The Karate Kid (franchise)

American martial arts movie franchise

The Karate Kid

Created by| Robert Mark Kamen
Original work| The Karate Kid (1984)
Owners| Columbia Pictures Industries
(Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Years| 1984–present
Films and television
Film(s)|

* The Karate Kid (1984)
* The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
* The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
* The Next Karate Kid (1994)
* The Karate Kid (2010)
* Karate Kid: Legends (2025)

Television series| Cobra Kai (2018–2025)
Animated series| The Karate Kid (1989)
Games
Video game(s)|

* The Karate Kid Part II: The Computer Game (1986)
* The Karate Kid (1987)
* Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues (2020)
* Cobra Kai: Card Fighter (2021)
* Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising (2022)

Audio
Soundtrack(s)|

* The Karate Kid
* The Karate Kid Part II
* The Karate Kid Part III
* The Next Karate Kid
* The Karate Kid
* Cobra Kai: Season 1
* Cobra Kai: Season 2
* Cobra Kai: Season 3

Miscellaneous
Character(s)| List of characters

The Karate Kid is an American martial arts drama franchise created by Robert Mark Kamen. The series follows the journey of various coming-of-age teenagers who are taught in the ways of martial arts by an experienced mentor in order to stand up for themselves after being bullied, or assert their dominance towards others.

The original film series began as a tetralogy, starting with the release of The Karate Kid (1984), after the success of which three sequels were produced: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994). In 2010, a remake with a similar storyline but with a different set of characters, was released. Despite maintaining the original title, the remake focused on kung fu, as the film was set in China. A sixth film, Karate Kid: Legends, with Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their original roles from the previous films, is scheduled to be released in 2025.

Cobra Kai (2018–2025) offers a continuation of the story that begins in the original films of the 1980s and 1990s created, three decades later. While directly based on Kamen's characters, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg created this series.

An animated series, as well as tie-in video games among other pieces of merchandise, have also been released alongside the films.

## Films

[edit]

Film  | U.S. release date  | Director  | Screenwriter  | Story by  | Producer(s)  | Status

|
|
|
|
|
|

The Karate Kid | June 22, 1984 (1984-06-22) | John G. Avildsen | Robert Mark Kamen | Jerry Weintraub | Released
The Karate Kid Part II | June 20, 1986 (1986-06-20)
The Karate Kid Part III | June 30, 1989 (1989-6-30)
The Next Karate Kid | August 12, 1994 (1994-8-12) | Christopher Cain | Mark Lee
The Karate Kid | June 11, 2010 (2010-6-11) | Harald Zwart | Christopher Murphey  | Robert Mark Kamen | Will Smith, Ken Stovitz, James Lassiter, Jerry Weintraub & Jada Pinkett Smith
Karate Kid: Legends | May 30, 2025 (2025-5-30) | Jonathan Entwistle  | Rob Lieber  | Karen Rosenfelt | Post-production

### The Karate Kid (1984)

[edit]

Main article: The Karate Kid

Daniel LaRusso and his mother have just moved to Reseda, Los Angeles from Newark, New Jersey at the start of the school year. Befriending classmate Ali Mills, he comes into conflict with Ali's ex-boyfriend and star pupil of the "Cobra Kai" dojo Johnny Lawrence and his gang. After being beaten up by the Cobra Kai gang in an after-school fight, Daniel finds an unlikely friend and karate sensei in his apartment complex's handyman, Mr. Miyagi, a proficient karate master. Making a deal with Johnny's merciless sensei, John Kreese, to end the fighting, Miyagi trains Daniel to compete at the All-Valley Karate Tournament.

### The Karate Kid Part II (1986)

[edit]

Main article: The Karate Kid Part II

Immediately following the All-Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny is attacked by his furious sensei, John Kreese, in the parking lot. Mr. Miyagi intervenes, rescuing Johnny and passively humiliating Kreese in the process. Six months later, Miyagi receives a letter about his ailing father and plans to return to his home village on Okinawa Island. With Daniel in tow, Miyagi's past catches up with him as an old rivalry with a former friend is reignited.

### The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

[edit]

Main article: The Karate Kid Part III

Six months after the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament, a down-and-out John Kreese visits his Vietnam War comrade, rich businessman Terry Silver. Silver sends Kreese on vacation to Tahiti, promising to re-establish the Cobra Kai dojo and get revenge on Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. Meanwhile, Daniel and Miyagi have returned home from Okinawa to find Daniel's apartment building being demolished and his mother back in New Jersey taking care of a sick relative; Miyagi invites Daniel to stay with him. When Miyagi refuses to train Daniel to defend his title at the tournament, Daniel happens across Silver who offers to train him Cobra Kai-style.

