Cobra Kai’s Original Trailer Pitch Revealed: You Won’t Believe What They Showed!

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Although the physical location of the original Karate Kid setting may have shut down last month, the tale of the franchise isn’t completely finished yet. Apart from this year’s release, “Karate Kid: Legends,” hints of potential spinoffs stemming from “Cobra Kai” have been dropping. As fans eagerly await further updates on that front, the mastermind behind the series, Jon Hurwitz, has offered a sneak peek into the origins of the Cobra Kai journey by unveiling the phony trailer for the show that was crafted to persuade YouTube to greenlight it.

On X/Twitter, Hurwitz shared insights about the challenging task of explaining the necessity for a fresh Karate Kid series, seven years following the 2010 remake film and decades since the final Ralph Macchio-led movie. In his words:

[Hurwitz’s Words] -> He discussed the daunting prospect of articulating why another Karate Kid series was required, seven years after the 2010 reboot movie and decades past the last film featuring Ralph Macchio.

2017 found me grappling with an intriguing challenge: conveying the unique essence of Cobra Kai to Hollywood executives. A polished pitch and the presence of Ralph Macchio and William Zabka during meetings certainly helped, but our show’s tone was so distinctive that I felt it necessary to demonstrate how the story and ambiance of Cobra Kai could captivate potential streaming platforms.

Instead of directly producing the show ourselves, achieving our goal proved challenging as perfection was unattainable. However, with the assistance of our exceptionally skillful editor companion JeffYorkes, we pieced together footage from Ralph and Billy’s previous projects, incorporated other visual elements that enhanced our narrative, and played Thunderstruck in the background. We presented this teaser reel during every pitch meeting to establish a specific mood. Now, for the first time ever, I’m sharing it online!

‘Cobra Kai’ Had to Wait Until Season 6 to Pay Off on the Trailer’s Musical Choices

It’s clear that securing approval for a show can be a lengthy and tedious ordeal, and Hurwitz suggested that Cobra Kai made the rounds at multiple streaming platforms such as Netflix, before ultimately finding a home with YouTube.

For every potential buyer we approached, we customized the pitch slightly. For instance, when discussing with Netflix, we highlighted their platform, while for YouTube, we emphasized their own service, and similarly for Hulu. This way, we tailored our approach to each individual company.

Ultimately, the series transitioned to Netflix after leaving YouTube Red, and went on to produce several stellar seasons before ending in Season 6. Interestingly, one element from the trailer that creator Hurwitz had to wait until the final season to resolve, even with the show’s ongoing success.

After repeatedly watching the trailer for Thunderstruck, we developed an intense fascination with the song. We wanted to incorporate it into our show but its high cost made that impossible. So, in season 2, Johnny casually referenced it as a subtle nod when promoting the dojo. For season 6, we were determined to use the song during the scenes where Johnny and Miguel reclaimed Cobra Kai. To make this happen, we carefully managed our budget in other areas.” I’m really glad we eventually got to include it!

Presently, the storyline of “Cobra Kai” has generally wrapped up, and attention is shifting towards the future of the “Karate Kid” series, with the upcoming release of “Karate Kid: Legends” in May 2025. This film will reunite Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, who were both part of the 2010 remake. In theaters on May 30, 2025, “Karate Kid: Legends” marks a fresh chapter for the “Karate Kid” franchise.

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2025-03-01 22:34