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Beyond the action, the horrendously poorly portrayed rules of karate, and the memorable quotes and characters, the "Karate Kid" franchise has always had time for romance. From the very start, this franchise has been built on unlikely romances, whether it's Ralph Macchio's scrawny new kid Daniel Larusso going after rich, popular girl Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) in the first film or immediately leaving Ali for a summer romance during a trip to Japan with Kumiko in "The Karate Kid Part II."

Likewise, the legacy sequel TV series "Cobra Kai" has romance built into its DNA. The show —— which is the closest to a full-on live-action sports anime and is set in a world of heightened stakes where everything revolves around karate — has explored romances for both the many new kids on the block and their senseis — with Johnny Lawrence's arc from jerk to a legit good partner being a highlight of the series.

There's good news and bad news for Cobra Kai fans as no season 7 is set to happen. But, Cobra Kai season 6 part 3 promises to be a blast!

When do the final episodes of Cobra Kai come out?

As noted, the show sadly is not getting a seventh season, with the producers believing that six seasons is enough for the story. When the sixth season was renewed back in January 2023, Netflix announced it would be the final season. The 15-episode season was split into three parts, and we can expect the conclusion soon in 2025.

For those wondering, the final five episodes will drop on Netflix on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. They're expected to bring the story to a major close, with producer Hayden Schlossberg offering a nice comparison to a famous movie trilogy in speaking with Entertainment Weekly.

"We knew the middle block of these three parts would be like The Empire Strikes Back...

This article contains spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 6.

We're nearing the end of "Cobra Kai," the little legacy sequel series that survived an entire streamer shutting down to become one of the best shows Netflix is producing. The first part of the sixth and final season delivered a good calm before the storm (read our review here), mostly focusing on settling the different character rivalries — particularly Samantha and Tory, and Miguel and Robby. At the same time, preparations were underway for the Seikai Taikai, including a fun mini-tournament to see who would go to Barcelona to represent team Miyagi-Do.

Perhaps the biggest idea introduced in the first part of the season involved Mr. Miyagi. The character played by Pat Morita in the original films, Miyagi's legacy has long loomed large over Daniel Larusso and "Cobra Kai." The first part of season 6 spent a good amount of time with Daniel reckoning...

Chad McQueen, known for his iconic role as Dutch in The Karate Kid film series and as the son of legendary actor Steve McQueen, passed away on Wednesday, September 11.

He passed away at his ranch in Palm Desert, California.

According to Variety, McQueen, 63, reportedly died from complications stemming from an injury that led to organ failure.

Per the report, he was surrounded by family at the time of his passing.

McQueen’s wife, Jeanie, and two of his children, Chase and Madison, released a statement expressing their grief:

The statement reads, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father, Chad McQueen. His remarkable journey as a loving father and devoted husband truly exemplified a life filled with love and dedication.”

They emphasized how his passion for racing honored his father’s legacy and instilled valuable lessons in them, which they will carry on​.

Chad...

Chad McQueen, who followed his father, Steve McQueen, into acting and auto racing and portrayed the bully Dutch in the first two Karate Kid movies, has died. He was 63.

McQueen died Wednesday of organ failure at his ranch in Palm Desert, his friend of 40 years, Arthur Barens, told The Hollywood Reporter. He had been injured in a fall in 2020 and never fully recovered.

In a statement on Instagram, his children Chase and Madison wrote:

“His remarkable journey as a loving father to us, along with his unwavering commitment to our mother, truly exemplified a life filled with love and dedication. His passion for racing not only highlighted his exceptional talent but also served as a way to honor his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him.

“He passed his passion, knowledge and dedication down to us, and we will continue not only his legacy but our grandfather’s as well.

Chad McQueen, best known for playing Dutch in The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part II, has died at the age of 63. He’s also the son of Steve McQueen, the legendary actor who starred in The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Bullitt, and more.

In a statement to Variety, Chad’s wife, Jeanie, and his children, Chase and Madison, said, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father, Chad McQueen. His remarkable journey as a loving father to us, along with his unwavering commitment to our mother, truly exemplified a life filled with love and dedication. His passion for racing not only highlighted his exceptional talent but also served as a way to honor his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him. He passed his passion, knowledge and dedication down to us, and we will continue not only...

Chad McQueen, son of the legendary actor Steve McQueen who played “Dutch” in “The Karate Kid” film series, died Wednesday in Palm Springs. He was 63.

