Pop Culture | Movies | 80s
After 30 Years, Daniel-san And Johnny Still Have A Score To Settle In The Trailer For The New 'Karate Kid' Series
If you were a child of the 80s, there's basically no way that you weren't exposed to the Karate Kid franchise at some point in your life. We were glued to our screens as we watched the adventures of Daniel, a young kid who finds himself repeatedly bullied by the local goons from the Kobra Kai martial arts gym. In the end, the movie gave us one of the best "overcoming adversity by learning to kick ass" stories ever told.
The movie featured some amazing performances, like Ralph Macchio's likeable and sympathetic performance as Daniel, Pat Morita as the stern but lovable karate instructor Mr. Miyagi, and of course, William Zabka's immensely hateable portrayal of high school karate douchebag Johnny. It remains an undisputed 80s classic.
It even gave us a hit song with "You're The Best," which, fun fact, was actually originally written as the theme for Rocky III, but was replaced by Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger!"
The franchise continued on for two more sequels, a spinoff called The Next Karate Kid, and even a full remake in 2010 starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, but nothing can ever replace the original.
That isn't to say that there's nothing left to the story though. Have you ever wondered where the characters went afterwards? How's Daniel holding up without Mr. Miyagi to guide him? Is Johnny still an grade-A a**hole?
Well, if these questions tug at your mind like they do for us, worry not: a new TV sequel to The Karate Kid is in the works, and it looks like Daniel and Johnny aren't done with each other just yet...
Coming to YouTube Red later this year, Cobra Kai is a new series taking place 30 years after the original movie (how appropriate), and it already looks to be upping the drama.
Johnny has re-opened the Cobra Kai gym, and looks poised to train a new generation of students in the brutal, uncompromising fighting spirit that he and his friends were subjected to by their old trainer, John Creese.
Meanwhile, Daniel is a successful car salesman and family man, but the re-opening of the gym that caused him so much grief as a kid doesn't sit well with him. At one point, he approaches Johnny at the gym itself, and states that "we aren't done."
That being said, the show still promises a heavy dose of humor. "The humor comes from two guys, who at 50 years old, still have an ax to grind," Macchio, 56, quipped last August.