Will Smith helped martial arts legend Jackie Chan celebrate his 70th birthday by sharing some snaps from The Karate Kid remake.
Smith, 55, served as a producer on the 2010 remake, which starred Chan alongside the producer’s son, Jaden, now 25, who was just 12 when the film was released.
The actor/rapper/producer shared a series of behind-the-scenes snaps with himself, his son and Chan from the set.
Smith also sent a heartfelt message to Chan, who joins Ralph Macchio in a new sequel to the Karate Kid franchise, thanking him for his help in “raising” Jaden on set.
‘Happy 70th birthday (wow) to my boy @jackiechan!!’ Smith began his heartfelt post toward the action icon.
Will Smith helped martial arts legend Jackie Chan celebrate his 70th birthday by sharing some snaps from The Karate Kid remake.
Smith, 55, served as a producer on the 2010 remake, which starred Chan alongside the producer’s son, Jaden, now 25, who was just 12 when the film was released.
The actor/rapper/producer shared a series of behind-the-scenes snaps with himself, his son and Chan from the set.
“In addition to making some of my FAVORITE movies of all time and creating some of the CRAZIEST moments ever captured on film, I thank you so much for helping me raise Jaden,” Smith added.
“Our time with you in Beijing during Karate Kid left an everlasting impact on our entire family,” Smith continued.
“We wish you the deepest love and revelation on your next journey around the sun,” he concluded with a sun emoji.
Smith shared a photo of him and Chan hugging young Jaden on set, as well as a photo of Jackie lifting Jaden over her head.
He also shared a behind-the-scenes snapshot from the film where Jaden performs an impressive high kick.
Another snapshot shows Smith talking to his son while Chan watches during production.
The final photo showed Chan hugging Jaden on set, both with big smiles on their faces during production.
Chan also shared several snaps on his Instagram and said, “Even before today, a lot of friends have been reminding me, ‘Jackie, it’ll be your 70th birthday!'”
“In addition to making some of my FAVORITE movies of all time, creating some of the CRAZIEST moments ever captured on film, I thank you so much for helping me raise Jaden,” Smith added.
“Our time with you in Beijing during Karate Kid left an everlasting impact on our entire family,” Smith continued.
He also shared a behind-the-scenes snapshot from the movie where Jaden performs an impressive high kick.
Chan also shared several snaps on his Instagram and said, “Even before today, a lot of friends have been reminding me, ‘Jackie, it’ll be your 70th birthday!'”
‘Recently my staff have been going through my photo archives and have found many memorable photographs. I’ve selected a few to post with this message. Seeing these photos brings back many good memories. All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all,” he continued.
‘Every time I hear this number, my heart stops for a second. Am I already 70 years old? After recovering from the shock, the second thing that comes to mind is a saying my older brother, Sammo Hung, once said: “Being able to grow old is a lucky thing.” Especially we, specialists, do not know how lucky we are to be able to age,” he stated.
‘Not long ago, many friends saw some recent photos of me on the Internet and they were all worried about my health. I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know, don’t worry! It’s just the appearance of a character for my latest film. The character requires you to have white hair and beard and look old. Over the years, I’ve always been willing to try new things for a film, no matter if it’s a challenging stunt or a groundbreaking appearance for a character. “I have been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I value every moment because I am lucky to still be filming today,” he added.
‘Recently my staff have been going through my photo archives and have found many memorable photographs. I’ve selected a few to post with this message. Seeing these photos brings back many good memories. All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all,” he continued.
Thank you all so much for all your birthday wishes. I hope everyone is happy and healthy!’ Chan concluded.
The Karate Kid reboot grossed $176.5 million domestically and $359.1 million worldwide on a budget of just $40 million.
After the successful launch, there was talk of a sequel for years, although it never came to fruition.
In August it was announced that Chan will return as Mr. Han alongside Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso.
Production is scheduled to begin this spring, and Sony has set a December 13, 2024 release date for the currently untitled project.