His wife Jeanie and his children Chase and Madison said in a statement to Variety, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father, Chad McQueen. His remarkable journey as a loving father to us, along with his unwavering commitment to our mother, truly exemplified a life filled with love and dedication,” reads the statement. “His passion for racing not only highlighted his exceptional talent but also served as a way to honor his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him.”

It continues: “He passed his passion, knowledge and dedication down to us, and we will continue not only his legacy but our grandfather’s as well. As a family, we need to navigate this difficult time,...

John Carpenter's 1986 action-comedy "Big Trouble in Little China" is an odd duck. The plot involves an ancient wizard named Lo Pan (James Hong) who aims to kidnap, marry, and then sacrifice a green-eyed woman to break a curse he is under. The woman in question is Miao Yin (Suzee Pai), the fiancée of Wang Chi (Dennis Dun), who, fortunately, knows a little bit about evil wizards and ancient Chinese warriors. It will be up to Wang to rescue Miao Yin from Lo Pan. Also kidnapped is the green-eyed Gracie (Kim Cattrall), beloved by the dumb-as-rocks blowhard Jack Burton (Kurt Russell), essentially Wang's sidekick.

The gag of the movie is that Jack doesn't really seem to understand that he's a sidekick, and behaves like the action hero. Indeed, the whole movie seems to be a martial arts movie told from the perspective of the American guest star. Russell was featured...

Cobra Kai is going out with a bang as the first half of The Karate Kid sequel’s final season climbs the Netflix TV charts to claim the top spot. The first five episodes of the anticipated sixth season debuted on the streamer on July 18, immediately claiming the crown with tons of viewers returning for more martial arts drama. The opening gambit for Cobra Kai Season 6 hit hard and fast with 14.8 million views in its first four days on the Netflix Top 10 for July 15-21, and another five episodes will launch on November 15. A final presentation of the series will be unleashed sometime in 2025, with whispers of other Cobra Kai projects in development.

Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 buried an ax in the second spot with 6.4 million views, while the Simone Biles Rising documentary flawlessly landed in the third position with 4.7 million views. With the Paris Olympics beginning next week, people will...

The Karate Kid Part 3 still remains a point of contention for the masses. The original Karate Kid is a beloved classic, and the sequel, The Karate Kid Part 2, managed to capture much of its charm. However, the same cannot be said about the third installment, which felt like the black sheep of the trilogy.

Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in The Karate Kid Part II (1986) || Columbia Pictures

Adding to this sentiment among the fans is Ralph Macchio, the actor behind the lead character, Daniel Larusso. But despite him not being a fan of the movie, he acknowledged that it played a major role in shaping the storyline of the hit series Cobra Kai.

Ralph Macchio Revealed How The Karate Kid, Part 3 helped in the storyline of Cobra Kai Ralph Macchio in Cobra Kai (2018) || Netflix

The story of The Karate Kid revolves around Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), a bullied teenager who,...

This article contains spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 6.

The specter of Mr. Miyagi has always loomed large over "Cobra Kai." The TV sequel to the "Karate Kid" movies takes place 40 years after the events of the 1984 original, focusing on Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) teaching a new generation of kids about karate.

From the beginning, the show followed the original film's themes of the bond between teachers and students and the influence the former hold over the latter. We see this in both the trauma Johnny tries to overcome from his years under Kreese, but also how much Daniel has put Mr. Miyagi up on a pedestal. Really, every aspect of Daniel's life, from his personality to his values, are all shaped by Miyagi's teachings. His car dealership's logo is a bonsai tree and his dojo is at Miyagi's old house, which Daniel inherited from his sensei.

Parenting is one of the toughest challenges any human being could face; now imagine the infant is bigger than a house and can shoot lasers out of their eyes. This chaos is only a portion of what the characters in Ultraman: Rising face and Tokyo will never be the same. Here to talk about the hardships of Kaiju parenting are the directors of Ultraman: Rising, Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima, and featured members of the cast, Tamlyn Tomita, Gedde Watanabe, and Christopher Sean.

During our time with the cast and creators of Ultraman: Rising, we delved deep into everyone’s Ultraman history to determine if they felt pressure to honor the beloved superhero’s legacy. We also discuss the wonders of parenting and how you don’t need to have kids to act like a guardian to someone or something. The actors also share valuable lessons they learned while making...

“Wax on, wax off.”

This classic line from The Karate Kid is ingrained in our minds as the epitome of cinematic martial arts lessons. It captures the elfin broken English of Mr. Miyagi in all his humble and quirky charm. Miyagi won our hearts as the kindly sensei, and the role earned Noriyuki “Pat” Morita (1932-2005) a nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. But did you know that Mr. Miyagi was based on a real person? Actually, he was based on three people, all famous karate masters. Here are their stories.

