Credit: Netflix

A glimpse at the top 10 movies trending on the weekly chart is pretty much enough to pinpoint the genre on everyone’s mind. But for those who haven’t been able to catch up with them, the mood board of the week screams jaw-dropping action with The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith storming Netflix.

In the week dated March 2nd to March 8th, The Karate Kid amassed 2.7million views on the most popular movies chart globally, ranking ninth and becoming one of the top 10 titles in 23 countries.

While The Karate Kid’s debut on the Netflix chart is not exactly a shocker, considering the majority of the movies trending this week touch grass in the action genre, timing is not the only factor influencing its rise through the ranks. It’s important to note that the movie has been available on the service for over a year, but its current resurgence on the charts is due to a number of factors.

For the longest time, The Karate Kid was deemed a standalone reboot that had nothing to do with the original Daniel LaRusso storyline. However, the latest movie, Karate Kids: Legends, officially joins the dots, bringing back Chan as Mr Han, who shares the screen with Ralph Macchio.

It’s highly possible that fans are currently flocking to rewatch the 2010 movie to revisit Mr Han’s backstory before tuning into Legends, which recently had its streaming debut on Netflix, thanks to a Sony deal. With the arrival of any new blockbuster, Netflix’s algorithm also aggressively pushes its prequels to visibility, which could be another catalyst behind The Karate Kid’s present residency on the Netflix charts.

Plus, despite the initial franchise polarity, The Karate Kid has always been a massive international hit. So, its streaming availability can easily count on existing popularity and nostalgia.

Lastly, in many regions, The Karate Kid is flaunting a “Leaving Soon” notice and is expected to exit Netflix by early 2026. Therefore, it’s no wonder that fans are swarming back to seize the last opportunity to watch the film before the train leaves the station.

Directed by Harald Zwart, The Karate Kid is a martial arts drama movie which serves as the fifth movie in the Karate Kid franchise. It follows the underdog story of 12-year-old Dre Parker from Detroit, who relocates to Beijing, China, with his widowed mother, only to confront the unexpected struggles of being the odd one out, primarily bullies twice his size.

Tired and determined to fight back, Dre becomes a persistent disciple of maintenance man Mr Han, a kung-fu master who teaches him the tactics of self-defence, eventually preparing himself for fights twice his size. While the majority of Netflix viewers are already caught up in its spell, in case you didn’t know about its availability yet, The Karate Kid is currently streaming and trending on Netflix.