### The Next Karate Kid (1994)

[edit]

Main article: The Next Karate Kid

Mr. Miyagi (the only character from the previous films to return) travels to Boston, Massachusetts in order to attend a commemorative service in for the Japanese-American soldiers who fought in the 442nd Infantry Regiment in World War II. While there, he reacquaints with Louisa Pierce, the widow of his commanding officer. Louisa introduces him to his rebellious teenage granddaughter Julie, whose anger issues – resulting from her parents' deaths – make life difficult for Louisa. Offering to help, Miyagi sends Louisa to his home in Los Angeles for respite while he works to mentor Julie. Julie initially rebuffs Miyagi's help, but warms to him after coming into conflict with the leader of her school's shady security fraternity, Ned.

### The Karate Kid (2010)

[edit]

Main article: The Karate Kid (2010 film)

In this remake of the 1984 film, Dre Parker and his mother move from Detroit to Beijing after she transfers jobs from a car factory in the city. He befriends Meiying, a young musician who goes to his school, but draws the unwanted attention of Cheng, a kung fu prodigy whose family is close to Meiying's. Cheng and his friends relentlessly bully Dre at school to keep him away from Meiying, resulting in a fight on a school field trip where Dre is beaten up before being saved by his apartment building's maintenance man, Mr. Han. After failing to end the bullying by talking with Cheng's ruthless kung fu teacher, Mr. Han agrees to train Dre to compete at an upcoming kung fu tournament.

### Karate Kid: Legends (2025)

[edit]

Main article: Karate Kid: Legends

In September 2022, a new film was announced as being in development, described as "the return of the original Karate Kid franchise".[1][2] Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz later stated that he was not involved with the project, and that it was not directly connected to the television series.[3]

In August 2023, it was reported that Jackie Chan would be reprising his role from the 2010 film.[4] By November of the same year, Chan officially joined the cast, alongside Ralph Macchio, in their respective roles as Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. The studio announced a worldwide open casting call for an actor to star as the movie's iteration of the titular character. Jonathan Entwistle will serve as director from a script written by Rob Lieber, where the plot will involve a teen from China moving to the East Coast and beginning to study martial arts. Karen Rosenfelt will produce the film, with principal photography scheduled to occur in Montreal to last from April 1 to June 3 under the working title "Victory Boulevard".[5] Originally scheduled to be released on June 7, 2024, the film was delayed to December 13, 2024, in part as a result of the 2023 writers and actors strikes, and again to May 30, 2025, so that it wouldn't conflict with the final season of Cobra Kai.[1][6][7] In February 2024, Ben Wang was cast as the titular character.[8] In March, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley and Ming-Na Wen were cast in undisclosed roles.[9]

## Television series

[edit]

Series| Season| Episodes| Originally released| Showrunner(s)

|
|
|
|

First released| Last released| Network
Animation
The Karate Kid| 1| 13| September 9, 1989 (1989-9-9)| December 16, 1989 (1989-12-16)| NBC| Larry Houston
Live-action
Cobra Kai| 1| 10| May 2, 2018 (2018-5-2)| YouTube Red| Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg
2| 10| April 24, 2019 (2019-4-24)| YouTube Premium
3| 10| January 1, 2021 (2021-1-1)| Netflix
4| 10| December 31, 2021 (2021-12-31)
5| 10| September 9, 2022 (2022-9-9)
6[10]| 15| 5| July 18, 2024 (2024-07-18)
5| November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15)
5| February 13, 2025 (2025-02-13)

### The Karate Kid (1989)

[edit]

Main article: The Karate Kid (TV series)

In this animated children's television series, a miniature shrine with mystical properties has been stolen from its resting place in Okinawa. Joined by Taki Tamurai, Daniel and Mr. Miyagi are tasked with locating it and returning it home, traveling the globe on a series of adventures. The characters were not voiced by the original film actors, although Pat Morita voiced the opening narration.

With regard to Cobra Kai, executive producer and co-creator Jon Hurwitz revealed that The Karate Kid series is not canon, but an Easter Egg from it appears in Season 3 in response to the question about the Karate Kid animated series official status within The Karate Kid universe.[11] The Easter Egg was the Miyagi-Do shrine, briefly seen at Chozen Toguchi's dojo in Okinawa halfway through the season. The artifacts were recovered by Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi in the short-lived Karate Kid animated series, which ran for thirteen episodes in 1989.[12]

### Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

[edit]

Main article: Cobra Kai

34 years after the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament, a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence, now in his 50s, has just lost his job. After getting arrested for rescuing his teenage neighbor Miguel Diaz from a group of bullies, then getting cut-loose and disowned by his stepfather, Johnny agrees to teach Miguel karate and reopens the Cobra Kai dojo, attracting social outcasts who build their self-confidence under his unorthodox tutelage. Meanwhile, Daniel LaRusso owns a successful chain of car dealerships and is happily married to his wife Amanda but struggles to keep a balanced life without the guidance of his now-deceased mentor, Mr. Miyagi. Johnny's estranged and troubled son, Robby Keene, hoping to get back at his father, comes under Daniel's wing – initially not knowing Robby's parentage – giving Robby a job at his car dealership and teaching him Miyagi-Do karate. Daniel and Johnny come into conflict after Cobra Kai's return is made public, while Daniel's daughter Samantha gets caught in the middle.

