Earlier today, Entertainment Weekly revealed an exclusive behind-the-scenes photo of THE KARATE KID stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka shaking hands while on the set of COBRA KAI, YouTube Red's upcoming sequel series to the 1984 film. Macchio, who played Daniel LaRusso for the series, and Zabka, who showed no mercy as LaRusso's arch-enemy, Johnny Lawrence, will reprise their roles for the forthcoming project.
In addition to the photo, EW also shared that Xolo Maridueña (PARENTHOOD), Mary Mouser (FREAKISH), Tanner Buchanan (DESIGNATED SURVIVOR), and Courtney Henggeler (MOM) will also star alongside guest-star Ed Asner. The show will take place 30 years after the All Valley Karate Tournament that was featured during the final act of the 1984 original film.
In what we know so far, the half-hour-long program will find both Daniel and Johnny leading very different lives, since the crane-kick-heard-round-the-world dropped the surly, blonde Cobra Kai student like a sack of discarded dirt. For COBRA KAI, Daniel is living the good life as a family man and proud owner of the No. 1 car dealership in the Valley, while Johnny is painted as a heavy drinker and short-fused antihero living in Reseda, taking on odd jobs just to make ends meet. Although their lives are very different, the two rivals soon find themselves re-entering each other's lives, which inspires Johnny to unearth his Cobra Kai roots and reopen the morally-corrupt karate dojo.
Courtney Henggeler will appear on the show as Daniel’s wife and business partner, Amanda, the rock of the LaRusso family. Mary Mouser will play Samantha, Daniel and Amanda's spitfire daughter, who is quickly discovering the harsh realities of being a "good girl" highschool student. Xolo Maridueña will arrive on the set of COBRA KAI as Miguel Diaz, a boy raised who is relentlessly bullied by his peers and raised by a single mother from Ecuador. As you can guess, Diaz eventually joins the Cobra Kai dojo and falls prey to Lawrence's under-handed instruction.
Meanwhile, Tanner Buchanan will step into the role of Robby Keene, Johnny's street-smart son. Eager to show the world that he's nothing like his Dad, Robby tries his damnedest to escape the shadow cast by his father's reputation, though he might stumble along the way. Lastly, Ed Asner will play Johnny's reluctant stepfather Sid Weinberg, an old-school, hard-lined, former studio mogul, who is sick to death of his stepson's many failures.
Whoa. Maybe they should have titled this thing EVERYBODY HATES JOHNNY, or SWEEP THE LEG: A JOHNNY LAWRENCE STORY. The 10-episode series is expected to debut on YouTube Red in 2018.