Ever since it was revealed thatThe Karate Kidfranchisewas getting a direct sequel for the first time in 30 years, fans of the saga can’t help but wonder about what connections it will have with the ongoingspin-off seriesCobra Kai. Once we found out thatRalph Macchioalso signed on to be in the new movie, further speculation ensued. Since there’s no one better to talk about this than Daniel LaRusso himself, Collider’sPerri Nemiroffcaught up with Macchio on the press tour forCobra Kai’s upcoming season to get the scoop.
During the interview, Macchio was cautious about what he could reveal but broke down the kind of approach he wanted for LaRusso after going through a transformativesix-season run inCobra Kai. He also talked about his mindset back in1983 when he first approached the character. He told Collider:
“I can’t go into too much detail at this early point. That movie’s not hitting until July 13, 2025. But yeah, it was important to me. Mainly, to me,it was about always being true to LaRusso. I tried to play truth in 1983 when I originated this character, and still always, throughout Cobra Kai and then the new film, it’s about being honest and truthful to the character and what would motivate any of his actions. But whatI was able to do is find things from Season 6 that sort of reference in a way that makes senseif you’ve watched everything but is not just drawing specifically. It helps motivate all the actions, and hopefully that thread will be seen by the fans in a good way.”
Has The New ‘Karate Kid’ Movie Influenced Season 6 of ‘Cobra Kai?’
A different side of LaRusso that the movie might address is that his long-time rivalry with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) no longer exists — their enemies-to-friends arc wasone of the most central toCobra Kai. LaRusso is also a fatherand runs a dojo now, so all of this will be at likely felt through the newKarate Kidmovie.
At the same time, co-showrunnerJosh Healdalso told Nemiroff thatthe new moviedidn’t have a direct impact on the final season of the Netflix series. He stated:
“We were shown an early copy of that script and did give some thoughts and notes as ‘take it or leave it’ kind of helpfulness to that filmmaker and to the feature team. But we’re writing within our own part of the universe here and bringing everything to a head, bringing everything to fruition, and landing the mothership the way that we always intended.”
Netflix releases the first part of the final season ofCobra Kaion July 18. Check out the full interview with Macchio in the player above and the interview with Heald on YouTube below:
Thirty-four years after events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with a now successful Daniel LaRusso.
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