According to Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, the only characters that they would explore in the series were ones who featured in the first four movies. The creatives stated that they internally reference these characters as a part of the "Miyagi-verse", and explained that they are those who interacted directly with the character of Mr. Miyagi.[13]

## Cast and characters

[edit]

Main article: List of The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai characters

List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the franchise.

* An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
* A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
* C indicates a cameo role.
* P indicates an appearance in onscreen photographs.
* S indicates an appearance through use of special effects.
* U indicates an uncredited appearance.
* V indicates a voice-only role.
* Y indicates a younger version of the character.

* F indicates a performer stood in as a character's body-double for fight sequences.

Character | Films  | Television  | Video games  | Broadway

|
|
|
|

The Karate Kid | The Karate Kid Part II | The Karate Kid Part III | The Next Karate Kid | The Karate Kid | Karate Kid: Legends | The Karate Kid | Cobra Kai | Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues | Cobra Kai 2: Dojo's Rising | The Karate Kid The Musical
Principal cast
Daniel LaRusso | Ralph Macchio |  | Ralph Macchio  | Joey DedioV | Ralph Macchio  | Ralph MacchioV | John Cardoza
Mr. Miyagi | Noriyuki "Pat" Morita

* * *

Fumio DemuraF | Noriyuki "Pat" Morita  | Noriyuki "Pat" Morita

* * *

Fumio DemuraF |  | Noriyuki "Pat" MoritaP | Robert ItoV | Brian TakahashiYV

* * *

Noriyuki "Pat" MoritaS |  | Jovanni Sy
John Kreese | Martin Kove |  | Martin Kove

* * *

Barrett CarnahanY | Brent MukaiV | Martin KoveV | Alan H. Green
John "Johnny" Lawrence | William Zabka | William ZabkaA |  | William Zabka

* * *

Owen StoneY

* * *

Thomas ParobekY

* * *

Logan CoffeyY | William ZabkaV | Jake Bentley Young
Ali Mills | Elisabeth Shue | Elisabeth ShueA |  | Elisabeth Shue  |  | Jessica RauV | Jetta Juriansz
Chozen Toguchi |  | Yuji Okumoto |  | Yuji Okumoto

* * *

Shigi OhtsuY |  | Yuji OkumotoV |
Sato  |  | Danny Kamekona |  | Akihiro KitamuraY

* * *

Danny KamekonaA |
Kumiko |  | Tamlyn Tomita |  | Tamlyn Tomita  |
Terrence "Terry" Silver |  | Thomas Ian Griffith |  | Thomas Ian Griffith

* * *

Nick MariniY |  | Thomas Ian GriffithV |
Michael "Mike" Barnes |  | Sean Kanan |  | Sean Kanan  |
Jessica Andrews |  | Robyn Lively |  | Robyn Lively  |
Julie Pierce  |  | Hilary Swank |
Ned Randall  |  | Michael Cavalieri  |
Colonel Paul Dugan  |  | Michael Ironside |
Dre Parker  |  | Jaden Smith |
Mr. Han  |  | Jackie Chan |
Cheng  |  | Zhenwei Wang  |
Master Li  |  | Rongguang Yu |
Li Fong  |  | Ben Wang  |
Victor  |  | Joshua Jackson |
Ms. Morgan  |  | Shaunette Renée Wilson |
Miguel Diaz  |  | Xolo Maridueña | Joe ZiejaV | Xolo MaridueñaV |
Samantha "Sam" LaRusso  |  | Mary Mouser

* * *

Reese TinLeeY | Valerie Rose LohmanV | Mary MouserV |
Robert "Robby" Keene  |  | Tanner Buchanan | Spencer GreeneV |
Tory Nichols  |  | Peyton List

