The Karate Kid is returning to theaters for a special one-night-only event. Not only that, but these special screenings will also include the premiere of the first two episodes of the new Karate Kid series, Cobra Kai. So those who have been excited about seeing the return of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence will want to mark this down on their calendars. The event is scheduled to take place on April 25 and will screen at nearly 700 theaters across the nation.
Fathom Events and YouTube are teaming up for the event, as YouTube Red is set to debut Cobra Kai on May 2. Fathom Events regularly hosts special events such as this and the company is co-owned by AMC Entertainment, Cinemark Holdings and Regal Entertainment Group, several of the largest theater chains in the world. The special Karate Kid screenings will take place at 7 p.m. local time, with tickets for the event scheduled to go on sale March 23. So if you're feeling eager to check out the first two episodes of Cobra Kai, or if you just want to see The Karate Kid in theaters, or both, then be sure to grab your tickets asap.
It was announced last August that Ralph Macchio and William Zabka were reuniting on screen for the Cobra Kai series. The comedic take on The Karate Kid franchise was subject to a major bidding with, with Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and AMC all throwing their hats in the ring before YouTube Red emerged victorious. The series sees Johnny Lawrence re-open the famed Cobra Kai dojo, which winds up reigniting the rivalry between he and Daniel LaRusso. Cobra Kai will make its worldwide debut at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 24, just one day ahead of these special Fathom Events screenings.
As far as 80s movies go, The Karate Kid is certainly up there in terms of longevity and iconic status. The movie spawned three sequels. The first two, The Karate Kid Part II and The Karate Kid Part III, still features some of the original cast members. However, The Next Karate Kid was starred Hilary Swank in the lead role. The original movie was given the remake treatment in 2010, which starred Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. All told, The Karate Kid franchise has grossed $619 million worldwide.
YouTube recently released the full-length trailer for Cobra Kai, after releasing a string of brief teasers in order to drum up excitement for the series. At the present time, the release strategy for the series hasn't yet been made clear. Will it be like Netflix where all of the episodes from the first season will be made available at once? Or will it be more like Hulu, where we get a new episode once a week? In any case, if you want to get in on the fun early, you'll want to check out this one-night-only Karate Kid event. This news comes to us courtesy of Variety.