The son of Hollywood actor Will Smith, Jaden Smith, is to star in a remake of the 1984 hit movie the Karate Kid, according to Variety newspaper.

Will Smith, who appeared with 10-year-old Jaden in The Pursuit of Happyness, will co-produce.

Filming for the new movie will begin next year in Beijing.

The original film was based on a young man who was bullied but learned to stand up for himself with the help of an elderly karate mentor.

Ralph Macchio starred in three Karate Kid films, while Hilary Swank took over the main role in The Next Karate Kid in 1994.

Pat Morita was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of the influential martial arts instructor Mr Miyagi. He died in 2005 at the age of 73.

-BBC News