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Geek Tyrant
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Hilary Swank Turned Down COBRA KAI and the Creators Are Still Bummed About It — GeekTyrant
Cobra Kai pulled off something few legacy sequels manage to do, reignite the heart of a beloved franchise and bring back nearly every major player from the original Karate Kid films. But, one character never made it back into the dojo… Julie Pierce, played by Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid . Now, the show's creators are opening up about how that door was closed before it ever really opened. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cobra Kai co-creator Josh Heald explained they had plans in place for Swank, but it just never came together. 'We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear]. We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something. ' It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue, where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship.' The creative team team did a great job managing to pull legacy characters back into the fold. William Zabka and Ralph Macchio were game from the beginning. Yuji Okumoto (Chozen), Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes), and Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver) all returned and got meaningful story arcs. Elisabeth Shue even came back for a key moment. So naturally, they thought Swank might be up for something similar. But that wasn't the case. 'On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy. 'She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that. She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting. 'She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment.' Still, for the creators, it's clearly a missed opportunity. They had the 'beginnings of a genesis of an idea' for Julie Pierce and were eager to see how she could've fit into the larger Miyagi-verse. But they never got to pitch it. For fans holding out hope, all might not be lost. The creators are already developing spinoffs and have hinted there's more story left to tell in the world Mr. Miyagi built. So who knows? Maybe Julie's moment could still come, just not in the way we expected.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Cobra Kai' creators say it was 'disappointing' Hilary Swank turned down an offer to return
The creators of Netflix's Cobra Kai managed to pack in an impressive amount of Karate Kid Easter eggs in the show's final season, but there was one major callback they weren't able to make happen: an appearance from The Next Karate Kid's Julie Pierce, played in the 1994 film by future Oscar winner Hilary Swank. It wasn't for lack of trying. Knowing how much fans wanted Julie to show up — and being huge fans of the Karate Kid franchise themselves — Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Huwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg began outreach to Swank's representatives in the lead-up to the show's sixth and final season. "We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear]," explains Heald. "We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something. It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue, where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship." Armed with what Heald calls "the beginnings of a genesis of an idea," he, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg reached out to Swank's team "to find out if we could have a discussion with her about it and introduce ourselves." That approach has worked before, not only on Oscar nominee Shue, who reprised her role as Ali — who dumped Johnny (William Zabka) for Daniel (Ralph Macchio) in the original Karate Kid — in Cobra Kai season 3. Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg also brought back Yuji Okumoto (Karate Kid Part II antagonist Chozen Toguchi), Sean Kanan (Karate Kid Part III villain Mike Barnes), Thomas Ian Griffith (Part III's big bad, Terry Silver), Robyn Lively (whose Jessica from KKIII turned out to be the cousin of Daniel's wife, Amanda, played by Courteney Henggeler!), and many more. Unfortunately, the conversation with Swank never happened. "On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy," Heald says. "She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that. She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting. She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment." But Cobra Kai never dies — and neither do the creators' hopes about a possible visit from Julie Pierce in a future Miyagi-verse project someday. (The trio is already at work on potential Cobra Kai spinoffs.) "It's a big piece of the Miyagi-verse that's still out there," says Heald. "For us, it was a little disappointing because we like getting everybody, but at the same time, we didn't sacrifice any huge story that we had fully developed. It's more fruit on the vine for if we can revisit this universe going forward." Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Business Upturn
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Is Cobra Kai season 7 happening? Everything we know so far
Cobra Kai has captivated audiences with its nostalgic blend of The Karate Kid legacy, intense martial arts action, and compelling character arcs. With the sixth and final season concluding in February 2025, fans are buzzing with questions: Will there be a Cobra Kai Season 7? What could the plot entail, and who might return? In this article, we dive into the latest updates, speculate on possibilities, and explore the future of the Miyagiverse. Is Cobra Kai Season 7 Happening? Advertisement Unfortunately, Cobra Kai Season 7 is not happening. The creators—Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg—confirmed in January 2023 that Season 6 would be the final chapter of the series. Why Did Cobra Kai End After Season 6? The decision to conclude Cobra Kai after six seasons was driven by the showrunners' vision to wrap up the storylines of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), and their students. Season 6 tied up major arcs, with Johnny and Daniel's rivalry evolving into a partnership, and key characters like Miguel, Sam, Robby, and Tory moving on to new chapters post-graduation. The season's focus on the Sekai Taikai, a global karate tournament, provided an epic stage for the final battles, culminating in dramatic events like Kwon's accidental death during a brawl. The creators felt this was the natural endpoint, delivering closure while honoring the Karate Kid legacy. However, the Miyagiverse remains vibrant. The upcoming film Karate Kid: Legends (set for release on May 30, 2025), starring Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, will expand the universe, though it may not share continuity with Cobra Kai.