* * *

Charlotte Ann TuckerY | Jessica RauV | Peyton ListV |
Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz  |  | Jacob Bertrand | Jacob BertrandV |
Demetri Alexopoulos  |  | Gianni Decenzo  | Gianni DecenzoV |
Supporting cast
Lucille LaRusso  | Randee Heller | Randee HellerA | Randee Heller  |  | Randee Heller  |  | Kate Baldwin
Bobby Brown  | Ron Thomas  | Ron ThomasA |  | Ron Thomas  |  | Brent MukaiV |
Tommy  | Rob Garrison | Rob GarrisonA |  | Rob Garrison  |
Dutch  | Chad McQueen | Chad McQueenA |  | Chad McQueenA |
Jimmy  | Tony O'Dell | Tony O'DellA |  | Tony O'Dell  |
Mrs. Mills  | Sharon Spelman  |  | Deborah May  |
Freddy Fernandez  | Israel Juarbe |  | Israel JurabeA |  | Luis-Pablo Garcia
Mrs. Milo  | Frances Bay |  | Frances BayC |  | Frances BayA |
Yukie  |  | Nobu McCarthy |  | Nobu McCarthyA |
Yuna  |  | Traci Toguchi  |  | Traci Toguchi  |
Miyagi's father  |  | Charlie Tanimoto  |
Snake  |  | Jonathan Avildsen  |  | Jonathan AvildsenA |
Dennis De Guzman  |  | Christopher Paul Ford  |  | Christopher Paul Ford  |
Louisa Pierce  |  | Constance Towers |
Eric McGowen  |  | Chris Conrad |
Angel the Hawk  |  | Frank WelkerV |
Meiying  |  | Wenwen Han  |
Sherry Parker  |  | Taraji P. Henson |
Harry  |  | Luke Carberry  |
Taki Tamurai  |  | Janice KawayeV |
Carmen Diaz  |  | Vanessa Rubio  | Appeared | Jessica RauV |
Amanda Steiner-LaRusso  |  | Courtney Henggeler | Valerie Rose LohmanV |
Kenny Payne  |  | Dallas Dupree Young |  | Zeno RobinsonV |

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

The Karate Kid is a semi-autobiographical story based on the life of its screenwriter, Robert Mark Kamen. At age 17, after the 1964 New York World's Fair, Kamen was beaten up by a gang of bullies. He thus began to study martial arts in order to defend himself.[14] Kamen was unhappy with his first teacher who taught martial arts as a tool for violence and revenge. He moved on to study Okinawan Gōjū-ryū karate under a Japanese teacher who did not speak English, but was himself a student of Chōjun Miyagi.[14]

As a Hollywood screenwriter, Kamen was mentored by Frank Price who told him that producer Jerry Weintraub had optioned a news article about the young child of a single mother who had earned a black belt to defend himself against the neighborhood bullies. Kamen then combined his own life story with the news article and used both to create the screenplay for The Karate Kid.[14] Additionally, given John G. Avildsen's involvement with both films, Sylvester Stallone often joked with Kamen that the writer had "ripped off" the Rocky films with The Karate Kid.[14]

DC Comics had a character called Karate Kid. The filmmakers received special permission from DC Comics in 1984 to use the title for the first film (and subsequent sequels).[15]

A number of actors were considered for the part of Daniel LaRusso (originally Daniel Weber), including Sean Penn,[15] Robert Downey Jr., Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer,[16] Emilio Estevez, Nicolas Cage, Anthony Edwards, C. Thomas Howell, Tom Cruise, Eric Stoltz and D. B. Sweeney.[14] Ralph Macchio was ultimately cast on the strength of his performance as Johnny Cade in The Outsiders (1983).[14] Macchio has stated that his performance as Johnny influenced the development of Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid.[17][18]

Macchio later commented that the character was originally named Danny Weber, but was later changed to LaRusso.[14]

The studio originally wanted the role of Mr. Miyagi to be played by Toshiro Mifune, who had appeared in the Akira Kurosawa films Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), and The Hidden Fortress (1958), but the actor did not speak English.[14] Pat Morita later auditioned for the role but was rejected for the part due to his close association with stand-up comedy and with his character Arnold on the sitcom Happy Days.[14] After a few failed attempts, Morita grew a beard and patterned his accent after his uncle, which led to him being cast in the role.[19]

### Abandoned projects

[edit]

In a 2020 interview with Collider, William Zabka revealed that Pat Morita pitched him an idea in 2005, for a fifth film. The plot would have revolved around Johnny Lawrence who is now a doctor and tasked with caregiving for Mr. Miyagi; who is in the final stages of his life and whose health is failing him. During the early days of development, Morita passed away and the project was abandoned.[20]

In January 2022, Ralph Macchio revealed that he had previously been approached in 2012 about the potential for a The Karate Kid and Rocky crossover film. Intended to be directed by John G. Avildsen, the plot would have involved Daniel LaRusso's daughter and Rocky Balboa, Jr. opening a dojo together. Macchio stated that he and Milo Ventimiglia were pitched the idea, but described the concept as "awful". After Macchio expressed his disinterest in the story, the project subsequently fell into development hell, before being abandoned in favor of Creed and Cobra Kai.[21]