The Legendary Grandmasters of Karate

Mr. Miyagi gets his name from Grandmaster Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953), the founder of an Okinawan style of karate called Goju-Ryu. Goju means “hard-soft,” and Ryu in this context means “school”. Goju-Ryu is still a popular style of karate, practiced worldwide to this day.

“It’s no coincidence that when Hollywood was looking to create the archetypal karate master,...

The Karate Kid franchise has maintained its legacy over the years, and the original film is a cult classic among fans. The success of the first film led to three sequels The Karate Kid Part II, The Karate Kid Part III, and The Next Karate Kid. While the sequels did not receive as well as the original, the 2020 remake of the original starring Jackie Chan was loved by fans.

Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita in 1984’s The Karate Kid

Ralph Macchio, the lead star of the original films returned in the sequel series Cobra Kai, continuing the story of his character Daniel Larusso. Chan and Macchio now coming together for a new Karate Kid film. A recent post from Sony teased the start of production with the reveal of the new logo and one detail proves that the film will have a similarly edgy tone to the Cobra Kai series.

Top 5 rivalries among characters in Cobra Kai. (Photo Credit – IMDb)

Cobra Kai hit the screens in 2018, kicking off its initial seasons on YouTube Red in May 2018 and April 2019. With YouTube halting scripted original content production, Netflix took the reins, acquiring the series in June 2020.

Cobra Kai spins a gripping yarn of trust, resilience, and fierce rivalries among dojo members. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka step into the spotlight, reprising their iconic characters as Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence, first introduced in the 1984 film The Karate Kid and its sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989).

The spin-off series is set thirty-four years after his defeat by Daniel Larusso in the 1984 All-Valley Karate Tournament, with Johnny Lawrence, now in his 50s, grappling with alcoholism and depression. Working part-time as a handyman, he resides in a Reseda apartment, far removed from his affluent upbringing in Encino. His son,...

The number of actors the Netflix TV series Cobra Kai has brought back to reprise their characters from the Karate Kid films has been very impressive. Not only do you have Ralph Macchio and William Zabka back as Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence, but there’s also Martin Kove and Thomas Ian Griffith as villains John Kreese and Terry Silver, Yuji Okumoto and Sean Kanan as villains-turned-allies Chozen Toguchi and Mike Barnes; Ron Thomas, Rob Garrison, and Tony O’Dell as Johnny’s former Cobra Kai buddies; and appearances by Elisabeth Shue as Ali Mills, Tamlyn Tomita as Kumiko, and Robyn Lively as Jessica Andrews. They even brought Traci Toguchi back as Yuna, the “Girl Bell Ringer” she played in The Karate Kid Part II. But one actor who might not be returning from the films is Hilary Swank, who played Julie Pierce in the 1994 film The Next Karate Kid.

Daniel,...

Pictured: Hulk, The Mummy, The Karate Kid, Kung-Fu Panda

A New Year means lots of removals from Netflix and January 1st is looking busy, with over 100 movies set to leave the service already. Below, we’ll be keeping track of all the Netflix departures for the first month of 2024.

First, a few housekeeping notes as to how Netflix removals work before we dive in. Due to licensing agreements, shows and movies added to Netflix aren’t added forever. Instead, they’re essentially rented for a fixed period. All the shows below have their current window on Netflix ending and will likely be bound for a rival streaming service.

We list titles slightly differently from other outlets, with our listings being the actual day of removal. If you want to watch any titles scheduled to expire on January 1st, for example, you’ll need to watch by the end of December 31st.

Rumor has it that Netflix was originally planning to release the sixth and final season of their hit series Cobra Kai, a continuation of the Karate Kid film franchise, this month. The cast and crew were heading into production back in May (Netflix even released some table read footage) – but then the writers strike hit, causing filming to shut down. Then came the actors strike, which made sure it stayed shut down a while longer. But both of those strikes are now over, and cast member Courtney Henggeler has revealed that Cobra Kai season 6 is finally going to start filming / resume production next month!

The folks at Screen Rant took the opportunity to ask Henggeler about Cobra Kai when they crossed paths with her at a red carpet event. When they asked for info on what fans can expect from the new season, Henggeler answered, “I wish I knew. I...

Nearly four decades ago, NBC brought Babes in Toyland back to life with an all-star cast.

