Oh dear. We’d happily dismissed rumours of a potential remake of 80s classic The Karate Kid as a piece of Hollywood whimsy that required no credence. After all, they’d tried to pass the mantle over in the past, when Hilary Swank starred as The Next Karate Kid, before she got her career together and picked up her Oscars.

Sadly, though, the remake news is true. And the casting has now been announced. It’s Will Smith’s nipper, Jaden Smith.

Now we sat through The Pursuit Of Happyness, where Jaden Smith played, er, Will Smith’s son, and thought he was perfectly fine in a film that overdosed on Hollywoodisms. Smith Jr, who will also be appearing in The Day The Earth Stood Still next month, will have to content himself with a film that’s not a strict remake, but instead takes bits from the first film to make a new one. Hmmm.

The only half-decent thing about the original remake rumour meanwhile was that Stephen Chow was linked with directing the flick. His commitment to The Green Hornet, though, we suspect has killed the idea of him doing The Karate Kid.

Perhaps this could be a job for Brett Ratner?