply. Chan labored as a stuntman again within the ’70s and ’80s earlier than ultimately touchdown his personal main roles. So I’m not precisely stunned that he popped his shoulder again in place after getting injured. That stated, the considered seeing that occur in actual time makes me uneasy. Nevertheless, Jonathan Entwistle was impressed:
It was simply superb to witness that and simply to see him on digicam do one thing. It felt like a film. It felt like once we turned over on Jackie and like, ‘Oh, Jackie’s doing one thing.’ There’s some superb sequences the place Ben, he is simply blocking, block, block [with Jackie Chan]. Seeing him do this on this rooftop at Sundown, I am like, let’s go. We’re making films, you recognize? It felt actually particular.
Karate Child: Legends follows Ben Wang’s Li Fong, a scholar and great-nephew of Mr. Han, who strikes to New York Metropolis together with his mother (performed by Ming-Na Wen) for a contemporary begin. When Li finds himself wrapped up in a neighborhood martial arts match, Mr. Han joins him within the Massive Apple to coach, and he recruits Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso to assist.
The stunts for Legends had been choreographed by Peng Zhang, who was additionally coordinated on Shang-Chi and American Born Chinese language. However, after all, the manufacturing additionally had Jackie Chan, who’s fairly explicit. Jonathan Entwistle even shared throughout our interview, that Chan was sizing up quite a lot of pans on set to determine which ones can be the perfect for comedic impact throughout his on-screen combat with co-star Ben Wang. The director additionally stated this:
I used to be adamant from the start that once we knew Jackie was reprising Mr. Han’s function, that we had been going to carry a number of the Jackie Chan magic mud to all the things we touched. For me, it was actually vital from day one which the fights felt superior and enjoyable and funky, however they actually had slightly further to it. And so from day one, I used to be like, I would like Hong Kong wire work crew. I believe this can be a actually thrilling factor theatrically for individuals to see a unique kind of combat. There is no VFX augmenting the fights. It is all in digicam.
There you might have it. What you see is just about what you get on this legacy sequel. The large transfer of the film, the dragon kick, was even achieved with out wire work, due to an incredible stunt performer. I might say that intense info like these are sufficient to make a fan clutch their Karate Child popcorn bucket.
CinemaBlend additionally talked to Entwistle concerning the submit credit score scene in Legends and to Jackie Chan about his stunt work ethic now that he’s in his 70s. As you could have heard, Chan isn’t ever planning on retiring and is even serious about doing one other Rush Hour movie! He is a very dedicated star, who clearly is aware of methods to preserve his physique accordingly on set.
Karate Child: Legends is taking part in in theaters now!