New Karate Kid movie coming set in the world of original movies and Cobra Kai… but it’s all a bit confusing

Great news Cobra Kai and Karate Kid fans, a new movie is being developed set in the same world as the original movies and the hit TV series!

Will it feature Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Jonny (William Zabka)? Well, no. Probably not. Honestly, we’re not sure and neither is anyone else.

So, Sony have revealed plans to make a new Karate Kid movie which is a “return of the original ‘Karate Kid’ franchise,” so ignores the Jackie Chan remake from 2010. The new movie is set to come out on June 7th, 2024 and, while it’s set in the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai world, it’s not going to feature any of those characters.

Asked about the new movie on social media, Jon Hurwitz, Cobra Kai writer and producer, seemed as in the dark as we are: “The guys and I would love to make Karate Kid and Cobra Kai movies and hope to someday,” he wrote, “But this one isn’t from us or focused on the Cobra Kai cast. Don’t know much about it, but wish it well.”

It seems baffling to me that Sony can greenlight a Karate Kid movie when Conra Kai, which just aired its fifth brilliant season, is keeping the franchise alive and they know nothing about it?

One good thing from Hurwitz’s comments is that they do seem to be hoping to bring us Cobra Kai movies and that is exciting news in its own right.

However, in regards to story and characters, Murphy’s Multiverse who we believe (we may be wrong) broke the new Karate Kid movie news first, seems to have details on the movie that Sony has not divulged. so treat this as rumour for now.

“Sony is looking for a 17-year-old male, Chinese actor who speaks both Mandarin and English [to lead the new movie],” they write.

“The character is referred to as Li and is said to be small for his age, but tough, smart and scrappy. He is said to be a skilled fighter and a student in Beijing who finds his life uprooted after his mother moves them to Brooklyn, New York.”

“Li is said to be struggling with a past tragedy, which drives a wedge between him and his doctor mom, who has managed to handle the same tragedy in her own way. After Li meets Mia, a student from his high school, and her father, Victor, at a local pizza restaurant, he’ll soon find his life has changed yet again – for the better. Li soon finds himself training Victor in the art of Kung Fu, despite his mother’s stance against violence and fighting, and ultimately back in the ring himself.”

So, a whole new story set in the Karate Kid universe? We certainly have no problems with that, we just hope it maintains the tone and character that Cobra Kai has done.

One last note on Cobra Kai, we mention above that they hope to someday make a Cobra Kai movie or movies, but we know for sure that Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg signed a new deal with Netflix to last December that will run for four years ad allow them to expand the Cobra Kai universe with spin-offs and more shows, so it seems that this is a big world and it’s set to get bigger and we may reach a point where there’s one story being followed on the nig screen and a whole other one being played out on Netflix. But Jaden Smith won’t be in any of them.

Anyways…

Thoughts? Let us hear them, gang…

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. #KarateKid #CobraKai https://t.co/pd2aYYAF0A

— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) September 17, 2022

Sources: Variety & Murphy’s Multiverse