The holiday project was based on the 1903 operetta, which features Victor Herbert’s score — including Christmas staple “Toyland” — and a libretto from Glen MacDonough that draws together numerous Mother Goose characters. It followed such previous adaptations as a 1934 Laurel and Hardy film, a 1960 Shirley Temple-led TV version and a 1961 Disney movie starring Annette Funicello.

Filmmaker Clive Donner — whose 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat? marked Woody Allen’s first produced screenplay — directed Babes in Toyland from a script by Paul Zindel (Mame).

Shot in Munich, it starred 11-year-old Drew Barrymore as Lisa, who has no interest in toys until she gets magically transported to Toyland on Christmas Eve, where she teams up with the Toymaster (Pat Morita, fresh off The Karate Kid Part II) to stop the villainous Barnaby Barnicle (Richard Mulligan) from taking over the realm.

Cobra Kai. (L to R) William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence, Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso in episode 410 of Cobra Kai. Cr. Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix © 2021 As it turns out, Johnny Lawrence was a career-defining character for William Zabka, who’s played the role in The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid Part II, and the series Cobra Kai. Not surprisingly, there were plenty of actors who wanted the part when the casting call went out. So, how did he beat them all and win the role? Zabka recalls when he did his original audition, he was Johnny Lawrence. (Click on the media bar below to hear William Zabka) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Zabka_Karakte_Kid_Part.mp3 The Karate Kid is currently streaming on Netflix and available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms. Cobra Kai is currently streaming on Netflix.

The post Method Acting At His Audition Got...

Up until now, the Karate Kid franchise has lived on solely through the "Cobra Kai" TV series, but in 2024, it's set to return to the big screen with a brand-new movie. The untitled project will mark the sixth installment in the franchise and will release exactly 40 years after the first Karate Kid film premiered in 1984. The original movie starred Ralph Macchio as a teenager named Daniel Larusso, who learns karate from martial arts master Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in order to defend himself against a group of bullies, one of whom includes Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Since their rivalry is also at the center of "Cobra Kai," we're left to wonder whether the new film will bring the iconic pair back once more.

In September 2022, Macchio told Entertainment Weekly that he wasn't attached to the project, however, since the movie was still in its early stages, anything could happen. "I...

Lady Gaga is back in the Oscar race for “Hold My Hand,” a power ballad featured on the year’s biggest blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick.” In addition to performing the track, the versatile entertainer co-wrote it with Michael Tucker, professionally known as BloodPop. An Academy Award nomination for Best Song would mark Gaga’s fourth bid. She was nominated in this category in 2016 for “Til’ It Happens to You” with Diane Warren (“The Hunting Ground”). Three years later she won the statuette for her song “Shallow” from “A Star is Born,” sharing the prize with Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt. The singer earned an additional Best Actress bid that year for her starring role opposite Bradley Cooper.

See Eddie Hamilton (‘Top Gun: Maverick’ editor) on the blockbuster’s cultural impact: ‘I think it’s the film that we needed’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

The movie’s predecessor from 1986 also starred Tom Cruise...

For the season 5 season finale, Writer/Director/Producer Adam McKay returns to the podcast to discuss movies from his favorite year of cinema… 1987.

The Movies That Made Me will return with Season 6 in January. Happy Holidays! Thank you for listening!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Tin Men (1987)

Billy Jack (1971)

The Menu (2022)

Boyz N The Hood (1991) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Menace II Society (1991)

Straight Out Of Brooklyn (1991)

Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

School Daze (1988)

The Swarm (1978) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Squeeze (1987)

Squeeze Play (1979) – Lloyd Kaufman’s trailer commentary

Diner (1982)

Robocop (1987) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray reviews

The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary

Evil Dead II (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s review

Broadcast News (1987)

Raising Arizona (1987)

The Princess Bride (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

This Is Spinal Tap (1984) – John Landis’s...

The Karate Kid has to be one of the most unexpectedly massive franchises of all time. In 1984, John G. Avildsen’s The Karate Kid was a modestly budgeted underdog story (in the Rocky mode) featuring two unknown leads, Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. At the time, Macchio was mainly known for playing the doomed Johnny in The Outsiders, while Morita was known as the wacky Arnold from Happy Days. The 8 million movie would gross 100 million in 1984, and the sequel, The Karate Kid – Part II – would make even more, grossing 115 million and giving us the Peter Cetera classic (to some) “The Glory of Love.”

The franchise would die, for a while, when The Karate Kid – Part III flopped with a measly 38 million gross, while The Next Karate Kid would fare even worse. For the longest time, it looked like the franchise was dead, especially when Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan...

