The 'Cobra Kai' creators explain how they finally got a 'Karate Kid' favorite in the series and pulled off ambitious fight scenes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Netflix's "Karate Kid" sequel show "Cobra Kai" is  ending.</li><li>The final season, which is out now, has been split into three releases.</li></ul><p>The final season of "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-series-to-watch-after-cobra-kai">Cobra Kai</a>" is out now on Netflix, but fans must wait until 2025 to see the story fully wrapped up.</p><p>In 2018, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cobra-kai-creators-explain-how-they-made-the-karate-kid-show-2018-5">"Cobra Kai" creators</a> Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg revitalized the "Karate Kid" franchise with a sequel that followed the original movie's lead rivals Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).</p><p>"Cobra Kai" was an immediate hit when it first premiered on YouTube and gained a bigger audience when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cobra-kai-moving-from-youtube-to-netflix-2020-6">Netflix</a> acquired the second series in 2020.</p><p>After three more seasons as one of Netflix's biggest original shows, the "Cobra Kai" creators announced that the sixth season would be the last.</p><p>"Our Day 1 goal with 'Cobra Kai' has always been to end it on our terms, leaving the Valley in the time and place we've always imagined," they wrote in a statement in 2023. "While this may be a bittersweet day for the fandom, the Miyagiverse has never been stronger."</p><h2 id="7cdc117c-75d2-4337-93c2-70a6b9d147e1"><strong>The next episodes of "Cobra Kai" air in November</strong></h2><div type="image" title="A still from &quot;Cobra Kai&quot; of lead stars Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List, Xolo Maridueña and Mary Mouser" height="1333" width="2000" msid="111862870" hostid="261" sizebytes="185854"></div><p>In May, Netflix announced that the final season of "Cobra Kai" would be split into three releases across 2024 and 2025.</p><p>The next five episodes will be released on November 15, but Netflix has not released a trailer or episode titles yet.</p><p>The final ones will be released on an unscheduled date in 2025.</p><p>In recent years, Netflix has experimented with the split-release model, including for "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bridgerton-showrunner-backlash-fans-season-3-polin-franchael-michaela-stirling-2024-6">Bridgerton</a>" and "Stranger Things." This has helped boost the shelf-life of these series and build anticipation for the show.</p><p>But this is the first time Netflix has split a series into three parts released over the course of a year. This gamble may make it hard to keep fans engaged with the series.</p><p>The 2025 date may have been chosen to coincide with the upcoming "Karate Kid" spin-off movie, which is scheduled for next year, although this is unconfirmed.</p><p><em>Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Cobra Kai" seasons one to five.</em></p><h2 id="20cb9470-33c8-468c-b7ed-8d3ee798fefa"><strong>The final season focuses on the world karate tournament called the Sekai Taikai</strong></h2><div type="image" title="cobra kai" height="1416" width="2548" msid="111862871" hostid="261" sizebytes="56978"></div><p>In the first five seasons, "Karate Kids" original lead stars Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence return. They started rival karate dojos, fought against each other with their<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mary-mouser-living-with-diabetes-and-how-she-found-confidence-2023-1"> students</a>, and then united to form one Miyaga-Fang dojo.</p><p>In <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/how-to-watch-cobra-kai-karate-kid">season five</a>, the alliance face-off against "Karate Kid Part III" character Terry Silver, who had taken over Johnny's Cobra Kai dojo and used unethical methods to win tournaments. At the end of the season, Daniel and Johnny defeat Terry, have him arrested, and finally shut down Cobra Kai.</p><p>Daniel and Johnny now plan to train their students together so they can compete in the Sekai Taikai, the most respected karate tournament in the world.</p><p>While the Miyaga-Fang lead characters prepare for the tournament in season six, part one, Johnny and Daniel's former rival, John Kreese (Martin Kove), escapes prison and rebuilds Cobra Kai to defeat Johnny and Daniel's students.</p><p>At the end of season six, part one, the Miyaga-Fang team heads to Spain for the tournament, but one of their fighters, Tory (Peyton List), has defected back to Cobra Kai.</p><p>Fans will discover what happens next when part two drops in November.</p>

