Will Smith's young son Jaden has landed the lead role in an upcoming remake of The Karate Kid, according to reports.

Jaden, 10, is Smith's eldest son with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and previously acted alongside his father in 2006 movie The Pursuit of Happyness.

And now the youngster looks set to start forging his own acting career with a role in a new version of the hit 1984 film - playing the part made famous by Ralph Macchio, according to Variety.com.

Oscar-winner Hilary Swank took over the main role in The Next Karate Kid in 1994.

The new film, which will see Smith take on a co-producer role, will be relocated to Beijing, China, but will explore the same themes as the original three pictures, with a bullied youth learning to stand up for himself with the help of a wise martial arts expert mentor.