Getty Ralph Macchio is photographed at 'The IMDb Show' in 2019.
The Karate Kid franchise, which consists of five films, and the acclaimed series Cobra Kai, is continuing to expand. Fans of the franchise can expect a Karate Kid musical to be released in the near future.
Ralph Macchio Recently Shared His Opinion on the Project
Getty Ralph Macchio is photographed at ‘The IMDb Show’ in 2019.
During a January interview on The Talk, Ralph Macchio, who famously plays Daniel LaRusso, shared his opinion on the upcoming production. While being interviewed, one of the show’s co-hosts, Amanda Kloots, revealed that her late husband, Broadway performer, Nick Cordero, had been involved in the musical during its early stages. She stated that Cordero ”raved about” it and asked Macchio if he would “be up for a cameo.”
Macchio responded by saying that he was aware that Kloots’ husband had been “part of the early reading” for the musical. The actor also noted that “Robert Mark Kamen, who wrote the film, has done the book.” He then disclosed that he “heard it’s fantastic,” but he has not “seen it yet,” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I know it’s been on pause right now with everything else with theater, but all the intentions are to get it back up and on Broadway and that would just be more icing on this amazing cake that the Karate Kid universe has brought to the world,” asserted the actor.
Robert Mark Kamen Has Also Discussed the Musical
YouTubeJohnny (William Zabka) and Daniel (Ralph Macchio) face off in the final scene of “The Karate Kid.”
In January 2020, Deadline revealed that Robert Mark Kamen released a statement about writing a Broadway adaptation based on a film he penned over three decades ago.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think this little movie would reach across generations the way it has. And beyond my wildest dreams did I think what started out as a love letter to my devotion to Okinawan Karate and the man who taught me would become a full-blown Broadway musical. But here it is. Here I am. And here is hoping that what comes to the stage brings the same joy and relevance The Karate Kid has brought to countless kids and their parents for the past 35 years,” read the statement.
In a recent live stream that was uploaded on the Cobra Kai Theories YouTube channel, Kamen revealed how the pandemic has impacted the musical’s production.
“I wrote the book and we have everything. It’s just that the theater’s closed. We were scheduled to be in out of towns at this time but everything was closed. So it will be put off a year and now Daniel and Mr. Miyagi will be singing and dancing and doing the crane kick,” said Kamen.
He went on to say that he did not find it difficult to write the musical’s book because “Mr. Miyagi is always in [his] head.”
“He’s in everybody’s head.The Karate Kid is really about it’s about the relationship but it’s really about Mr. Miyagi. He is the heart and soul of The Karate Kid. So he in a sense never really leaves me,” explained the writer.
During the interview, Kamen also gave Cobra Kai rave reviews. In particular, he complimented how the show’s creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg have expertly used his source material.
“What these three guys have done is pretty amazing. They’ve been very true to the three films. Very true. And yet they have used them in original ways,” said Kamen.
READ NEXT: Cobra Kai Stars Weigh In on if Aisha Will Be In Season 4