Karate Kid sequel Cobra Kai: How to watch, cast, reviews and more

Fans of martial arts movies and 80s nostalgia are in for a real treat as The Karate Kid sequel Cobra Kai is slated to debut on YouTube Red soon.

Cobra Kai will see the much-anticipated reunion of cast members of the classic 1984 film The Karate Kid and explore how old rivalries and feuds have impacted the lives of the characters in the present day.

Here’s all you need to know about Cobra Kai’s trailer, what it is, how to watch, the web series’ cast and what the critics are saying.

Cobra Kai trailer

The trailer for the Karate Kid sequel Cobra Kai was uploaded to YouTube on March 1, 2018 and has already amassed more than 348,000 views.

What is Cobra Kai?

Cobra Kai is an upcoming comedy-drama web series based on the popular The Karate Kid film series. The series will premiere on May 2, 2018 on YouTube Red.

The series takes place some 34 years after the original movie, 1984’s The Karate Kid, and follows one of the film’s main characters, Johnny Lawrence, as he reopens the Cobra Kai karate school in a quest for redemption. In doing so, he renews his old rivalry with another classic character, Daniel LaRusso, who’s struggled without the sage Mr. Miyagi as a mentor. The series revolves around both men’s personal struggles from the past and how they impact the present.

The web series was created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald and began filming in Atlanta, Georgia in October 2017. It made its official debut at the SVA Theatre in New York City on April 24, 2018 during the Tribeca Film Festival.

How to watch Cobra Kai

Cobra Kai can be seen on YouTube Red, YouTube’s paid steaming subscription service, starting on May 2, 2018.

Cobra Kai cast

Two of the original film’s main actors, William Zabka and Ralph Macchio, will reunite to reprise their classic roles as Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso respectively. Other actors set to appear in the upcoming web series include Courtney Henggler as Amanda LaRusso, Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz, Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso and Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene.

Cobra Kai reviews

Cobra Kai has garnered very positive reviews thus far, boasting a 100 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Chris Bumbray of JoBlo’s Movie Emporium praised the much-anticipated web series as ‘a welcome-sequel to a beloved classic that stands on its own’ while Rafer Guzman of Newsday hailed its ‘underdog spirit.’ 

Over at the Hollywood Reporter, Dan Fienberg also lauded the sequel, saying it packs ‘enough homages, twists and reversals to be much more consistently entertaining than it has any right to be.’ 

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly also lavished praised on the acclaimed web series, saying it’s an ‘entertaining dramedy that mixes nostalgia and teen angst’ in a deft and unique way.