## Additional production and crew details

[edit]

Film  | Crew/Detail

|

Composer  | Cinematographer  | Editor(s)  | Production
companies  | Distributing
companies  | Running time
The Karate Kid (1984) | Bill Conti | James Crabe | John G. Avildsen, Walt Mulconery & Bud S. Smith | Columbia Pictures,
Jerry Weintraub Productions,
Delphi II Productions  | Columbia Pictures  | 2 hrs 7 mins
The Karate Kid Part II | John G. Avildsen, David Garfield & Jane Kurson  | Columbia Pictures,
Delphi V Productions  | 1 hr 53 mins
The Karate Kid Part III | Steve Yaconelli  | John G. Avildsen & John Carter | Columbia Pictures,
Weintraub International Group  | 1 hr 51 mins
The Next Karate Kid | László Kovács | Ronald Roose  | Columbia Pictures  | 1 hr 47 mins
Cobra Kai | Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson  | Cameron Duncan  | Nicholas Monsour, Jeff Seibenick & Ivan Victor  | Sony Pictures Television Studios,
Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions,
Overbrook Entertainment,
Heald Productions,
Counterbalance Entertainment,
YouTube Red Originals,
YouTube Premium Originals,
Netflix Originals | YouTube Red[a]

* * *

YouTube Premium[b]

* * *

Netflix | 25 hrs
(30 mins/episode)
Karate Kid: Legends | Dominic Lewis | Justin Brown  | Dana E. Glauberman | Columbia Pictures, Sunswept Entertainment  | Sony Pictures Releasing  | TBD
The Karate Kid
(TV series) | Shuki Levy & Haim Saban  | Art direction:

Victor Dal Chele & Russ Heath

| Karen Rosenbloom & Donald P. Zappala  | Columbia Pictures Television,
Saban Entertainmen,
DiC Entertainment | National Broadcasting Company (NBC) | 6 hrs 30 mins
(30 mins/episode)
The Karate Kid (2010) | James Horner | Roger Pratt | Joel Negron  | Columbia Pictures,
Jerry Weintraub,
Overbrook Entertainment,
China Film Group Corporation,
Emperor Film Productions  | Sony Pictures Releasing | 2 hrs 20 mins

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office performance

[edit]

The franchise as a whole has been a box office success.

Film  | Release date  | Box office gross  | Budget  | Ref

|
|
|
|

United States and Canada  | North American
gross when adjusted
for inflation  | Other territories  | Worldwide
The Karate Kid (1984)  | June 22, 1984 | $100,400,529[c] | $303,870,787  | ? | $300,442,786[d] | $8 million  | [27][28]
The Karate Kid Part II | June 20, 1986 | $115,103,979  | $330,181,390  | ? | $13 million  | [29]
The Karate Kid Part III | June 30, 1989 | $38,956,288  | $98,818,246  | ? | $12.5 million  | [30]
The Next Karate Kid | August 12, 1994 | $8,914,777  | $18,912,377  | $7,100,000  | $16,014,777 | $12 million  | [31][32]
The Karate Kid (2010)  | June 11, 2010 | $176,591,618  | $254,633,633  | $182,534,404  | $359,126,022  | $40 million  | [33]
Total  | $439,967,191 | $1,066,699,026 | $189,634,404\+  | $675,583,585 | $85.5 million  |

List indicator(s)

* A dark gray cell indicates the information is not available for the film.

### Critical and public response

[edit]

The franchise as a whole has received mixed reviews.

Film/Television  | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Cinemascore[34]

|
|
|

The Karate Kid (1984)  | 90% (48 reviews)[35] | 61 (15 reviews)[36] | —
The Karate Kid Part II | 45% (33 reviews)[37] | 55 (9 reviews)[38] | A–
The Karate Kid Part III | 15% (34 reviews)[39] | 36 (12 reviews)[40] | B–
The Next Karate Kid | 7% (29 reviews)[41] | 36 (15 reviews)[42] | B+
The Karate Kid (2010)  | 66% (211 reviews)[43] | 61 (37 reviews)[44] | A
Cobra Kai: Season 1 | 100% (50 reviews)[45] | 72 (11 reviews)[46] | —
Cobra Kai: Season 2 | 91% (32 reviews)[47] | 66 (7 reviews)[48] | —
Cobra Kai: Season 3 | 90% (52 reviews)[49] | 72 (15 reviews)[50] | —
Cobra Kai: Season 4 | 95% (41 reviews)[51] | 70 (8 reviews)[52] | —
Cobra Kai: Season 5 | 98% (48 reviews)[53] | 80 (4 reviews)[54] | —
Cobra Kai: Season 6 | 91% (44 reviews)[55] | \-  | —