Clarence Gilyard Jr., a prolific actor best known for his pivotal, series-long role on “Walker, Texas Ranger” and for his scene-stealing turn as Theo, the heist crew’s hacker in “Die Hard,” died Monday following a long illness. He was 66.

In addition to his acclaimed career, Gilyard was a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around him. Whenever we asked him how he was, he would cheerfully declare that he was ‘Blessed!’ But we are truly the ones who were blessed to be his colleagues and students for so many years. We love you and will miss you dearly, Professor G!,” Unlv film chair Heather Addison said in a statement Monday.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal first reported the news.

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Nick Holly, Literary Agent and Co-Creator of ABC Comedy Series ‘Sons & Daughters,’ Dies at 51

Born in 1955 in Moses Lake,...

Eric Stoltz being cast as Marty McFly and spending several weeks filming the role before Michael J. Fox replaced him is easily one of the most widely-known pieces of "Back to the Future" trivia there is and for obvious reasons. But as fascinating as it is to wonder what might've been had Stoltz gotten to drive Emmett "Doc" Brown's time-traveling DeLorean all the way to the finish line, he's far from the only "What if?" bit of casting when it comes to that McFly kid.

With Robert Zemeckis directing hot off his 1984 breakout film "Romancing the Stone" and Steven Spielberg producing, "Back to the Future" had its pick of up-and-coming actors to cast as Marty. That included Ralph Macchio, who had only just shown off his waxing skills and crane-kicking to the world in "The Karate Kid" a few months before he met Zemeckis and Spielberg in the fall of...

W​ith each new season of Cobra Kai, fans are loving seeing the return of characters from all of the Karate Kid movies. Season 5 is no exception as a few familiar faces made their return as their iconic characters from the franchise. The episodes are littered with other references to Karate Kid lore or other 80s pop culture. Let’s run them down as we look at Cobra Kai Season 5 Easter Eggs and references.

W​Arning!!!!!! There will be spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 5, along with Karate Kid movies and previous seasons of the show.

T​erry Silver’s Former Master

W​ay back in Karate Kid Part 3, when Terry Silver is trying to weasel his way into Daniel’s life, he stops by Mr. Miyagi’s house to check on Daniel. When he introduces himself, he mentions that he trained under Kim Sun-Yung. In that movie, the name means...

Update:

Netflix series creator co-creator Jon Hurwitz has confirmed he is not involved in the making of Sony’s new Karate Kid movie.

“The guys and I would love to make Karate Kid and Cobra Kai movies and hope to someday. But this one isn’t from us or focused on the Cobra Kai cast. Don’t know much about it, but wish it well,” Hurwitz said on Twitter while participating in a fan Q&a on Twitter.

Neither Sony nor Hurwitz has elaborated on the new Karate Kid movie since the update. Still, it’s nice to have a confirmation from Hurwitz early in the project’s announcement. Clearing up this bit of business keeps Cobra Kai fans (like myself) from speculating about Sony’s plans for the new movie, at least as far as Cobra Kai is concerned. What will the plot of the new Karate Kid movie turn out to be?...

This Cobra Kai article contains spoilers for season 5.

Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), and Sensei Kreese (Martin Kove) aren’t the only carry overs from the original three Karate Kid films. Far from it, Cobra Kai has been masterfully tapping its source by bringing back cast members from the movies, regularly serving the fans up with colorful Easter eggs.

Some of the original characters, like Lucille Larusso (Randee Heller), Daniel’s mom, have appeared throughout Cobra Kai. She has been seen in seasons 1, 2, and 4, which is more than she was seen in the latter two Karate Kid films. The original Cobra Kai gang from The Karate Kid Part I, Bobby (Ron Thomas), Jimmy (Tony O’Dell), and Tommy (Rob Garrison) were reunited with Johnny in season 2 in one of the most poignant episodes of the entire show – the death of Tommy. It’s an emotional irony when the...

Major spoilers ahead for "Cobra Kai" season 5.

Since Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) first appeared in "Cobra Kai," he's been a thorn in Daniel Larusso's (Ralph Macchio) side. We first met the character back in the 1989 film "The Karate Kid Part III," where we learned that he helped John Kreese (Martin Kove) start the Cobra Kai dojo. They had been old buddies back in the Vietnam War, and Silver — a very wealthy dumper of toxic waste — tries to help Kreese get the dojo up and running after Daniel and Mr. Miyagi (the late Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) humiliated them at the All-Valley tournament.