'Cobra Kai' is ending after six seasons. Here's when the final episodes will drop.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b05baa13797e91c008b51d6-2400/cobra-kai-youtube.jpg" border="0" alt="cobra kai youtube" data-mce-source="YouTube" /><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">"Cobra Kai."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>"Cobra Kai" creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald talk about how their YouTube Red hit show got off the ground.</strong></li><li><strong>It included getting multiple rights holders to agree on the project a</strong><strong>nd convincing Ralph Macchio to come back and play the role that made him a star.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />It was around the time filmmakers Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald started seeing billboards of the lovable character from "Full House," Kimmy Gibbler, around LA for the release of Netflix's "Fuller House" series that they realized an update of "The Karate Kid" could be possible.</p><p>The three grew up on the iconic 1984 movie that follows Daniel (Ralph Macchio) overcoming the constant torment of fellow high schooler Johnny (William Zabka) by learning the ways of karate through Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita).</p><p>The movie wasn't just the ultimate telling of a kid overcoming a bully, but also showed the importance of respect, hard work, and a killer 1980s soundtrack.</p><p>Hurwitz, Schlossberg, and Heald were childhood friends and stayed in touch as they began careers in Hollywood. Hurwitz and Schlossberg launched the successful "Harold &amp; Kumar Go to White Castle" franchise while Heald was the story creator and one of the screenwriters of the "Hot Tub Time Machine" franchise (the original even starred Zabka).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5aea65b819ee86bf178b47dd-735/cobra-kai-2-youtube.png" border="0" alt="cobra kai 2 youtube" data-mce-source="YouTube" /><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">William Zabka returns as Johnny in "Cobra Kai."</p></div><p></p></div></div>The idea of continuing to tell the story of the original characters from "Karate Kid" intrigued them, but with the franchise rights owned by Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment production company (which made a "Karate Kid" movie in 2010 starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan), they figured the guys behind "Harold &amp; Kumar" and "Hot Tub Time Machine" wouldn't get a fair shake to make a serious movie that looked at the original guys 30-plus years later.</p><p>But then streaming services began making original TV series and suddenly there was a new way of bringing back popular shows and movies that were beloved decades earlier.</p><p>"The changes and the evolution of TV led us to think it could work," Schlossberg told Business Insider.</p><p>Two years ago, the guys decided to ditch the movie idea and seriously go for a "Karate Kid" reboot as a TV series. The result is YouTube Red's first real hit show, "Cobra Kai," which looks at Daniel and Johnny all grown up and living with the memories of what occurred back in high school and how it's affected them.</p><p>But the path to becoming the latest hit streaming series was a gargantuan task that included wooing the multiple rights holders and gaining the trust of Macchio, who for most of his adult life has tried to distance himself from the role that made him famous.</p>

'Cobra Kai' creators explain how they turned their obsession with 'The Karate Kid' into YouTube Red's first hit show, and tease season 2

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5984938976084a11068b5732-1582/karate kid columbia pictures.jpg" border="0" alt="karate kid columbia pictures" data-mce-source="Columbia Pictures" /><p class="source"><span>Columbia Pictures</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Before starring in the YouTube hit, "Cobra Kai," Ralph Macchio said no to every idea sent to him on how to continue "The Karate Kid" franchise. </li><li>He said the worst idea he heard was when an executive wanted to do a movie where the kids of Daniel LaRusso and Rocky Balboa would team up.</li><li>"It was very off the cuff, but he said, 'Hey, what if Rocky Balboa and LaRusso had kids and they are related in some way?" Macchio told Business Insider.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Since "The Karate Kid" - which tells the story of teenager Daniel LaRusso, who defeats his bullies through the karate teachings of his sensei Mr. Miyag - opened in theaters 35 years ago and became a sensation, the star of the movie, Ralph Macchio, has been forever linked to the character.</p><p>That has meant three decades of being pitched ideas on how to continue the franchise.</p><p>Macchio starred in two sequels following the original, but since then has said no to every offer until recently when he finally reprised the role in the YouTube hit series, "Cobra Kai" (season two is currently available).</p><p>But out of all those years, what was the worst pitch he ever heard? Macchio can instantly recall it, and admits it's also his favorite.</p><p>"Everyone would come up with the pitch of, 'You have a kid, and you become the Miyagi to your kid.' Everyone thought that was the brilliant continuation," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ralph-macchio-on-why-he-agreed-to-star-in-youtube-cobra-kai-show-2019-4">Macchio told Business Insider</a>. "But an executive once came up to me and John Avildsen, the director of 'Karate Kid,' and took it a step further. It was very off the cuff, but he said, 'Hey, what if Rocky Balboa and LaRusso had kids and they are related in some way?' Because Avildsen directed 'Rocky,' so that's the connection. "</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/565614068430761a008b5890-1862/rocky looking for a shot.jpg" border="0" alt="rocky looking for a shot" data-mce-source="MGM/Netflix" /><p class="source"><span>MGM/Netflix</span></p><p class="caption">Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Macchio said the idea was never fully pitched around town, but basically the executive wanted to come up with a way to reveal that Balboa and LaRusso were related - going back to their families' lineage in Italy. And then their kids would team up to kick butt.