First there was The Karate Kid! Then there was The Karate Kid Part II. Then there was The Karate Kid Part III… and The Next Karate Kid, which had Hilary Swank for some reason. Oh, and let’s not forget the 2010 remake with Jackie Chan and Will Smith’s son. The point is that The Karate Kid has a long and quite strange history. You wouldn’t think there would be much left to do over thirty years after the first film hit theaters, but the saga will continue in Cobra Kai.
We swear the trailer above isn’t a fan video or a Funny or Die sketch. Cora Kai is 100% real and here are three things you need to know about it.
3. It’s a YouTube Red Series
YouTube Red is aiming to compete with other streaming services like Netflix and Hulu by distributing their own original content. Cobra Kai is arguably the most high-profile series that’s gotten the green light from YouTube Red. Created by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (Harold & Kumor), along with Josh Heald (Hot Tub Time Machine), the show is expected to debut sometime later this year.
2. The Original Cast Returns
Mister Miyagi himself – Pat Morita – sadly passed away in 2005. Cobra Kai will still bring back a few familiar faces, however. Ralph Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso, who’s probably a bit too old to be called “the Karate Kid” anymore. William Zabka will also return as Johnny Lawrence. We wonder if Neil Patrick Harris will guest star as Johnny’s biggest fan.
1. It Continues Daniel’s Story
Following Mister Miyagi’s death, Daniel gets on with his life as a family man and car dealer, meaning he’s still probably waxing on and off. Meanwhile, Daniel’s old rival Johnny will try to bring purpose to his life by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo. As Johnny mentors a bully named Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña), Daniel attempts to reconnect with his distant son Robby (Tanner Buchanan). History is bound to repeat itself as rivals are brought together through karate.
On one hand, you could argue that this is the silliest idea since the Karate Kid animated series – which was also real, believe it or not. On the other hand, Cobra Kai could also be this franchise’s answer to 2006’s Rocky Balboa, which returned the Italian Stallion to his roots and left him on a poignant note. Here’s hoping the creators of Cobra Kai can accomplish something similar here.
Let Us Know What You Think of Cobra Kai and Watch These Videos:
0:00:
