10 Movie Spinoffs You Didn't Know Were Coming

7. The Karate Kid Spinoff

Tom Cruise Les Grossman Tropic Thunder
Netflix

This one is a true headscratcher.

Following the rampant success of Netflix's return to the Karate Kid universe with goofy martial arts comedy Cobra Kai, fans may have expected a full-length film featuring the adult versions of Danny LeRusso and Johnny Lawrence, possibly as a conclusion to the hit series.

It is therefore confounding as to why there are plans to develop a flick that's wholly unconnected to Cobra Kai - and the characters who make up the Karate Kid universe - that has been described "as the return of the original Karate Kid franchise." In addition to this statement making very little sense (how can the original franchise return without the original characters?) the abysmal 2010 attempt at re-imagining the classic original was derided by critics, indicating that reboots which step away from the beloved core premise and cast have a tendency to crash and burn in spectacular fashion.

One could argue that the entire Karate Kid franchise serves as a case study in when to let a story die an organic death. The positive reviews and cult following that the 1984 outing garnered fell off with every subsequent release until Cobra Kai's first season debuted in 2018. Is another installment in this drained cinematic universe really necessary?

Contributor

Law graduate with a newly rediscovered passion for writing, mad about film, television, gaming and MMA. Can usually be found having some delightful manner of violence being inflicted upon him or playing with his golden retriever.