‘Cobra Kai’ Creators Hint They’re Planning More ‘Karate Kid’ Spinoffs for Netflix
Cobra Kai is moving from YouTube to Netflix. Netflix announced on June 22 that the streaming service would become the new home for the Karate Kid series’ first two seasons, and air the third soon after. Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald created the series for YouTube, and if you read their statement about the move closely, it looks like they’re planning even more Karate Kid material for Netflix.
Is there more ‘Karate Kid’ on the way after ‘Cobra Kai’?
Cobra Kai begins with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) reopening his old dojo. This reignites his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, who defeated him in the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It even caught the attention of his old sensei, John Kreese (Martin Kove) who returned for season 2 and remains in the cast for season 3.
“Making Cobra Kai has been a dream come true for us since day one,” Schlossberg, Heald and Hurwitz said in a statement. “We are thankful for the tireless dedication of Jeff Frost, Chris Parnell, Jason Clodfelter, Karen Tatevosian, and all our partners at Sony for finding us a new home where we can not only continue the series, but also explore opportunities to further expand The Karate Kid universe.”
What could ‘expand The Karate Kid universe’ mean?
Cobra Kai is the ultimate expansion of the Karate Kid universe. Before, there were only five movies, four with Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, three with Macchio and one remake with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. The series has already made 10 hours of episode. By season 3 it will have told more original Karate Kid story than the films.
Still, there are plenty of possibilities for more Cobra Kai or Karate Kid. Perhaps Hurwitz, Schlossberg and Heald could explore the characters of the Smith/Chan remake, or combine them with their characters. Maybe they could do a young Mr. Miyagi prequel series. Given their ability to create compelling new characters in Cobra Kai, the possibilities are endless.
“We are beyond excited to join our new partners at Netflix and look forward to the show reaching the massive global audience who loves this franchise as much as we do,” the trio said in their statement.
Netflix is excited for ‘Cobra Kai’ too
Cobra Kai is a big get for Netflix. Netflix Vice President of Original Series Brian Wright said so in his statement.
“The appeal of The Karate Kid saga is timeless, and Cobra Kai picks up right where it left off without missing a beat,” Wright said. “The rivalry between Daniel and Johnny is one for the ages, and the show has a ton of heart and is a lot of fun. We can’t wait to introduce a new generation of fans to Cobra Kai and are thrilled to be its new home around the world.”
Sony Pictures which owns the Karate Kid franchise, also sees the potential in moving to Netflix. Sony Pictures Television President Jeff Frost also gave a statement.
“We are so proud of Cobra Kai and are overwhelmed by the massive fan response to the series,” Frost said. Josh, Jon, Hayden, Ralph, William and the entire cast have done such a brilliant job with this sensational series and the huge audience reaction and sentiment for it is a testament to that. We are very thankful to our partners at Netflix and couldn’t be more elated that they have become the new home for this epic saga.”