### Cultural influence

[edit]

The series has been credited for popularizing Karate in the United States.[56][57]

## In other media

[edit]

### Broadway

[edit]

In January 2020, a Broadway musical adaptation of The Karate Kid was revealed to be in development. Amon Miyamoto serves as director, with an accompanying novel being written by the original film's screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen. Drew Gasparini serves as the lyricist and composer of the score, while Keone & Mari Madrid choreograph the play. Kumiko Yoshii, Michael Wolk serve as producers, with The Kinoshita Group. The cast includes Jovanni Sy as Mr. Miyagi, John Cardoza as Daniel LaRusso, Kate Baldwin as Lucille LaRusso, Alan H. Green as John Kreese, Jake Bentley Young as Johnny Lawrence, Jetta Juriansz as Ali Mills and Luis-Pablo Garcia as Freddie Fernandez.[58] The opening date has yet to be announced.[59]

### Merchandise

[edit]

The film spawned a franchise of related items and memorabilia such as action figures, head bands, posters, and T-shirts. A novelization was made by B.B. Hiller and published in 1984. The novel had a scene that was in the rehearsal when Daniel encounters Johnny during school at lunch. Also at the end, there was a battle between Miyagi and Kreese in the parking lot after the tournament which was the original ending for the film and used as the beginning of The Karate Kid Part II.

In 2015, toy company Funko revived The Karate Kid action figures. Two versions of character Daniel Larusso, a version of character Johnny Lawrence and a version of Mr. Miyagi were part of the line. The toys were spotted at retailers Target and Amazon.com.[60]

### Video games

[edit]

A video game based on the first film was developed by Atlus and published by LJN for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. A video game based on the second film, titled The Karate Kid Part II: The Computer Game, was released in 1986.

Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues, a video game based on the television series Cobra Kai, was released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in October 2020,[61] while Microsoft Windows version was released in January 2021.

A mobile game entitled Cobra Kai: Card Fighter was released on iOS and Android devices in March 2021.[citation needed]

A sequel to Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues developed by Flux Games and published by GameMill Entertainment titled Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising was released on November 8, 2022, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows via Steam, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.[62]

### Book

[edit]

