Sony Pictures has confirmed that a new Karate Kid movie is in the works. Originally released in 1984, The Karate Kid starred Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, a young bullied teen, and Pat Morita as his mentor, Mr. Miyagi. Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel karate in order to help the boy defend himself and stand up to the bullies, specifically Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who trains in a dojo called Cobra Kai. The film was a massive success and earned several sequels and a 2010 reboot.
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The Karate Kid franchise has lived on in Netflix's hit series Cobra Kai, which saw Macchio and William Zabka reprise their original roles over three decades later. Marketed as the villain's untold story, Cobra Kai has run for an impressive 5 seasons with plans for a sixth. The continued relevance of the Netflix hit has proved that audiences weren't ready to hang up their gis and say good-bye to the beloved '80s franchise, which has successfully balanced nostalgia with a new generation of stories.
According to a new report by Variety, Sony Pictures is producing a new Karate Kid movie, marking the franchise's first film since the 2010 reboot starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. No official synopsis or cast have been announced by the studio, but the film is set for release on June 7th, 2024. Though it's not known whether the film will reboot the franchise with an all-new cast or connect in any way to Cobra Kai, it's likely based on their continued investments in the franchise that the hit series' cast would reprise their roles in the film if asked.
Sony's announcement comes after a trilogy tease by Zabka and a reference to expanding the franchise universe by Macchio. With the hints shared by those original stars, it's likely that they would be involved in the production of the new Karate Kid film in some capacity, if Sony were to invite their participation. The accolades garnered by Cobra Kai prove that there are always new stories to mine with familiar characters, but it's possible that Sony would choose to remake The Karate Kid once again with a fresh face and new mentor. Whatever route Sony decides to take with the new Karate Kid film, the nostalgia inspired by the franchise promises a built-in audience.
So far, there is no word on whether season 6 will be Cobra Kai's last. Based on recent comments by Zabka, the series creators and original actors have no interest in stretching out the series too much, but they will continue to expand on the many open threads remaining in the show. If the series were to go on into 2024, it will be interesting to see whether it experiences any interaction with Sony's new Karate Kid film or acts as a parallel or utterly separate entity. Until a title, cast, or synopsis is announced, nothing is certain, besides the fact that the film's June release date makes it a summer movie event to look forward to.