Following the announcement that a new Karate Kid sequel is in the works, Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz has spoken out about the show's involvement.
When asked by a fan if the announcement was real, Hurwitz tweeted (opens in new tab): "The guys and I would love to make Karate Kid and Cobra Kai movies and hope to someday. But this one isn't from us or focused on the Cobra Kai cast. Don't know much about it, but wish it well."
We can speculate that the decision to greenlight a new Karate Kid sequel, one that is specifically part of the original 80s/90s franchise (and has nothing to do with 2010's Karate Kid remake starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan), comes from the enormous success of Netflix's Cobra Kai. The show, which stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka in a reprisal of their original roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, is one of the streaming platform's most popular – with season 5 currently sitting at number 1 on the Netflix Global Top 10. Cobra Kai also earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Oustanding Comedy series in 2021.
Sony announced the new sequel as a "return to the original Karate Kid franchise," though we don't have any info about plot or casting just yet. The original film starred Macchio, Zabka, and the late Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi. Cobra Kai sees the two as rivals yet again, as Johnny Lawrence opens his own Cobra Kai dojo – while Daniel opens the Miyagi dojo in honor of his late mentor.
For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.
Platform
Sony
Williams
karate
Johnny Lawrence
Ralph Macchio
William Zabka
Jackie Chan
Jon Hurwitz