NEED TO KNOW
Karate Kid can live forever — at least according to Ralph Macchio, if it gets a “reset.”
Macchio, 64, spoke to PEOPLE about his hopes for the future of Karate Kid at the 24 Hour Plays Annual Gala on Dec. 12 in Brooklyn, NY.
When asked about the future of the Karate Kid franchise, Macchio says, “There’s been discussions.”
“I think there came between the series and the movie with Jackie Chan all that colliding the same time. I just think there needs to be a reset. Finding the perfect way to launch, because the fan base — it’s never gone away. It hasn’t gone away since 1984. But, you want to service and be organic and be true to the integrity of the characters. So that’s always a challenge once you are on the long game.”
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However, he shares that there is “nothing set in discussions all the time.”
“Me and the guys who write that show and other actors involved, we’re all open to communicating. But something isn’t coming tomorrow. I don’t have that secret yet, but maybe we do a few other things. And Cobra Kai never dies. Karate Kid lives forever.”
The 24 Hour Plays Annual Gala is a charity event that features actors racing against the clock to write, rehearse and perform new plays in 24 hours. Proceeds from the event support its non-profit activities throughout the year, including education programming with students from middle school to college, professional development for emerging artists through The 24 Hour Plays: Nationals, and its partner productions worldwide.
Courtesy of Netflix
After Kobra Kai, Macchio was happy to take part in the 24-hour challenge of rehearsing and performing in the play.
“I’m feeling great. I’m not gonna necessarily say it’s a bucket lister, but I’d like to challenge myself. Coming off of the last seven years of what I’ve had with the Cobra Kai series and the Karate Legends movie and all that high-end kind of stuff, it was just like, let’s get my hands dirty and let’s cross over without a net. That’s how it felt. But a lot of love in the room and live theater and not everything’s perfect, but it was perfect for that moment.”
