Fans of 1984's The Karate Kid will soon be able to relive the magic of the film on the Broadway stage. It was announced today by the show's producers that The Karate Kid is being developed into an all new stage musical based on the original movie.
It will feature a book my the movie's screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen (above left) and will be directed by Amon Miyamoto (above right). This will also feature music and lyrics from Drew Gasparini, with VMA nominees Keone and Mari Madrid.
In a statement Kamen said:
On June 13, 1982, my daughter Alessandra (Ali with an i) was born. Two days later when she arrived home from the hospital, I sat down with her in one of those little rocking cradles at my side, and began to write The Karate Kid. A year later, in October of 1983, principal photography began. A year after that, in June of 1984, exactly two years after I wrote the script, the film was in theaters. And there it stayed for nearly six months. Five sequels and two television shows later, amazingly the characters and the story still resonates with audiences the way it did when the film first was released. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this little movie would reach across generations the way it has. And beyond my wildest dreams did I think what started out as a love letter to my devotion to Okinawan Karate and the man who taught me would become a full-blown Broadway musical. But here it is. Here I am. And here is hoping that what comes to the stage brings the same joy and relevance The Karate Kid has brought to countless kids and their parents for the past 35 years. Go figure.
Producer Kumiko Yoshii said that the production team is focused on bringing Kamen's "iconic story to a new generation in a way that really speaks to them."
Additional information, production dates, and casting information will be announced at a later date.
Photo: Getty