Where Was Karate Kid Filmed? Exciting Action Drama Film!!

If you enjoy watching films with high-flying martial art sequences and stunts, then I’m guessing you’ve already watched The Karate Kid. But if you’re interested to find out where was Karate Kid filmed, then follow this article till the very end.

The American action drama film, The Karate Kid became super popular amongst action movie lovers upon its release in 1984. This film stands as the first installment to “Karate Kid franchise”. This exciting film inspired other filmmakers in the later year to make blockbuster films and shows, based on the original story. The basic premise of The Karate Kid centers around the character of a teenage American boy, Daniel LaRusso and his seasoned martial arts instructor, Mr. Miyagi. LaRusso learns the discipline and techniques of Karate from his master and then partakes in a tough martial arts tournament.

The Karate Kid, became a roaring success, grossing over $130 million in worldwide collections, against the production budget of just 8 million. This intense action film was also nominated for the coveted Academy Awards and won 2 major awards in total. 

Now, before I give you an overview of this iconic film, let’s find out where was Karate Kid filmed. So that you can analyze the shooting locations of this awe-inspiring movie, up close.

Where Was Karate Kid Filmed? Let’s Know This Action Drama Film Closely!

There are only a handful of filmmakers in Hollywood who can achieve what John. G Avildsen did, with The Karate Kid. Avildsen’s unique style of storytelling and direction behind the lens made everything about this film super-entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. 

But, in order to achieve that, Avildsen had a comparatively low production budget, yet the director made the best possible use of it. So, during the initial days of pre-production, the director thought it would be a good idea to shoot the movie on location. Thus Avildsen formed a team and instructed them to scout for ideal filming locations in and around the states of New Jersey and California.

As soon as the locations were scouted, Avildsen selected a bunch of locations in Los Angeles and Chatsworth and decided to shoot the majority of the film in parts of California. A few minor sequences were captured around the state of New Jersey as well, to depict the backstory of the lead character.

The principal photography for The Karate Kid commenced in the last week of October 1983 and continued till December, of the same year. The production members had to work extra hard in order to arrange various types of logistics required for shooting. The filming permissions were acquired much more comfortably by the crew.

So, without waiting any longer, let’s discuss where was Karate Kid filmed in-depth, and find out more interesting facts about the specific shooting sites.

New Jersey | USA

The opening scene of the movie was filmed in the city of Harrison, New Jersey. The sequences depicting the previous home of Daniel LaRusso were captured outside a medium-sized house located at Franklin Avenue. Other establishing shots were then filmed around the downtown area of Harrison, specifically near Hamilton Street.

Filming in New Jersey, lasted for barely two weeks after which, the production members moved to California and captured the remaining sequences of the film.

California | USA

In order to depict LaRusso’s new house in California, the production members scouted a small-sized apartment located at 19223 Saticoy St, Reseda in Los Angeles. Only a minimal amount of changes were made to the decor of the apartment before shooting the interior scenes.

Other pivotal sequences in Los Angeles were captured near Canoga Park. A medium-sized house located at 20924 Gault St. was used to film the outdoor scenes of Mr. Miyagi’s home. The production members had to spend a considerable amount of time turning around the place, to make it look like an Asian-styled home. Special bonsai trees were imported from Japan to decorate the Oriental garden shown in the film.

Some other significant scenes were filmed around the neighborhood of Chatsworth in Los Angeles, showcasing the intense training sequences of LaRusso. But, the final sequence of the movie was captured in a different neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The Matadome of California State University Northridge, located at 1811 Nordhoff St was used to capture the sequences of the All Valley Karate Tournament. This is where the breathtaking scenes depicting LaRusso’s famous fight in the movie were filmed. 

After all important outdoor scenes were captured, the production members moved to a renowned studio in Los Angeles and filmed the interior sequences, using a well-equipped studio. 

Alright friends, let us now discuss the plot of The Karate Kid in brief. So that you can get a clear idea about the storyline of this iconic film. In addition, you can check out The Big Country, Saddle the Wind and Godless as well.

Plot Of The Karate Kid | What’s It About

The basic premise of The Karate Kid revolves around the character of Daniel LaRusso, a teenage kid from New Jersey and his master Mr. Miyagi. At the beginning of the film, Daniel moves into a quiet neighborhood of California from New Jersey, because of family reasons.

As the story progresses further, LaRusso makes a bunch of new local friends in his new neighborhood, but soon engages in a fight with a rowdy gang. This rivalry motivates the lead actor the techniques and discipline of Karate from his master Mr. Miyagi. Watch The Karate Kid find out what happens when Daniel LaRusso gets pitted against the best fighter of Cobra Kai.

Final Words

Alright, amigos, I hope now you finally know where was Karate Kid filmed. Let us know if you enjoyed the read in the comments section below. Don’t forget to check out other amazing articles on Viebly, which are equally entertaining and informative.

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