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong></em>: <em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marvel-cinematic-universe-movies-ranked-by-worldwide-box-office-2019-4">Every Marvel Cinematic Movie, ranked by how much money they made at the worldwide box office</a></em></p><p>You can think of it as "Creed" but terrible. Though Macchio said, "This guy thought it would be a huge movie."</p><p>But the actor said the elevator pitch never grabbed him and Avildsen.</p><p>"Me and Avildsen just looked at each other and went to the guy: 'Well, you get back to us.' But inside you're like, 'How is this even possible?'" Macchio said.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cbdfcf5b14bf4022139f9ac-1200/cobra kai 2 season 2 youtube.jpg" border="0" alt="Cobra Kai 2 Season 2 YouTube" data-mce-source="YouTube" /><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">(L-R) William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence and Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso in season 2 of "Cobra Kai."</p></div><p></p></div></div>Macchio said what finally got him to agree to bring back the LaRusso character for "Cobra Kai" was that the show's creators - Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg - had come up with an idea that was fresh.</p><p>"These guys really had a very well-thought-out pitch by coming in through the eyes of Johnny Lawrence - basically turning the prism view in the universe," said Macchio, who loves how in season two the show also delves deeper into LaRusso's insecurities.</p><p>"This is really the fan's show," Macchio said of "Cobra Kai." "It's become bigger than all of us."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/game-thrones-season-8-episode-1-premiere-details-you-missed-jon-snow-2019-4">13 details you missed in the 'Game of Thrones' season 8 premiere</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/Q8bMd0k9-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

'The Karate Kid' star Ralph Macchio reveals the worst pitch he heard to continue the franchise, and it involves Rocky Balboa

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/598494454fc3c01c018b57e1-1152/karate%20kid%20columbia%20pictures.jpg" alt="karate kid columbia pictures" data-mce-source="Columbia Pictures"><p class="source"><span>Columbia Pictures</span></p><p class="caption">"The Karate Kid."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>YouTube has pulled off a major score for its subscription service, YouTube Red, and in the process has left its competitors Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu all feeling envious.<p>The site has landed the TV sequel to the classic 1984 movie, "The Karate Kid," according to <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/karate-kid-tv-sequel-starring-ralph-macchio-william-zabka-a-go-at-youtube-red-1014453" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.&#xa0;</p><p>Titled "Cobra Kai," it will be a 10-episode half-hour comedy series that features two of the stars from the movie, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. The series will debut in 2018.&#xa0;</p><p>"The Karate Kid" became a sensation in the late '80s for its look at teenager Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), who after moving to a new town begins to get picked on constantly by bully Johnny Lawrence (Zabka) and his friends - who all know karate from training at the intense Cobra Kai dojo. Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita), who uses unconventional methods to train Daniel how to do karate. The movie ends with Daniel and Johnny fighting at a karate tournament.</p><p>The series, set 30 years after that tournament, focuses on Johnny. He's down and out but reopens the dojo to seek redemption. Daniel, on the other hand, is successful but is struggling to find balance in his life since the death of Mr. Miyagi.</p><p>Josh Heald of "Hot Tub Time Machine" fame will direct most of the episodes. The series will be written by Heald and "Harold and Kumar" franchise screenwriters Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.</p><p>The series landed at YouTube after a competitive bidding war that included Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and AMC, according to THR. Macchio and Zabka, who are also executive producers on the show, were heavily involved in the pitch around Hollywood.</p><p>"The Karate Kid" adds to other original programs YouTube <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-is-producing-original-shows-with-big-name-stars-2017-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recently announced</a>, including a Kevin Hart workout show, and separate shows that look inside the lives of pop stars Katy Perry and Demi Lovato. Some of those will play on YouTube's ad-supported tier, while others will go on YouTube Red, which costs $9.99 a month.&#xa0;</p><p>Macchio starred in the two sequels that followed the original "Karate Kid" movie. Though there have been attempts to reboot the franchise in movie form over the decades with 1994's "The Next Karate Kid," starring Morita and Hilary Swank, as well as 2010's "The Karate Kid," starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, none have held a candle to the original movie. &#xa0;&#xa0;</p><p>The original also features one of the best endings in movie history. It certainly seems to be a moment that will hang over the characters at the start of the show.</p><p><strong>Watch the scene below:</strong></p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5pL6uUYdWbU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/marvel-second-trailer-for-thor-ragnarok-2017-7">Marvel dropped another trailer for 'Thor: Ragnarok' -&#xa0;and it looks incredible</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1wYmcxYzE6lvN-bJg7OECGWPPUXQ4iH-" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '1wYmcxYzE6lvN-bJg7OECGWPPUXQ4iH-',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

