Sony Pictures released its 2023-2024 theatrical release schedule and announced that a new ‘Karate Kid’ movie, which is supposed to be a return to the original franchise, i.e. a sequel, is scheduled to be released on June 7, 2024. However, there are no stars or directors planned and the creator of ‘Cobra Kai’, which has a season 5 just released on Netflix, has quickly stepped out to confirm that is not involved in any way in the project.
Alternative sequels?
‘Cobra Kai’ is a series developed for YouTube Red by Sony that serves as a direct sequel to the original ‘Karate Kid’ movies from Robert Mark Kamen. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprized their roles Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrencehero, and “villain” in the original films released in 1984. After two seasons on YouTube Red, the series moved to Netflix, where it has run for three more seasons.
Nevertheless, Jon Hurwitz, co-creator of ‘Cobra Kai’has explained on Twitter that he is not part, to his knowledge, of the new ‘Karate Kid’ movie that Sony Pictures confirmed will be released in 2024.
“The boys and I would love to make Karate Kid and Cobra Kai movies and hope to do so one day. But this project is not ours nor is it focused on the cast of Cobra Kai. I don’t know much about it, but I wish them the best.”
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. #Karate Kid #CobraKai https://t.co/pd2aYYAF0A
— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) September 17, 2022
The series takes place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. Season 5 follows Terry Silver expanding the Cobra Kai empire and trying to make his uncompromising style of karate the only discipline. The dynamic that the series has reached not only involves the original cast but also that of the sequels, with which it remains to be seen what path Sony takes to make its sequel “true”as there was already a remake in 2010, and even a “new Karate Kid” in 1994, with Pat Morita teaching a young Hilary Swank.