Fancy being the headband-wearing, dojo-dwelling successor to Daniel LaRusso? If you're a young actor, it's time to get your audition tape ready because there's a brand new Karate Kid movie coming in 2024 – and the lead role hasn't been cast yet.
Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio and legendary actor Jackie Chan teamed up yesterday (November 21) to announce the a brand-new Karate Kid film was in development. The duo also said the flick's creative team hasn't found the titular character, either, so they're kicking off a global star search to find someone who can not only wax on, but wax off, too. Check out the announcement video below to find out more about how to submit your audition reel for consideration.
For those of us a little too old to be an anything kid, it sounds like the forthcoming movie will be a lot of fun. As well as starring the aforementioned duo, it's being directed by Jonathan Entwistle, who made the wonderful The End of the F**king World for Netflix. The new film's producer Karen Rosenfelt has had a hand in big film franchises before, too, including Twilight.
What do we know about the 2024 Karate Kid movie?
Not much. We know it's currently set for release just before Christmas 2024, with a planned launch date pencilled in for December 13. Beyond that, everything else about the movie is still secret.
The first Karate Kid movie, which saw Macchio play LaRusso for the first time, came out in 1984 and was a huge hit. Given how popular it was, the original led to three sequels and a 2010 remake, which starred Chan alongside Jaden Smith.
It's unlikely, though, that the franchise's latest installment would be happening if it wasn't for Cobra Kai, which is set in the same universe and is currently streaming on Netflix. Cobra Kai actually began life as a YouTube Red series before the world's best streaming service snapped up the rights to the action-comedy show from season 3 onwards, where it's exclusively aired ever since.
Like many shows, production was suspended on Cobra Kai season 6 – the show's final installment – due to the writers and actors strikes, but it's now back in business. With the final season of Cobra Kai and new Karate Kid movie potentially set to arrive within a similar timeframe of late 2024, their releases are sure to spark renewed interest (not that any is needed) in one of the best Netflix shows to date.
The Karate Kid's next installment begs one big questions: will it mean more Cobra Kai? Considering the two projects share a fictional universe, you can technically say yes. The long and short of it is, though, we just don't know.
Cobra Kai's creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg have suggested spin-offs could happen in the not-too-distant future, with the trio saying (as part of January's season 6 announcement): "This fandom is the best on the planet and we hope to be telling more Karate Kid stories with you down the line. Because as we all know, Cobra Kai Never Dies". Watch this space – or, rather, dojo – then.