In 2022, Ralph Macchio published the memoir Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me (Dutton), in which he reflects upon the making of and legacy of the Karate Kid films and Cobra Kai.[63]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ YouTube Red was the original distributor for season 1 of Cobra Kai.
2. ^ YouTube Premium was the original distributor for season 2 of Cobra Kai.
3. ^ $100 million up until 1985.[22] 2018 and 2019 re-releases grossed $400,529.[23][24]
4. ^ The original trilogy grossed $300 million worldwide up until 1994.[25] Between 2018 and 2020, the original film grossed a further $400,529 in the United States and Canada,[23][24] and $42,257 in the United Kingdom and Australia.[26]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 16, 2022). "New 'Karate Kid' Movie Among Sony Pictures Release Date Adds; 'Kraven the Hunter', 'Madame Web' Move & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
2. ^ Jirak, Jamie (September 16, 2022). "Karate Kid: Sony Announces 2024 Release Date for New Movie". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
3. ^ Glynn, Jennifer (September 18, 2022). "'Cobra Kai' Co-Creator Jon Hurwitz Reveals New 'Karate Kid' Movie Is Not Connected to Series". Collider. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
4. ^ Arun Venugopal (August 9, 2023). "Jackie Chan is Set to Reprise his Role in the New 'Karate Kid' Movie". Max Blizz. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
5. ^ Tiwary, Shashwat (March 11, 2024). "'Karate Kid' Working Title & Filming Schedule Revealed (Exclusive)". CoveredGeekly. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
6. ^ Donnelly, Matt (July 28, 2023). "'Beyond the Spider-Verse' Taken Off Sony Release Calendar as Strikes Delay 'Kraven' and 'Ghostbusters' Sequel to 2024". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
7. ^ Couch, Aaron (April 26, 2024). "'Kraven the Hunter,' 'Karate Kid' Pushed Back by Sony". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
8. ^ Kit, Borys (February 12, 2024). "'Karate Kid' Found: 'American Born Chinese' Actor Ben Wang Nabs Lead in Sony Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
9. ^ Kit, Borys (March 1, 2024). "Joshua Jackson Joins Sony's 'Karate Kid' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
10. ^ Cordero, Rosy (January 20, 2023). "'Cobra Kai' Renewed For Sixth And Final Season". Deadline. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
11. ^ Hurwitz, Jon (September 24, 2020). "Twitter: Jon Hurwitz". Twitter. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
12. ^ Stone, Sam (January 20, 2021). "Cobra Kai Reveals Nearly Two Dozen Easter Eggs from Season 3". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
13. ^ Topel, Fred (January 15, 2021). "'Cobra Kai' Creators Reveal Which Characters Can Return to the Show and What to Expect from Season 4 [Interview]". Slashfilm. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prewitt, Alex (May 1, 2018). "The Crane Kick Is Bogus: A Karate Kid Oral History". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
15. ^ a b Hodges, Christopher (July 30, 2019). "20 Crazy Details Behind The Making Of The Karate Kid". thethings.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
16. ^ Rowles, Dustin (February 1, 2021). "Ralph Macchio Opens up About the A-Listers He Beat Out for the Role of 'The Karate Kid'". Uproxx. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
17. ^ King, Susan (March 23, 2018). "'The Outsiders' Stays Gold at 35: Inside Coppola's Crafty Methods and Stars' Crazy Pranks". Variety. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
18. ^ Hiatt, Brian (April 23, 2019). "Ralph Macchio on 'Cobra Kai' and the Legend of 'The Karate Kid'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
19. ^ Lipton, Mike (December 12, 2004). "Pat Morita: 1932–2005". People Magazine. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
20. ^ "William Zabka on Cobra Kai Season 3 and Pat Morita's Karate Kid Sequel Idea". YouTube. August 27, 2020.
21. ^ Empire — January 2022 Edition — "The Comeback Kid" — Alex Godfrey Speaks to Ralph Macchio (published November 24, 2021)
22. ^ Thomas, Bob (November 6, 1985). "The Karate Kid Returns". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved June 8, 2020. ""The Karate Kid" surprised almost everyone by amassing a domestic gross of $100 million. That's phenomenal for a modest film with no stars and a title that sounded like a combination of Bruce Lee and a kidflick."
23. ^ a b "Cobra Kai Premiere Event feat. The Karate Kid". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
24. ^ a b "The Karate Kid 2019 Re-release". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
25. ^ McNally, Owen (September 8, 1994). "'Next Karate Kid' Has A New Face". Hartford Courant. Retrieved January 27, 2021. "Now she's the kid everyone roots for in this money-making series that has already grossed $300 million worldwide."
26. ^ "The Karate Kid (1984) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
27. ^ "The Karate Kid (1984) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
28. ^ "The Karate Kid (1984)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
29. ^ "The Karate Kid Part II (1986)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
30. ^ "The Karate Kid Part III (1989)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
31. ^ "The Next Karate Kid (1994)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
32. ^ "The Next Karate Kid (1994) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
33. ^ "The Karate Kid (2010)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
34. ^ "ZATHURA (2005) B+". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
35. ^ "The Karate Kid (1984)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
36. ^ The Karate Kid, retrieved July 7, 2019
37. ^ "The Karate Kid Part II (1986)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
38. ^ The Karate Kid Part II, retrieved July 7, 2019
39. ^ "The Karate Kid Part III (1989)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
40. ^ The Karate Kid Part III, retrieved July 7, 2019
41. ^ "The Next Karate Kid (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
42. ^ The Next Karate Kid, retrieved July 7, 2019
43. ^ "The Karate Kid (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
44. ^ "The Karate Kid Reviews". CBS Interactive. Metacritic. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
45. ^ "Cobra Kai". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
46. ^ Cobra Kai, retrieved July 7, 2019
47. ^ "Cobra Kai". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
48. ^ Cobra Kai, retrieved July 7, 2019
49. ^ "Cobra Kai". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
50. ^ Cobra Kai, retrieved January 29, 2021
51. ^ "Cobra Kai" - via Rotten Tomatoes.
52. ^ Cobra Kai, retrieved July 21, 2024
53. ^ "Cobra Kai" - via Rotten Tomatoes.
54. ^ Cobra Kai, retrieved September 7, 2022
55. ^ "Cobra Kai" - via Rotten Tomatoes.
56. ^ Powell, Larry; Garrett, Tom (December 20, 2013). The Films of John G. Avildsen: Rocky, The Karate Kid and Other Underdogs. McFarland. ISBN 9780786490479. Retrieved December 28, 2017 - via Google Books.
57. ^ M.D, Lyle J. Micheli (November 17, 2010). Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9781506320106. Retrieved December 28, 2017 - via Google Books.
58. ^ "New Musical The Karate Kid, Based on the Hit '80s Movie, Aims for Broadway". Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
59. ^ The Karate Kid: The Musical. "The Karate Kid: The Musical". Official Website. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
60. ^ "The Karate Kid (1984) Action Figures have been Revived by Funko". Z.Love's Entertainment Blog. October 10, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
61. ^ Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues Video Game Revealed, Release Date Confirmed for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch - IGN, August 25, 2020, retrieved August 31, 2020
62. ^ "Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
63. ^ Gardner, Chris (October 30, 2022). "Ralph Macchio on How He Survived Lean Years in His Career: "I Still Live Fairly Modestly"". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 30, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* The Karate Kid at IMDb
* The Karate Kid Part II at IMDb
* The Karate Kid Part III at IMDb
* The Karate Kid (TV series) at IMDb
* The Next Karate Kid at IMDb
* The Karate Kid (2010) at IMDb
* Cobra Kai at IMDb
* "The Karate Kid" 30th Anniversary Panel Discussion, Q+A—sponsored by the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, September 9, 2014.
* The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai \- Reunited Apart, December 21, 2020
* Ralph Macchio on His Friend and 'Karate Kid' Costar Pat Morita: His Legacy 'Shines Brighter Than Ever' \- People, November 6, 2022

