'The Karate Kid' Sequel Shaping Up With 'Kung Fu Panda' Writers

Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff have been hired to pen the script for the follow-up of the Jaden Smith-starring movie.

---

Columbia Pictures has moved forward with their plan to make a sequel to "The Karate Kid". The Hollywood Reporter (THR) has just reported that Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff have been billed to provide the script for "The Karate Kid 2".

The studio would not reveal the setting or the plot for the upcoming movie. However, THR speculates that the next film could be set in the United States to reverse mirror the 1980s original movie series which was set in China before moving to Japan.

"The Karate Kid" helmer Harald Zwart himself has previously said that he would prefer to do a new story than remake one of the existing "Karate Kid" sequels. "I personally think it's now so much on its own two feet, given the success, that it would be interesting to see where we could take it without ever thinking about the old ones," he stated.

Lead actors Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan are expected to reprise their roles as Dre Parker and Mr. Han respectively in the second film, although no deals are signed yet. The first movie, which was released in summer this year, has grossed $299.7 million worldwide as of press time.

Cyrus Voris and Ethan Reiff have written 2008 animation "Kung Fu Panda". Together, they created Showtime's "Sleeper Cell" and wrote "Nottingham" which was eventually turned into Russell Crowe-starring feature film "Robin Hood".

© AceShowbiz.com

---

---

---