THE KARATE KID In Rush Hour, Jackie Chan showed Chris Tucker a few tricks on how to kick butt. Now, with Columbia Pictures' revamped Karate Kid, maybe he can do the same for Jaden Smith.

The martial arts superstar is in final negotiations to play the role of Mr. Miyagi in the remake of the 1984 classic. He'll mentor Smith, who will take on the weak ruffian role once played by Ralph Maccio. The script, written by Chris Murphy, will likely retain the basic character structures of the original film.

This new version is co-produced by Jerry Weintraub, who helped with the first Karate Kid twenty-five years ago. Will Smith is also a listed producer.

Harald Zwart, whose Pink Panther 2 is set to release in February, will direct.

Source: Variety

NINE SEMI-FINALISTS FOR BEST FOREIGN FILM

The Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences (fancy words for Oscar) has released a list of nine foreign films that will be whittled down to five come January 22, when all other Oscar nominees are announced.

The list:

The Class - France

Waltz With Bashir - Israel

Revanche - Austria

The Necessities of Life - Canada

The Baader Meinhof Complex - Germany

Departures - Japan

Everlasting Moments - Sweden

Tear This Heart Out - Mexico

3 Monkeys - Turkey Stay tuned until the day of Oscar nominations to see which movies will have a chance at joining a legacy that expands from films like La Strada to The Counterfeiters.

Source: Variety