Just a week following the Season 5 release of Cobra Kai, Sony has announced that a new Karate Kid movie is on the way, and it already has a release date. The upcoming movie is set to release on June 7, 2024. While no further information regarding cast, crew, or plot are available, Sony has stated that the new installment will continue the original franchise.
The original franchise kicked off in 1984, with Ralph Macchio leading the movies as Daniel LaRusso. The first movie introduced viewers to the titular character, a scrawny teenager who's relentlessly bullied by his classmate Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and his crew. So, Daniel turns to karate master Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita), whose unconventional methods soon help Daniel gain a fighting chance against Johnny and the rest of Cobra Kai.
Following the first movie, three others were released set within what's now dubbed the "Miyagi-verse." In The Karate Kid II, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi head to Okinawa, where Daniel comes up against a new foe: Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto). Macchio and Morita returned once more for The Karate Kid III. However, the third installment saw Daniel don a Cobra Kai gi as the alluring promises of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) created a rift between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Lastly, 1994 brought The Next Karate Kid. In it, Mr. Miyagi takes a new student named Julie (Hilary Swank) under his wing.
Since its release, The Karate Kid has become a cherished and widely recognizable movie. In 2010, it inspired a reboot of the same name that starred Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. While the general story itself is similar (bullied kid seeks martial arts lessons from mysterious maintenance man), the reboot brought its own set of differences. Most notably, it's set in China and Smith's character Dre learns kung fu instead of karate.
The most recent continuation of the franchise comes with the now Netflix original series Cobra Kai. The show first premiered in 2018 and began as a YouTube Original. While it brought back both Zabka and Macchio for their respective characters, a heavier focus was placed on Johnny. When viewers were re-introduced to him, he had just lost his job as a handyman. After he meets Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), a kid who also endures some bullying, Johnny decides to re-open Cobra Kai. The show has been nothing short of a hit with audiences, bringing back a fun nostalgia along with new storylines that have carried the show into five seasons so far. Other original franchise alums including Griffith, Okumoto, and Martin Kove reprised their roles, with guest stars such as Elisabeth Shue (Ali Mills), Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes), Tamlyn Tomita (Kumiko), Robyn Lively (Jessica), and more.
The new Karate Kid is set to hit theaters on June 7, 2024. Stay tuned with Collider as more details become available. In the meantime, check out Collider's interview with Macchio and Zabka below: