Stressing the importance of Morita's character, Ralph Macchio told: 'We didn't want the human element of the show to get lost, and that human element really stems from Mr Miyagi.' 'We're not here without Pat Morita's performance in that film. The heart and soul of the Karate Kid universe are the teachings of Mr Miyagi,' he added. So, how is Cobra Kai planning to incorporate Mr Miyagi in the series as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence come head-to-head on the karate mat once more? Executive producer Jon Hurwitz explained that Pat Morita will be involved thanks to the magic of modern technology: 'We were able to find some interesting angles and interesting shots.
It’s been 34 years since the release of The Karate Kid and Macchio, reprising his role in the new YouTube Red original series Cobra Kai, has hardly aged. But you can’t say the same of the. The new series follows a down-and-out Lawrence who seeks redemption by reopening the Cobra Kai karate dojo that tormented Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso when they were kids.
If you’re among the doubters who’ve wondered whether a YouTube Red of The Karate Kid was the answer to a 34 year-old question no one was asking in 2018, this newly-released trailer for Cobra Kai may just be the clip that wins you over. The trailer for the new show, which brings back original Karate Kid stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka to reprise the respective roles of Daniel and Johnny, finds the old nemeses at a new crossroads in adulthood: Johnny now looks poised to become the Mr. Miyagi figure, while Daniel may be looking a little too suspiciously at Johnny’s motives for a new generation of students. The new clip mostly revolves around the beleaguered, shiftless Johnny’s transformation from middle-aged bust-out into a dojo-dominating sensei.
When he unleashes some mad karate moves to put down, with prejudice, a group of young punks who’ve cornered him, it leads one of them to seek him out afterward in the hope of tapping into whatever secret fighting sauce Johnny gave him such a rude taste of. It’s a cool setup, and it lays out the origin story for Johnny’s new Cobra Kai studio — and perhaps even Johnny’s ascent out of what looks like a purposeless, sad-sack existence. Check out the trailer and we’ll pick it up after the jump — but be warned, there’s some NSFW language peppered throughout. Cobra Kai on YouTube The trailer leaves plenty of open-ended questions to chew on. Has Daniel turned into a total jerk, or is he right to be super-wary of what his old enemy is up to?
Cobra Kai Youtube
Is Johnny still a simple, two-dimensional bad guy, or does he have nobler reasons for taking on the self-professed role of sensei? Will their continued antagonism end up being one big case of miscommunication, the product of a mistrust seeded in childhood? Is it possible they’ll even end up finding a common cause? One thing seems clear: Both these guys have a lot of stuff kicking around in their heads, and Johnny in particular seems to have the potential to become a pretty complex character. They’re now in their 50s, so there’s gotta be more to their intertwining stories than schoolyard bullying and fighting for pride. Oh, one more big thing: Along with the new clip, YouTube has finally revealed the release date for Cobra Kai. We’ll be suiting up and getting back in the dojo when the show makes its debut to the service on May 2.