Cobra Kai never dies, and the resurgence of the rogue karate dojo in the upcoming YouTube Red original series reboot of The Karate Kid shows former sensei John Kreese was true to his mantra in the 1984 classic.
The series, set to debut May 2 on YouTube’s paid subscription service, YouTube Red, will see Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, 34 years after the events of the original theatrical release. But a new trailer released this week shows both actors have scarcely lost a step, or a karate kick, even decades later, with both actors now in their 50s.
The trailer opens with a scruffy-looking Johnny passed out on the floor surrounded by beer cans, and contrasts with a clean-cut, chipper Daniel in a rather funny commercial for a car dealership bearing the LaRusso name, perfectly setting up the arcs each character’s life followed after the original film’s All Valley Karate Tournament, in which young underdog Daniel resoundingly defeated the seemingly unbeatable Johnny with a now-iconic crane kick to the face. After visiting Daniel at his dealership and experiencing an unexpected humiliation, Johnny decides to restart the notorious Cobra Kai dojo, and train a new generation of kids in its misguided mold.
The trailer is fairly violent and profanity laden, a stark departure from the decidedly more family friendly original film series. The new series is written and executive produced by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and will get its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 24 before its YouTube Red release.
