16-Year-Old Reboot of a Classic 1980s Action Franchise Becomes a Top 10 Netflix Success (& What’s Next?)

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The 1980s gave us many popular franchises that are still well-known today, and The Karate Kid is one of the most successful. The original movie was a critical and commercial hit, even earning an Oscar nomination for Pat Morita. Its success led to several sequels, merchandise, and video games. The Karate Kid has remained a popular brand for decades, continuing with new installments even now. Before the Cobra Kai TV series, a film starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith aimed to introduce a new generation to the story. It was a big hit in theaters and continues to be popular on streaming services.

From March 2nd to March 8th, 2010’s The Karate Kid ranked ninth worldwide on Netflix. It was viewed 2.7 million times and watched for a total of 6.2 million hours, just ahead of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. This marked the film’s first week in the Netflix top 10. Currently, The Karate Kid is available for streaming on Netflix in some countries, while viewers in the United States can rent or buy it on platforms like Apple and Amazon.

What’s Next for the Karate Kid Franchise?

2025 was a busy year for The Karate Kid franchise. The final season of the popular series Cobra Kai debuted on Netflix, and a new movie, Karate Kid: Legends, was released in theaters. Legends was unique because it combined elements from the original films with the Cobra Kai reboot, bringing back Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han to mentor a talented young martial artist. Despite following the success of Cobra Kai Season 2, the film received mixed reactions from critics (scoring 57% on Rotten Tomatoes) and earned $117 million worldwide – considerably less than the $359.1 million made by the 2010 Karate Kid reboot.

It seems the creators of Karate Kid: Legends originally planned it as the beginning of a new series, with Li Fong taking over as the lead character. However, because the movie wasn’t well-received by critics or audiences, those plans are now uncertain. A year after its release, there’s been no announcement of a sequel. While things could still change, the studio might not want to invest in another Karate Kid film. Though the $45 million budget wasn’t a complete disaster, Sony likely hoped for a bigger return than the $117 million the movie ultimately earned worldwide.

Now that Cobra Kai has finished its run, fans of The Karate Kid are wondering what’s next. While the height of the streaming boom may be over, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the franchise continue with a new show, possibly a Cobra Kai spin-off focusing on a popular character. Cobra Kai was a huge success for Netflix, and the studio is likely looking for ways to keep the story going, even if it doesn’t involve Ralph Macchio or William Zabka – perhaps by exploring the journeys of their students.

It’s possible the Karate Kid series will pause for a while. Cobra Kai finished its story well, giving fans a great ending and establishing itself as a fantastic continuation of the original. Rushing into a follow-up now could damage what made Cobra Kai so good. Not every story needs to be stretched on endlessly; sometimes, it’s best to let a story end. While Karate Kid won’t likely stay dormant forever, the studio should be patient and develop a truly compelling idea before revisiting the franchise, especially since the most recent movie didn’t quite live up to expectations.

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2026-03-14 16:40