YouTube beat out Netflix and Amazon to snag 'The Karate Kid' TV series sequel

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b05ba491ae6624c008b4596-1440/cobra%20kai%20youtube%20red.jpg" border="0" alt="Cobra Kai YouTube Red" data-mce-source="YouTube Red"><p class="source"><span>YouTube Red</span></p><p class="caption">Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso in "Cobra Kai."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Ralph Macchio talked to Business Insider about reprising his "The Karate Kid" character, Daniel LaRusso, for the YouTube show "Cobra Kai" after years of saying "no" to playing the role.</li><li>Macchio shared the worst pitch he ever got for a "Karate Kid" sequel.</li><li>He recalled being part of one of the best young Hollywood movies ever, "The Outsiders," which also starred Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, and Diane Lane before they were huge stars.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>&#xa0;</p><p>Ralph Macchio says he's at peace with forever being known as the face of one of the movies that defined the 1980s: "The Karate Kid." But that doesn't mean he'll agree to every new idea of how to continue the franchise.</p><p>Macchio felt the Daniel LaRusso character had run its course after starring in "Karate Kid" parts 2 and 3. But he realized the hunger for the franchise would never go away, as he continued to get pitched offers over the decades. These ranged from a story arch in which the kids of LaRusso and Rocky Balboa would team up (more on that later), to being offered a cameo in the Jackie Chan/Jaden Smith 2010 reboot.</p><p>Macchio always politely declined the offers, but that changed when Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cobra-kai-creators-explain-how-they-made-the-karate-kid-show-2018-5">came to him with the idea for a show called "Cobra Kai."</a></p><p>Set in the present day, "Cobra Kai" shifts the focus from LaRusso to Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the bully who LaRusso beat at the karate tournament at the end of the first movie. The first season of the show became an instant hit for YouTube by mixing a dark comedic tone about mid-life anxieties with nostalgic glimpses from the original movie. In it, we follow Lawrence who brings back the Cobra Kai dojo while LaRusso, who is now the owner of a successful car dealership, catches on to what Lawrence is doing and tries to put a stop to it.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bfdd94810114241f9285166-1024/cobra-kai-2-youtube.png" border="0" alt="cobra kai 2 youtube" data-mce-source="YouTube"><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence in "Cobra Kai."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Now there's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-comedy-shows-on-netflix-orange-is-the-new-black-after-life-2019-4">high anticipation</a> for the launch of season two (starting Wednesday on YouTube) as a familiar face enters the Cobra Kai dojo, John Kreese (Martin Love), the man who trained Lawrence in the first movie. Meanwhile, LaRusso has decided to start the Miyagi dojo, named after his sensei Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), to combat what he believes is a negative way of doing karate that the Cobra Kai dojo promotes.<p>Business Insider chatted with Macchio about what finally sold him to come back and play LaRusso, the worst "The Karate Kid" sequel pitch he ever got, who he hung out the most on the before-they-were-stars set of "<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086066/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Outsiders,</a>" and why everyone who made "The Karate Kid" thought the title was awful.</p><p><strong>Jason Guerrasio:</strong> For years people pitched you how to continue "The Karate Kid" franchise, why did you say yes to "Cobra Kai"?</p><p><strong>Ralph Macchio:</strong> Well, the credit goes to Jon, Josh, and Hayden, the creators. These guys really had a very well thought out pitch by coming in through the eyes of Johnny Lawrence - basically turning the prism view in the universe.</p><p>And they had such passion. It was an instinct that they wanted to make a show the fans wanted to see. I have said "no" for 30 years. I was definitely the last guy to come to the party. I was the piece, arguably, that they had to get.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> Don't be humble.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> [<em>Laughs</em>.] But it was a combination of their passion, the belief that they wanted to pay respects and homage to the franchise, and they never wanted to trivialize it. They listened to the importance of the Miyagi element of the show and LaRusso's life and how that needed to be there for me to even begin to have a conversation about it.