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​New 'Karate Kid' Spin-Off Series 'Cobra Kai' Drops Trailer

​New 'Karate Kid' Spin-Off Series 'Cobra Kai' Drops Trailer

By the looks of things, this time round we're rooting for the bad guy - the now older, slightly world-weary bad guy

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

The trailer for the new Karate Kid spin-off series, Cobra Kai, has finally arrived - and it's looking suitably epic. Genuinely.

The first Karate Kid film came out way back in 1984, before it was followed up by parts two and three in 1986 and 1989, as well as The Next Karate Kid in 1994. Then, of course, not forgetting the 2010 reboot with wee Jayden Smith as the titular warrior.

The franchise hasn't been scared to string the story out - that's for sure - and yet there's something particularly attractive about this spin-off, largely because by the looks of things, this time round we're rooting for the bad guy.

The trailer begins by taking us back to 1984 to re-introduce the beef between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Jonny Lawrence (Billy Zabka) - showing us the legendary scene where LaRusso smacks his rival slap bang in the face using the crane kick, despite having hobbled his way through the fight with a serious knee injury.

via GIPHY

Fast forward over 30 years and LaRusso leads an enviable life as a family man who lives in an affluent area and runs a successful string of car dealerships.

Unfortunately, life hasn't been so kind to his former rival.

"Meanwhile, his high school adversary, Johnny Lawrence, whose life has taken a rocky turn, seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo," the series synopsis tells us.

YouTube Red

"Their lives inevitably become intertwined and the rivalry is reignited, setting forth the next generation of 'karate kids' in Cobra Kai, a YouTube Red Original Series."

That's right, the famous Cobra Kai dojo lives on - and, unlike previous sequels and remakes, with this ride we're getting mid-life crises and dad bods.

Plus, the fact that LaRusso comes across as a bit of a smug douchebag while his opponent becomes a bit more of a likeable protagonist is all the more interesting.

YouTube Red

After the trailer was released on YouTube, fans seemed to be on board instantly.

One person wrote: "This is Johnny Lawrence's comeback story. Man he is just awesome in this trailer."

Another enthused: "Watched this 20x already! Looks SO GOOD!!!"

Another said: "This looks epic this is going to be a journey for Daniel and Johnny. Daniel needs to understand that Cobra Kai is only dangerous if the sensei is teaching violence, but in this series it looks like Johnny is trying to help kids who don't know where they belong in the world and this will give him a new purpose in his life."

One fan noted the change in character dynamics, saying: "I think I like Johnny better now."

Produced by Overbrook Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television, the series has been written and executively produced by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.

It debuts at the Tribeca Film Festival on 24 April, before premiering on YouTube Red on 2 May.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube Red

Topics: TV and Film, Movie