The original 1984 Karate Kid reached its climax when our hero Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) faced his nemesis Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) in the All Valley Karate Tournament. Although the sequels went on to other adventures, and Jaden Smith starred in the 2010 reboot, we will never forget that first rivalry, in which Johnny was encouraged to "sweep the leg!" And now the two are back together. A new 10-episode series called Cobra Kai is slated to run on YouTube's subscription service YouTube Red. Macchio and Zabka will reprise their roles as Danny and Johnny.
The series, set to bow in 2018, is set 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament and revolves around a down-and-out Johnny who, seeking redemption, reopens the infamous Cobra Kai dojo. It reignites his rivalry with a now-successful Daniel, who has been struggling to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita). The half-hour comedy follows the duo addressing demons from their past and present frustrations — through (what else?) karate.
Comedy? I was on board until that part. How could they take a martial arts film and make it into a comedy TV series? Read more about the planned Cobra Kai series at The Hollywood Reporter. -via Boing Boing