He poses as a friend, manipulates Daniel's training and relationships, and leads him down the path to anger. In "Cobra Kai," he uses every ruthless method he can to ruin Daniel and Johnny (William Zabka) and their dojos. In season 5, he finally gets his comeuppance. It's the first...

When Xolo Maridueña first stepped into the Blue Beetle suit, there were “a lot of nerves and exhilaration” that came with embodying the DC superhero.

“Excited is not the first word that comes to my brain,” Maridueña told Variety at the Season 5 red carpet premiere of “Cobra Kai” on Wednesday night. “It is nervous excitement, it’s antsiness. It’s the anticipation of knowing that you’re on the brink of something potentially big, but it still feels really intimate because you’re just with the cast and the crew.”

The 21-year-old actor will be portraying the lead role of Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in DC’s first adaptation of a comic led by a Latino superhero. “I can’t wait for people to see one of the — if not the first — Latino-led superhero movies ever,” he continued.

Last month, it was revealed that Warner Bros. had scrapped plans entirely to release “Batgirl.

Mild spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 5 ahead.

The Netflix series "Cobra Kai" is showing no mercy to those of us who love the "Karate Kid" franchise. Not only have we been able to catch up with Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) from 1984's "The Karate Kid," but we've got cameos galore from the subsequent offerings. Cobra Kai sensei Kreese (Martin Kove) is back, along with Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) and Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) from the second film, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) from the third, and a few more we won't spoil here.

It's a nostalgia bomb in all the best ways, and it's made a lot of us do a film marathon, if only to make sure we recognize all the "Cobra Kai" cameos before they show us flashbacks.

The films in the series include "The Karate Kid" (1984), "The Karate Kid Part II...

Spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 5 ahead.

"Cobra Kai" season 5 has been released in its entirety on Netflix, and it's time to belt up your gi and prepare to show no mercy! /Film participated in a roundtable discussion with stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who play Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence respectively in the "Karate Kid" sequel series. Throughout the show, we've watched Daniel and Johnny reignite their teenage karate rivalry, mentor each other's proteges, and pit their dojos against each other. But now, they've been forced to work together in order to take down "The Karate Kid Part III" villain Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith).

This season, not only is Daniel working with Johnny, but also with his "Karate Kid II" enemy-turned-friend Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), who is the comedy Mvp of these new episodes. Macchio said they knew in the third season, with the three lines of dialogue Daniel and Chozen share,...

Daniel Larusso is no stranger to romance. In "The Karate Kid," his crush on Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) girlfriend Ali Mills (Elizabeth Shue) is what gets him into trouble in the first place. Determined to win her heart and give Johnny a beating in the process (Johnny sympathizer over here!), Daniel sets out to master the art of karate, which is a pretty crazy and impressive thing to do for love. Because this is Hollywood, he ends up getting the girl and the first place trophy, but by "The Karate Kid Part II," he and Ali have parted ways. 

Clearly not too heartbroken over the breakup, Daniel embarks on a journey to Okinawa with Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) where he meets Yukie, Miyagi's former crush, and her charming niece Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita). He then spends the rest of the film trying to win over Kumiko's heart with his sick karate moves and American charm.

Spoilers ahead for "Cobra Kai" through season 4.

No mercy! It's time to grab your gi and your dojo's branded headband because the new "Cobra Kai" season 5 trailer is here! 

When we last left our karate heroes, Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) of Miyagi Do Karate and his longtime rival Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), formerly of Cobra Kai, and now sensei of Eagle Fang, teamed up to beat the version of Cobra Kai run by "The Karate Kid Part III" villain Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and John Kreese (Martin Kove), the original big bad of the films. 

In the shocking conclusion of season 4, Cobra Kai won the All-Valley Tournament. According to an agreement between the senseis, this means that both of the other dojos have to close. Is that the end? Oh no, karate friends! A face from Daniel's past (and "The Karate Kid Part II") returns to help him take...

When Top Gun came out in 1986, Hollywood was in full-on sequel mode, with films like Police Academy 3, Poltergeist 2, The Karate Kid Part II, Psycho III, Aliens, Friday the 13th Part VI, and Star Trek IV all released that year. So, based on the overwhelming success of Top Gun at the summer box […]

The post Tom Cruise ‘Wasn’t Ready’ For ‘Top Gun’ Sequel In The ’80s appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

The fourth season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” is set in 1986. Talk about déjà vu.

The top movie of the year was “Top Gun” starring Tom Cruise and this year, the sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” is the top flick earning nearly 582 million in North America. “Cobra Kai,”the TV sequel to “Karate Kid,” is one of the most popular series on Netflix and several “Star Trek” series have blasted off on “Paramount+.

