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30 years after The Karate Kid was released, we are actually getting a new sequel in the form of a new series called Cobra Kai. The best part is... Ralph Macchio and William Zabka are reprising their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence! How freakin' cool is that!? I don't think any of the fans of the original film saw this coming!
The series is described as a half-hour comedy with heart, and the story is set 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It "revolves around a down and out Johnny who, seeking redemption, reopens the infamous Cobra Kai dojo. It reignites his rivalry with a now-successful Daniel, who has been struggling to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita)." The show is also said to follow the duo "addressing demons from their past and present frustrations — through (what else?) karate."
I'm insanely excited about this! It's so weird that this series is happening, but I can't wait to watch it! The first season will consist of ten episode and they will be available to watch on YouTube Red in 2018.
Will Smith is an executive producer on the show alongside Macchio and Zebka. Cobra Kai will be written by Josh Heald (Hot Tub Time Machine) as well as duo Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (Harold and Kumar) .Hurwitz and Schlossberg will also direct the series. Hurwitz and Schlossberg had this to say in a joint statement:
"Like everyone who grew up in the 1980s, the three of us are enormous fans of The Karate Kid. Cobra Kai will be a true continuation of the original films — packed with comedy, heart and thrilling fight scenes. We can’t wait to reignite the LaRusso-Lawrence rivalry, and we’re thankful to our partners at YouTube Red, Sony Pictures Television and Overbrook for their shared enthusiasm in making our dream project a reality."
YouTube global head of originals Susanne Daniels talked about the pitch meeting with Macchio and Zebka, saying:
"They were enthusiastic and fun. I don’t know whether they had rehearsed it, but they played the parts of their characters well. More than anything, it was just amazing to see them together again. It had all the elements you look for in a strong show. It had heart, it had laughs, it had drama, it had characters with strong points of view. All of it was there in the pitch."
Daniels went on to talk about the story:
"If The Karate Kid was Daniel’s story, Cobra Kai is equal parts Daniel and Johnny’s story. Also because this is a series and not a movie, we really wanted to reimagine how the story was told. Changing the name made sense as part of that."
This is seriously some of the best news I've heard I've heard in a long time and I'm so freakin' happy and excited that this is happening! It's going to be so much fun to revisit these iconic movie characters 30 years later in their lives. This series is going to be amazing!
