The world of entertainment plays host to a ton of developments surrounding its walls every day. Every story that Hollywood puts out is a world of its own and develops a dedicated fan following around it. Among the noted few longest-running franchises, The Karate Kid universe enjoys a celebrated status. The movies whose biggest selling point is their grip and chokehold on martial arts are returning with another fresh remake starring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. However, this time around, the 39-year-old franchise will have one extra leg to stand upon.

In the decades following the original 1984 flick, The Karate Kid, sequels and spin-offs followed. Now, one of its acclaimed Netflix offsprings is returning to the game.

Ralph Macchio will jump ships from Netflix back to the movies

The 62-year-old, ageless actor will reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso, a role he took upon with the first The Karate Kid in 1984. Subsequently, he helmed it again in the 1986 and 1989 sequels as well as the spin-off, Cobra Kai. Now, as the actor stands joined by Jackie Chan for the next-generation remake, it looks like the Netflix side-show will factor in big time. The creative team behind Cobra Kai is involved in the filmmaking process to a certain degree, even if not vehemently.

The upcoming movie as well as Cobra Kai are both properties of Sony Pictures Television and are canon to The Karate Kid universe. Hence, the upcoming Jonathan Entwistle directorial will also have inputs from the show’s creators. Releasing to theaters on December 13, 2024, the movie, written by Rob Lieber, has taken hints and inputs from the show’s team. A fruitful marriage of the two should all but ring happy bells for fans eager for the next iteration.

Interestingly, in all likelihood, the upcoming movie will follow the events of Cobra Kai whose final season is yet to land on Netflix.

Cobra Kai may resume development after SAG-AFTRA green light

Cobra Kai had an intriguing initial development. The show was originally a part of YouTube Red before moving over to Netflix after its first two seasons. The show received subsequent renewals until the declaration that season six would mark the end of the acclaimed show. However, soon after season five, SAG-AFTRA and WGA twin strikes rocked Hollywood and its production stalled.

Come November 2023, with the embargo lifted, the final season should pick filming soon and land sometime in 2024. Meanwhile, the showrunners have teased that the incoming season will be the “biggest season of Cobra Kai”. Amid such high expectations and in line with other Netflix productions, resuming filming, good news should follow soon.

What is your reaction to Cobra Kai meeting The Karate Kid? Let us know in the comments below.