A handful the top ten TV series including “Cheers,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Golden Girls” are living on in repeats. One of the top series, “60 Minutes,” is still chugging away on CBS after 54 seasons making it the longest running primetime series on the small screen. And Michael J. Fox, who won the Emmy that year for “Family Ties,” will receive an honorary Oscar this fall.

So, in honor of “Stranger Things” let’s take the time...

This article contains mild Everything Everywhere All at Once spoilers.

Michelle Yeoh has reigned as the undisputed queen of Kung Fu movies since the ‘90s and that’s no easy task. She’s worked under the greatest and most demanding fight choreographers in the industry, including Jackie Chan, Yuen Woo-Ping, Sammo Hung, and many others. After delivering dozens of high-octane fight scenes and stunts, she cemented her reputation as an action star of the highest caliber. And now, on the cusp of turning 60, Yeoh proves once again that she’s in no danger of being dethroned. In her latest tour de force, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Yeoh brings all her skills in drama, comedy, and of course action to the silver screen in a film like no other.

“It seems I’ve spent the last 37 years of my career working towards this film,” Yeoh said at the San Francisco premiere of the film.

This article contains Cobra Kai season 4 spoilers.

Throughout the series, Cobra Kai has taken Easter egging to new levels with constant shout outs to the original Karate Kid film trilogy. Season 3 saw some major throwbacks with the return of Ali (Elisabeth Shue), Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), and more. That was a hard act to follow, but the return of Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) was an enormous Easter egg from Karate Kid Part III, tapping the franchise’s deep lore.

However, it’s those esoteric Easter eggs that are the most tantalizing, the ones that are hidden in plain sight.

That Yellow Convertible

At the start of season 4, Daniel (Ralph Macchio) implements Mr. Miyagi’s (Pat Morita) “wax on, wax off” training regimen for his new Miyagi-Do recruits. Once again, students are polishing that classic yellow 1947 Ford Super Deluxe Convertible to hone their blocking skills. That car has...

Cobra Kai continues to effectively mine the long-dormant characters and continuity of The Karate Kid film franchise. The strategy has yielded a successful series that basks in the built-in nostalgia of those old enough to recall the films’ heyday, and even fosters a new generation of fandom. However, the show’s fourth season taps into 1989’s The Karate Kid Part III with the heralded return of villain Terry Silver—a controversial callback, seeing as that film remains widely maligned. Interestingly, a radically different third entry was originally envisioned, one that would have taken the trilogy into time-travel territory.

If the teasers for Cobra Kai Season 4, which ominously tout Silver’s return—made 32 years later by Thomas Ian Griffith—left you in need of context regarding its importance, you were hardly alone. After all, the film, in which Silver served as main villain, was a dud, and the least-watched of the original Karate Kid Trilogy.

By any objective measure, The Karate Kid Part III is a terrible movie. The 1989 box-office flop centers around a demented toxic-waste mogul, Terry Silver, who decides to rig a teenage karate tournament and torment Mr. Miyagi and a college-age Daniel La Russo for no coherent reason. “The Karate Kid Part III is one film too many,” read the L.A. Times review in a typical pan. “It is a disaster of the most uninspired contrivances.”

When the franchise was resurrected in 2018 with the streaming series Cobra Kai, the focus was...

Last September, Sony Pictures TV renewed their contract with the creators of Cobra Kai – Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg. The deal with the trio’s production imprint, Counterbalance Entertainment, runs for four years and even includes the possibility of expanding the Cobra Kai/Karate Kid universe with fresh spinoffs.

In light of that fresh ink and in advance of the long-awaited Cobra Kai season 4, Den of Geek chatted with Heald and Hurwitz about the future of the franchise, and what Karate Kid films will continue to be in the Cobra Kai canon.

“We call it the Miyagi-verse,” Heald says of the Karate Kid world. “It’s a ginormous universe. But it all began with one movie.”

Beyond the original four films, other Karate Kid properties include the 2010 redux, starring Jackie Chan (Mr. Han) and Jaden Smith (Dre Parker) and an overlooked Saturday morning cartoon series that ran for...

We love “The Masked Singer” and are thrilled that another set of famous faces is paired up in season 6, disguised this time as Banana Split. In season 4, we had the Snow Owls (who turned out to be husband and wife Clint Black and Lisa Hartman) and in season 5 the Russian Dolls were revealed to be the Hanson brothers.

