Jackie Chan gets the respect

The Karate kid has proven to be a box office smash with Jackie Chan being widely praised by reviewers for his role as Mr Han, a janitor, and Kung Fu master. The cult 80s movie brought new light on Jaden Smith, who is beginning his career in acting and will make him a high-demand star.

The movie, which made $56 million dollars in its first weekend, far exceeded the expectations of studio executives at Sony. Chan, who is known for his death defying stunts and action packed fight scenes wanted a break from his usual roles and this was his perfect chance. As a master and mentor, audiences have never been given the chance to see Chan in a serious role when comparing to his previous outings in the Rush Hour movies. What is also notable is that most of the film was shot in Beijing, which could lead to an increase in American productions going abroad.

"I'm very happy to take on a different role. It's not just a comedy, but a serious role," Chan said, according to AP. According to Mike Fleming at Deadline , Sony executives have already met with writers so that they can pitch new ideas for a sequel.

Will and Jada Smith who executively produced the movie are currently promoting the film in China.