The Black Belt: Chris Pratt to headline and produce martial arts comedy

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Gather 'round, kids, Johnny Karate is back! Okay, so maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but Chris Pratt is preparing to board a martial arts comedy titled The Black Belt for Monarch Media. Pratt will produce the film through his Indivisible Productions studio in addition to suiting up for a starring role.

According to reports, The Black Belt, the comedy based on a spec script by Randall Green tells a coming-of-age story about a shy, unassuming teen boy on a quest for an expert in karate, and the unorthodox uncle who guides him along the way.

With regard to Green's writing chops, he wrote the Netflix feature The Perfect Date, starring Noah Centineo and Laura Marano, which focuses on Brooks Rattigan, a college student who creates an app where anyone can pay him to play the perfect stand-in boyfriend for any occasion. Currently, Green is busy adapting Christopher McDougall’s Running with Sherman, which is also a Netflix joint. Oh, and for all you Space Jam fans out there, Green also contributed to Warner Brothers’ upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy, which is now slated to premiere on HBO Max and in theaters sometime in 2021.

How do you think Pratt will play his new character in The Black Belt? Will he evoke his Parks and Recreation alter ego, Johnny Karate, or create an entirely new persona trained in martial arts? Feel free to leave a prediction in the comments section down below.