Get ready to wax on and wax off again. Sony Pictures’ upcoming Karate Kid feature has wrapped filming, according to the original Karate Kid himself. Ralph Macchio, who will reprise his iconic role as Daniel LaRusso for the upcoming film, announced that Karate Kid has completed filming, while also reminiscing about the original movie, The Karate Kid, which was released in theaters 40 years ago to the day and spawned one of the most iconic franchises of the 1980s.

Macchio announced the news on his Instagram page in a sentimental post, revealing that he had wrapped production on both Karate Kid and the final season of Cobra Kai, Netflix’s Karate Kid spinoff series set for release this July, in which Macchio also stars. “On this day, June 22, 1984, the world met Daniel LaRusso,” Macchio wrote. “Happy 40th Anniversary to The Karate Kid. Looking ahead to one of the most exciting years yet!” He added that there was “epic stuff on the way!”

Beyond Macchio, Karate Kid is set to be a reunion of the entire franchise, in certain regards. Beyond Macchio, martial arts icon Jackie Chan is set to reprise his role as Mr. Han from the 2010 remake of the original film, which had a similar premise but shifted the setting from California to China. Ben Wang will star in the film as Liu Fong, a student who is taken under the tutelage of both Mr. Han and Daniel, now a karate master himself, in a combination of the original franchise and its spinoff. Shaunette Renée-Wilson, Joshua Jackson, Ming-Na Wen, and Aramis Knight have also been cast in the film.

‘Karate Kid’ Has Become a Major Franchise

From the first film in 1984, the Karate Kid franchise has become one of the most recognizable in Hollywood. The original film, starring Macchio and the late Pat Morita as his mentor Mr. Miyagi, led to a slew of sequels, including The Karate Kid Part II, The Karate Kid Part III, and The Next Karate Kid. The series then quieted down until the 2010 remake, but it was the release of Cobra Kai in 2018 that truly reinvigorated interest in the franchise. Beyond Macchio, Cobra Kai stars a number of actors that were in the first three films, including the notable return of Daniel’s rival-turned-ally, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), while also introducing new characters played by Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, and others. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that work on Karate Kid is being fast-tracked.

Karate Kid is directed by Jonathan Entwistle from a script by Rob Lieber. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, whose son Jaden Smith starred in the 2010 remake, will produce for their Westbrook Studios banner alongside Columbia Pictures and Karen Rosenfelt for Sunswept Entertainment.

Karate Kid will be released on May 30, 2025. The first five seasons of Cobra Kai are streaming on Netflix now. Cobra Kai Season 6 premieres this summer.

Cobra Kai

Thirty-four years after events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai dojo, reigniting his rivalry with a now successful Daniel LaRusso.

Release Date

May 2, 2018

Creator

Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Main Genre

Comedy

Seasons

6

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

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Watch on Netflix