The duo that is hidden inside the Banana Split costume first performed on the September 29 episode of “The Masked Singer,” made their second appearance on the October 13 episode and returned to compete again on November 3. That last performance earned them a place in the Group B semifinal on November 17 where they edged out Caterpillar and Mallard for a spot in the final. On December 8, they face the Queen of Hearts for a place in the final against the Group A champion, Bull.

We’ve been reviewing all the clues since their debut...

If a hero who lives too long becomes a villain, what happens to villains who overstay their welcome?

They become pathetic.

Cobra Kai shouldn't let such a fate befall Kreese.

One of the things so refreshing about Cobra Kai compared to other revivals is its understanding of the old guard characters.

A lesser version of Cobra Kai would have completely leaned into the meme of Johnny Lawrence was the true hero of The Karate Kid and Daniel Larusso was the villain.

How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson would have loved that series.

Cobra Kai didn't take the easy route. Instead, it gave us a compelling character study about two flawed men who are capable of both heroism and villainy. 

With the show wanting you to root for both Johnny and Daniel, someone else had to step in and claim the role of the evil menace Johnny and Daniel must defeat.

This article contains Cobra Kai season 3 spoilers.

“Hey. Long time,” Kreese (Martin Kove) says at the end of Cobra Kai season 3 when he calls someone mysteriously, as if to ask a favor. Now just who could it be?

The most likely candidate is Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), Kreese’s war buddy and the main villain from The Karate Kid Part III. Season 3 of Cobra Kai explored Kreese’s backstory, adding credence to this postulation. We see Young Kreese’s (Barrett Carnahan) traumatic experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and how he saved his friend that he nicknamed Twig (Nick Marini). It’s implied that Twig is Silver. In The Karate Kid Part III, Silver was a rich CEO of DynaTox Industries, an unscrupulous nuclear waste disposal company. He helped to fund the Cobra Kai schools and was a major sponsor of the All-Valley Karate Tournament. Since the...

This article contains spoilers for Cobra Kai season 2.

It’s been a year and a half already since the Cobra Kai season 2 finale cliffhanger took the show literally over the edge.

The climactic West Valley High School fight in “No Mercy” pushed Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) over that cliff – off a hallway balcony and onto a back-shattering staircase rail. It was a first-rate “long take” fight scene (what’s called a “one-er” in the film biz), the epitome of stunt cinematography because it is so technically challenging. The slightest mistake from anyone involved and everyone must start all over again. That season 2 finale fight was the best piece of fight choreography of the entire franchise, finally levelling up Cobra Kai to the martial arts showcase it always deserved to be. The challenge for season 3 is whether the show can top itself.

Cobra Kai has been a surprise hit from the very start,...

Cobra Kai is coming for you one week early, bitch.

In an early Christmas present for Cobra Kai fans, Netflix announced Thursday that Season 3 of the Karate Kid sequel series will premiere on New Year’s Day (aka Jan. 1, 2021). The streamer previously announced that the new season would drop on Jan. 8.

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Per Netflix’s official synopsis, the 10-episode third season “finds everyone reeling in the aftermath of the violent high school brawl between their dojos,...

After moving from its original home at YouTube over to Netflix and finding a whole new audience, Cobra Kai has become a full-fledged obsession for a huge swath of viewers. In this season 3 clip, Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) meets up with Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), his love interest from The Karate Kid Part II, to […]

The post ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 3 Clip: Daniel Larusso Reminisces About Mr. Miyagi with an Old Flame appeared first on /Film.

Cobra Kai appears to be taking its comeback-heavy new season up a notch.

In this exclusive clip from the Netflix phenom’s upcoming third season, Daniel’s onetime love Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita, reprising her Karate Kid 2 role) suggests to her former beau that she has the power to resurrect his late mentor Mr. Miyagi.

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When Cobra Kai launched in 2018, it delivered a Crane Kick to the face of skepticism, one packed with humor, humanity and just the right amount of 1980s nostalgia for The Karate Kid films, whose continuity continues on the series. However, the just-dropped trailer for the show’s third season—its first as a Netflix native—has upped the nostalgic ante by digging deeper into the mythos with the confirmed returns of The Karate Kid Part II characters Chozen and Kumiko!

There’s a lot to cover when it comes to the New-Year-ringing Cobra Kai Season 3 trailer, but by far the biggest takeaway from the clip is the confirmed return of Part II’s main villain, Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), and Daniel’s love interest in that film, Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita). The scenes in the trailer may be brief, but the characters’ return to the mythos—after having last appeared in the...