Update:
Netflix series creator co-creator Jon Hurwitz has confirmed he is not involved in the making of Sony’s new Karate Kid movie.
“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,” Hurwitz said on Twitter while participating in a fan Q&A on Twitter.
Neither Sony nor Hurwitz has elaborated on the new Karate Kid movie since the update. Still, it’s nice to have a confirmation from Hurwitz early in the project’s announcement. Clearing up this bit of business keeps Cobra Kai fans (like myself) from speculating about Sony’s plans for the new movie, at least as far as Cobra Kai is concerned. What will the plot of the new Karate Kid movie turn out to be? That’s a whole other bag of cats. With Cobra Kai, the Karate Kid franchise expanded in unexpected ways, and I have a feeling Sony’s new film will do the same. While it would have been a thrill to see our favorite Cobra Kai cast members on the big screen, the promise of a new story is also exciting.
Original Article:
Sony Pictures has announced a handful of new release dates for their upcoming movies, and there’s one very interesting addition. It turns out that there’s a new Karate Kid movie in the works, which has been slated for a June 7, 2024 release. The only additional information is that this will be the return of the original Karate Kid franchise.
After the release of The Karate Kid in 1984, the franchise grew to include The Karate Kid Part II, The Karate Kid Part III, and The Next Karate Kid. There was also a reboot in 2010 starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. The Karate Kid saga has been rejuvenated in recent years thanks to Cobra Kai. The TV series features Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Over the course of the last five seasons, we’ve seen other actors from the franchise return to their roles as well, including Martin Kove as John Kreese and Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver. As the new Karate Kid movie seems to be part of the original franchise, it’s possible we may see some Cobra Kai characters make the leap back to the big screen.
Sony has also pushed the release of several of their Spider-Man universe movies back. Madame Web, which stars Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, has been pushed from October 6, 2023 to February 16, 2024; Kraven the Hunter, which stars Aaron Tayor-Johnson in the titular role, has shifted from January 13, 2023 to October 6, 2023. Sony also slated an untitled Sony/Marvel Universe movie for July 12, 2024. The upcoming Garfield movie featuring Chris Pratt as the voice of the lasagna-loving cat will now hit theaters on May 24, 2024. The studio has also dated Missing, the next installment of the Searching franchise, for a February 24, 2023 release.
What do you hope to see from a new Karate Kid movie?