Ming-Na Wen Joins Cast Of New 'Karate Kid' Film

The movie, fronted by Ben Wang of "American Born Chinese" fame, will be directed by Jonathan Entwistle. Wen also joins fellow cast members Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who will reprise their previous roles from the franchise.

"Peter Rabbit" writer Rob Lieber will pen the screenplay, reported entertainment news outlet Variety. Details of the plot are being kept under wraps for now.

Sony Pictures is slated to release the film on December 13 and will also feature Joshua Jackson and Sadie Stanley.

The "Karate Kid" films is one of the most popular martial arts franchises in Hollywood, consisting of three initial movies starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. It led to a standalone sequel to "The Next Karate Kid" (1994) featuring Morita and Hilary Swank.

The franchise was rebooted in 2010 with "The Karate Kid", starring Chan and Jaden Smith. Its success also spawned the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Cobra Kai”, starring Macchio with William Zabka -- his co-star of the first two "Karate Kid" films.