‘Karate Kid’ TV Sequel, Will Star Ralph Macchio and William Zabka

“Like everyone who grew up in the 1980s, the three of us are enormous fans of The Karate Kid ,” Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg said in a joint statement. “Cobra Kai will be a true continuation of the original films — packed with comedy, heart, and thrilling fight scenes. We can’t wait to reignite the LaRusso-Lawrence rivalry, and we’re thankful to our partners at YouTube Red, Sony Pictures Television, and Overbrook for their shared enthusiasm in making our dream project a reality.”

“If The Karate Kid was Daniel’s story, Cobra Kai is equal parts Daniel and Johnny’s story,” Susanne Daniels, YouTube’s Global Head of Original Content, told THR. “Also because this is a series and not a movie, we really wanted to reimagine how the story was told. Changing the name made sense as part of that.”