KARATE KID VETS RALPH MACCHIO, 62, AND WILLIAM ZABKA, 58, RETURN AS DANIEL AND JOHNNY TO FILM COBRA KAI FINAL SEASON AS THEY DRIVE MR. MIYAGI'S CLASSIC YELLOW CONVERTIBLE ON SET
Karate Kid alums Ralph Macchio and William Zabka were spotted filming scenes for the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai on Monday.
The co-stars donned sweatsuits and their signature martial arts headbands as they led a group of actors in a race through the streets of Encino.
Macchio, 62, and Zabka, 58, originally starred as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence in the 1984 film The Karate Kid, and reprise the iconic roles in the hit follow-up series Cobra Kai, set three decades later.
In another scene, the frenemies share a drive in the classic yellow Ford convertible, once driven by Daniel's mentor Mr. Miyagi, played by the late Pat Morita in the original four films.
As the actors wrap up the final season, a new film in the series is in production at Netflix for a 2025 release, starring Macchio and the 2010 Karate Kid reboot star Jackie Chan.
At the same time the series is wrapping up, a new film in the series is in production at Netflix for a 2025 release also starring Macchio.
Released in 1984, The Karate Kid became a cultural phenomenon, also starring Elisabeth Shue as Ali Mills, Daniel's love interest, and Martin Kove as John Kreese, the ruthless sensei of the Cobra Kai dojo.
The film, directed by John G. Avildsen, was both a critical and commercial success.
It grossed $130.8 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of just $8 million.
The Karate Kid Part II (1986) turned into another big hit earning $130 million against a budget of $12.5 million budget, while The Karate Kid Part III (1989) paled in comparison bringing in $38.9 million with another $12.5 million budget.
Macchio played The Karate Kid for the first three movies –The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989), but did not reprise the role in The Next Karate Kid (1994).
Hilary Swank played The Karate Kid in 1994 and Jaden Smith took over the role in 2010.
Cobra Kai first aired on YouTube Red, with the first two seasons debuting in 2018 and 2019, before the platform completely ditched scripted programming.
Netflix picked up the show in June 2020, with the third season debuting on the streaming service in January 2021.
A fourth season quickly followed in December 2021 with the fifth debuting in September 2022, with the sixth delayed due to the writers and actors strikes.
The series also stars Courtney Henggler as Daniel's wife Amanda, Xolo Mariduena as Miguel Diaz and Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene.
The show will finally return this summer, with Netflix revealing the season will actually roll out in three separate parts.
Netflix rolled out a new trailer for this upcoming season, which is set shortly after Season 5, when Cobra Kai was eliminated from the Valley tournament.
Both the senseis (Ralph Macchio and William Zabka) and the students must decide about competing in the Sekai Taikai, the karate world championships.
The first five seasons have each spanned 10 episodes apiece before this super-sized 15-episode three-part final season arrives this summer.
The series also stars Courtney Henggler as Daniel's wife Amanda, Xolo Mariduena as Miguel Diaz and Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene.
Buchanan recently teased on a podcast about the final season, 'This season, so far, is, it's a lot! We're all working harder than we ever have. There's a lot going into this season, and everyone's truly putting in, not even 110%, we're all putting in 200%.'
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