</p><p>Also the timing. Only now do we have these platforms where you can take a five-hour movie and cut it up into half-hour parts. Because that's what we did. We're making these five-hour movies, that's how we approach it. I don't think "The Karate Kid" would have been made as a movie today, I think it would have been a series on one of these platforms.&#xa0;</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> So out of all the pitches you've gotten over the years, which was the worst one?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> It's my favorite. Everyone would come up with the pitch of, "You have a kid and you become the Miyagi to your kid." Everyone thought that was the brilliant continuation. But an executive once came up to me and John Avildsen, the director of "Karate Kid," and took it a step further. It was very off the cuff but he said, "Hey, what if Rocky Balboa and LaRusso had kids and they are related in some way?" Because Avildsen directed "Rocky," so that's the connection. This guy wanted to combine "Rocky" and "Karate Kid" in some way. Taking these two major hits this guy thought it would be a huge movie. So the concept was to go back to the Balboa and LaRusso lineage in Italy and find that we were somehow related and that our kids would now team up in some way.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> Oh my god.</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> It was never pitched fully, but just the concept of someone coming up with that, it was crazy.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> Did you even entertain the idea?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> No. Me and Avildsen just looked at each other and went to the guy, "Well, you get back to us." But inside you're like, "How is this even possible?"&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> You've lived in the fandom of "The Karate Kid" almost your whole life, but was it even a shock for you when YouTube told you that over 50 million people had seen the first episode of season one?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> Um, I'll say this much, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Did it exceed expectations? Absolutely. Listen, I've walked in these shoes for 35 years, everywhere I go there's a great love for that movie and the franchise. Daniel LaRusso was that kind of character that represented the everykid. He had no business winning anything so we all felt we could be him. So I knew there was love for the movie and then the pop culture element of it elevated it - "Sweep the leg." "Put him in a body bag." But the question was would they come to the party? Would they come to the well and drink the water? And they didn't just drink the water, they came back with buckets and buckets. That's what was beyond expectations.&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cbdfcf5b14bf4022139f9ac-1200/cobra%20kai%202%20season%202%20youtube.jpg" border="0" alt="Cobra Kai 2 Season 2 YouTube" data-mce-source="YouTube"><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">(L-R) William Zabka and Ralph Macchio in season 2 of "Cobra Kai."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> What's been interesting to watch with the LaRusso character, and it's delved more in the second season, is the motives for Daniel. Does he want to be the Miyagi to a younger generation or is this just a guy going through a midlife crisis? Have layers like that been fun to explore?<p><strong>Macchio:</strong> That's part of what we discussed going into season 2 and hopefully many seasons to come. We want to keep this ball in the air and have the characters evolve as opposed to a quick one-off. It was important to have LaRusso be a little off balance and have to fill that void in his life. But in doing that you tap into what was important to him in his adolescence. He doesn't have his father, and his father figure is dead, so what seems simple is not so easy. He has the knowledge, but can he teach it? And then there's the balance of work and family, it creates some interesting hurdles for the character.&#xa0;</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong></em>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/media-transformers-list-2019-3"><em>10 people transforming the media business</em></a></p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> Has this all been a really weird time in your life? At some point years ago, you had to have pushed LaRusso aside and been ready to move on. Is it wild that it's back in your life?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> It's insane. [<em>Laughs</em>.] If you asked me 10 years ago, I would say "no way." And it's not that I buried the character, I live with him all the time. But the concept of going back, I was always "no, no, no." Why touch that again? It has such a blessed light on it. Everything happened right. Pat Morita's performance is treasured. Why would you go back and do that when everyone is trying to do that? And for the most part failing. Like when they remade the movie, I told them, "Go make your movie, I'm not going to be involved." I let that be its own thing.</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> So you were asked to be in the 2010 Jackie Chan/Jaden Smith version of "The Karate Kid"?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> They wanted me to do a cameo or something in it and I passed on that.