EAST HAMPTON, NY - OCTOBER 10: Actor Ralph Macchio attends the 21st Annual Hamptons International Film Festival Opening Day on October 10, 2013 in East Hampton, New York. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Hamptons International Film Festival)
Three decades after the original release of the pop culture sensation The Karate Kid, a follow-up series is in the works after rights to the series were purchased by YouTube Red.
The movie’s stars, protagonist Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and villain Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) will return to the franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The YouTube Red series, titled Cobra Kai, will focus on Johnny and Daniel’s life after the famous 1984 All Valley karate Tournament. After Johnny reopens the Cobra Kai karate dojo where he was first embarrassed by Daniel, the pair’s rivalry is reignited, particularly after Johnny begins to train one of Daniel’s children. Additionally, Daniel has been struggling without the guidance of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi – the character was portrayed by Pat Morita, who passed away in 2005. The ails of the lives will be worked out, of course, through karate.
“The minute I heard about this project, I knew we had to have it. The Karate Kid became an instant classic in the 1980s, and still resonates with audiences around the world and on YouTube today,” Susanne Daniels, head of original content or YouTube, told Variety.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Sony TV, Overbrook and the talented writing team led by Josh Held, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg to add a fresh, new comedic twist to one of Hollywood’s most storied rivalries.”
After Macchio and Zabka pitched the series to multiple networks, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, AMC, and YouTube Red all engaged in a bidding war, with YouTube coming out as the winner.
“There’s a tremendous amount of heart and kick-ass action sequences and martial arts, but the inherent humor comes from the fact that these are two guys who are in their 50s and still have an ax to grind,” Macchio said during a press tour on Friday. “It does back to those places where you just can’t let go and you’re still a teenager at heart and yet balancing your adult life – it’s like the rise of the Cobra Kai. It’s the worst nightmare for someone like Daniel LaRusso.”
YouTube Red will debut it’s 10-episode, half-hour series in 2018.
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