Will Smith helped martial arts legend Jackie Chan celebrate his 70th birthday by sharing some throwback 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 slew 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 Karate Kid franchise sequel – thanking him for his help in ‘raising’ Jaden on the set.
‘Happy 70th (wow) Birthday to My Guy @jackiechan!!’ Smith began in his heartfelt post to the action icon.
Will Smith helped martial arts legend Jackie Chan celebrate his 70th birthday by sharing some throwback 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 slew 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, creating some of the CRAZIEST moments that have ever been captured on film – I thank you most for helpin’ to raise Jaden,’ Smith added.
‘Our time with you in Beijing during the Karate Kid left an eternal impact on our entire family,’ Smith continued.
‘We wish you the deepest Love & Revelation on your next trip around the sun,’ he concluded, with a sun emoji.
Smith shared a snap of both him and Chan embracing young Jaden on the set, plus a snap of Jackie lifting Jaden over his head.
He also shared a behind-the-scenes snap from the film where Jaden executes an impressive high kick.
Another snap shows Smith speaking with his son while Chan looks on during the production.
The final photo showed Chan embracing Jaden on the set, both with big smiles on their faces during production.
Chan also shared several throwback snaps on his Instagram, stating, ‘Even before today, many friends have been reminding me: “Jackie, it’s going to be your 70th birthday!”’
‘In addition to making some of my FAVORITE movies of all time, creating some of the CRAZIEST moments that have ever been captured on film – I thank you most for helpin’ to raise Jaden,’ Smith added
‘Our time with you in Beijing during the Karate Kid left an eternal impact on our entire family,’ Smith continued
He also shared a behind-the-scenes snap from the film where Jaden executes an impressive high kick
Chan also shared several throwback snaps on his Instagram, stating, ‘Even before today, many friends have been reminding me: “Jackie, it’s going to be your 70th birthday!”’
‘Recently my staff have been going through my photo archives and found so many memorable photos. I’ve selected a few to post with this message. Looking at these photos brings back so many fond 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 would stop for a second – l’m 70 years old already? After recovering from the shock, the second thing that would come to my mind is a saying that my big brother, Sammo Hung once said: “being able to grow old is a fortunate thing.” Especially for us stunt people, we don’t know how lucky we are to be able to grow old,’ he said.
‘Not so long ago, a lot of friends saw some recent photos of me on the internet, and they were all concerned about my health. I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know, don’t worry! It’s just a character appearance for my latest movie. The character requires me to have white hair, white beard and look old. Over the years, I’ve always been willing to try new things for a movie, no matter if it’s a challenging stunt or a breakthrough appearance for a character. I’ve been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I cherish every moment because I’m lucky I’m still filming today,’ he added.
‘Recently my staff have been going through my photo archives and found so many memorable photos. I’ve selected a few to post with this message. Looking at these photos brings back so many fond memories. All I can say is: I love making movies and I love you all,’ he continued
A big thank you to everyone for all your birthday wishes. Hope everyone stays happy and healthy!’ Chan concluded.
The Karate Kid reboot took in $176.5 million domestic and $359.1 million worldwide from just a $40 million budget.
There had been talk of a sequel for years after the successful release, though it never came to fruition.
It was announced in August that Chan will return as Mr. Han alongside Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
Production is slated to begin this spring, with Sony setting a December 13, 2024 release date for the currently untitled project.