</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> But then you get work like HBO's "The Deuce," where you are a scene stealer and nothing like Daniel LaRusso. With something like that you must have felt, "Okay, I've moved on to the next chapter in my career." Because I would suspect for years you probably didn't get cast in stuff because directors could only see LaRusso when you walked in the door.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5cbdff3ad1a2f867b13bef96-1356/the%20deuce%20hbo.jpg" border="0" alt="The Deuce HBO" data-mce-source="HBO"><p class="source"><span>HBO</span></p><p class="caption">Ralph Macchio in the HBO series, "The Deuce."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Macchio:</strong> Here's how I feel about that: yes, there is that part of it. And I'm sure there are people in the industry that see "Cobra Kai" and go, "Okay, he's doing that part that he does." But I would say it's the same character but a different person. You see him failing in lessons he should have learned by now. He's struggling as an adult. This is really the fan's show. There's so much joy and positive response from the world with this that to hold back and say, "I will only do other things, don't think of me as that anymore," that wouldn't have been right. It's become bigger than all of us. And with "The Deuce," I'm happy because my character gets to grow a little in season 3.<p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> The crazy thing about your career is before "The Karate Kid" you already had a memorable role, playing Johnny in "The Outsiders."</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> I love that movie.</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> The movie didn't just launch your career but is directed by Francis Ford Coppola with a cast that includes Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, and Diane Lane before they all got hugely famous. It's one of the best young casts ever. What was that like to experience?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> That was the dream-come-true role. I read that book when I was 12 and it was the first book I finished all by myself. It wasn't my parents forcing me to read it. This one was just a page turner. And with the Johnny character, I could relate. I was the runt of the litter, I played sports but I was never the guy you picked first, so I connected with him. So I went in, I wanted that role more than anything and I had to go through a few rounds to get it. But it's still one of my treasured roles. It's the one I will never forget. I still have 13- and 14-year-old kids coming up to me and asking me to sign the book.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55b8fed72acae7a6098baf2f-1200/the%20outsiders.jpg" border="0" alt="the outsiders" data-mce-source="Warner Brothers"><p class="source"><span>Warner Brothers</span></p><p class="caption">(L-R) Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, and Patrick Swayze on the set of "The Outsiders."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> Who did you connect with the most on set out of that cast?<p><strong>Macchio:</strong> Early on I did a lot of stuff with C. Thomas Howell. Emilio. Me and Matt Dillon really connected because we are two New Yorkers. We all stayed in contact. Rob Lowe, I did his roast a year ago and had fun ripping him apart. But everyone wanted to be close to Diane Lane because she was amazing.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> Did you audition for "Karate Kid" while filming "The Outsiders" or was it after?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> Yeah, "The Outsiders" was in theaters and "The Karate Kid" audition came right after that.&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> So you must have felt really good.</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> Yeah, I mean, I didn't know what "The Karate Kid" would be.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5984938976084a11068b5732-1582/karate%20kid%20columbia%20pictures.jpg" border="0" alt="karate kid columbia pictures" data-mce-source="Columbia Pictures"><p class="source"><span>Columbia Pictures</span></p><p class="caption">"The Karate Kid."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> But just being the lead in a movie.&#xa0;<p><strong>Macchio:</strong> Yeah, that's true. And my first reading with John Avildsen, I read it cold for the first time and he turns off the camera and said, "I can't guarantee anything but I would start taking some karate lessons." And I was like, "Wow." I'm skipping down the streets of New York. But I just kept thinking the title is so lame and if it worked I would have to carry it for the rest of my life. [<em>Laughs</em>.]&#xa0;</p><p><strong>Guerrasio:</strong> Crazy how things work out, huh?</p><p><strong>Macchio:</strong> Yeah. And it wasn't just me, a lot of people on set didn't think the title was good. Jerry Weintraub, our producer, said, "It's a terrible title which makes it a great title."</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/N3RqajyxUco" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/game-thrones-season-8-episode-1-premiere-details-you-missed-jon-snow-2019-4">13 details you missed in the 'Game of Thrones' season 8 premiere</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/Q8bMd0k9-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

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