* v
* t
* e

The Karate Kid

Feature films|

* The Karate Kid (1984)
* Part II (1986)
* Part III (1989)
* The Next Karate Kid (1994)
* The Karate Kid (2010)
* Karate Kid: Legends (2025)

Television|

| Live-action|

* Cobra Kai (2018–2025)
* episodes
* Season 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* 5
* 6

|

Animated|

* The Karate Kid (1989–1990)

Characters|

* Mr. Miyagi
* Daniel LaRusso
* Johnny Lawrence
* Ali Mills
* John Kreese
* Chozen Toguchi
* Kumiko
* Terry Silver
* Mike Barnes
* Jessica Andrews

Music|

* "The Moment of Truth"
* "You're the Best"
* "Glory of Love"
* The Karate Kid (2010) soundtrack
* "Never Say Never"

Video games|

* The Karate Kid Part II: The Computer Game (1986)
* The Karate Kid (1987)
* Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues (2020)

Related|

* Chōjun Miyagi
* Crane kick
* "The Bro Mitzvah"
* Sweep the Leg Johnny
* "Sweep the Leg"

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Sony franchises and series

Sony Pictures
Entertainment|

| Columbia Pictures|

* 28 Days Later
* Anaconda
* Annie
* Are We There Yet?
* Bad Boys
* Blondie
* The Blue Lagoon
* Boston Blackie
* Charlie's Angels
* The Craft
* Cruel Intentions
* Death Wish
* Dracula
* Dragon Tattoo Stories
* The Equalizer
* Escape Room
* Five Little Peppers
* Ghost Rider
* Ghostbusters
* Gloria
* The Grudge
* I Know What You Did Last Summer
* James Bond
* Jumanji
* Jump Street
* Jungle Jim
* The Karate Kid
* Little Women
* Men in Black
* Mexico Trilogy
* My Girl
* Robert Langdon
* Rusty
* Spider-Man
* Spider-Man Universe
* Stuart Little
* Superman
* The Swan Princess
* The Three Stooges
* The Trouble with Angels
* Wild Things
* XXX
* Zombieland

|

Screen Gems|

* Don't Breathe
* Resident Evil
* Underworld

Sony Pictures Animation|

* Angry Birds
* Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
* Goosebumps
* Hotel Transylvania
* Open Season
* Peter Rabbit
* The Smurfs
* Spider-Verse

Sony Pictures Television|

* Alex Rider
* Lake Placid
* Breaking Bad
* The Boys
* Hilda
* Idol
* Jeopardy!
* So You Think You Can Dance
* Wheel of Fortune
* Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

TriStar Pictures|

* 3 Ninjas
* Matilda
* Starship Troopers
* Thanksgiving
* Universal Soldier

Aniplex/Aniplex of America|

* Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
* Kill la Kill
* Puella Magi Madoka Magica
* Sword Art Online

Crunchyroll/Funimation|

* Ascendance of a Bookworm
* Dragon Ball
* Luck & Logic
* My Hero Academia
* Soul Eater
* Spy × Family
* Show by Rock!!
* Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!
* YuYu Hakusho

Sony Interactive
Entertainment|

* Ape Escape
* Arc the Lad
* Astro Bot
* Doko Demo Issyo
* Everybody's Golf
* God of War
* Gran Turismo
* Horizon
* Infamous
* Jak and Daxter
* Jet Moto
* Killzone
* The Last of Us
* Lemmings
* LittleBigPlanet
* Marvel's Spider-Man
* MediEvil
* MLB: The Show
* MotorStorm
* Ratchet & Clank
* Resistance
* SingStar
* Sly Cooper
* SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs
* Syphon Filter
* This Is Football
* Twisted Metal
* Uncharted
* Wild Arms
* Wipeout

* Category

*[Ref]: Reference(s)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template