Original Karate Kids Daniel-san and Johnny face off in first Cobra Kai trailer
All that’s missing is a mean leg sweep and some crane technique, as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence meet again in Cobra Kai, the sequel series to 80s classic Karate Kid.
The first teaser trailer for the series, airing on YouTube Red, has landed, and it finds Johnny (played by William Zabka reprising his original role) setting up his new dojo.
As per Johnny’s sensei from the original Cobra Kai, the legend ‘Strike first, strike hard, no mercy’ is emblazoned on the wall.
“Mercy is for the week,” says Johnny, echoing the sentiments of his own sensei, Kreese, back in 1984. “Are you ready to learn the way of the fist?”
There’s even a shot of an old newspaper clipping featuring Daniel-san and his former mentor, Mr Miyagi, without whom Daniel is said to be ‘struggling to maintain balance’.
Going toe-to-toe on the mat, the show sets out a rivalry decades old between to the two now-grown men.
Ralph Macchio’s Daniel is now a stable and successful used car salesman, while Johnny has ended up something of a bum, and hopes to reignite some self respect through karate.
The series is being billed as a comedy – having been penned by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who were behind the Harold & Kumar movies.
However, oddly, this trailer looks dead serious.
The series hangs around troubled teen Miguel Diaz (played by Xolo Maridueña), who’s beset by bullies and looks to Daniel-san for mentorship.
Produced by Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment, it’s due to air later this year.
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