Каратэ-пацан trilogy is heading to Hulu. The first three installments in the fan-favorite martial arts franchise will be added to the streaming service at the top of next month.
Beginning April 1, the John G. Avildsen-directed Каратэ-пацан (1984) as well as its first two sequels — 1986’s Часть II карате-малыша и 1989 автора Малыш каратэ, часть III — will be available to stream on Hulu. Оригинальный Каратэ Кид film was a major cultural phenomenon in the United States when it was released in 1984, with audiences resonating with the story of teenager Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who is taught karate by Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) to help defend himself and compete in a karate tournament against his bullies. Каратэ-пацан is considered a sleeper hit, grossing over $130 million worldwide against a production budget of $8 million.
The success of the movie led to Часть II карате-малыша и Малыш каратэ, часть III, both of which featured Macchio and Morito as Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Miyagi, respectively, while adding new characters like Chozen Toguchi and Terrence Silver, played by Yuji Okumoto and Thomas Ian Griffith, respectively. Macchio did not return for the 1994 sequel, Следующая Каратэ-пацан, with Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce stepping into the role of lead protagonist. Despite the character change, Morita still returned as beloved sensei Mr. Miyagi for the fourth Каратэ Кид, which would ultimately be his final time playing the role before his death in 2005.
Cobra Kai Reinvigorated Interest in the Karate Kid Franchise
Sixteen years after the release of Следующая Каратэ-пацан, Sony released Каратэ-пацан in 2010, a loose remake of the original movie with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in leading roles. Despite the title, the 2010 remake saw Chan’s Mr. Han teaching Smith’s Dre Parker how to master kung fu. Despite grossing over $350 million worldwide, a sequel to Каратэ-пацан stalled out, leading to the franchise being put back on ice until 2018, when Кобра Кай premiered to positive reviews.
Кобра Кай reexamines the original 1984 from the point of view of Daniel’s bully, Johnny Lawrence (Billy Zabkra), picking up with him 34 years after the events of Каратэ-пацан as he decides to reopen the Cobra Kai karate dojo, which rekindles his old rivalry with Daniel. All six seasons of Кобра Кай received critical acclaim, with the third season in particular receiving a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
Успех Кобра Кай led Sony to greenlight a new theatrical film, Карате Кид: Легенды, which will retroactively establish the 2010 remake as existing within the Miyagiverse — a term coined by the Кобра Кай creators to refer to any project in Каратэ-пацан franchise that featured Morita’s Mr. Miyagi. Легенды director Jonathan Entwistle explained in December 2024 how the upcoming movie seamlessly merges the 2010 remake into the original film continuity, sharing, «Without giving too much away, I can say that Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi are the connection to Daniel. The Han family and the Miyagi family are connected all the way back to the old times. And there is a mention of this within the Каратэ Кид movie canon for those people who want to go looking for it.»
Оригинальный Каратэ-пацан trilogy arrives on Hulu on April 1, ahead of Карате Кид: Легенды‘ release in theaters on May 30.
