The creators of Cobra Kai – Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg – have created a such a rich and entertaining world within the Karate Kid universe, bringing back tons of characters from the films and weaving together this incredibly interesting and cohesive world. This fifth season was no different, and it felt like many of the characters were breaking new ground in their development and stories, with the background of karate being pushed to the max once again.
Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg recently sat down with Variety to talk about the end of the season and what’s coming next, as well as their upcoming Ferris Bueller spinoff that is in the works.
But before I move ahead, this interview is full of spoilers, so if you haven’t finished Season 5 yet, here’s your warning not to read ahead.
When asked about the International Karate Tournament we learned about the season called the Sekai Taikai, Schlossberg said:
We grew up loving the “Rocky” movies. There’s that original “Rocky” and then there’s Mr. T in “Rocky III.” Once it gets to that craziness, how do you top it? Well, you get Russia and America and Drago. All these kids are gaining in skill in terms of karate power, so you have to create a new obstacle for them to deal with. It felt like in the real world, that’s what would happen. If you’re the best around in karate, what are you going to do? Maybe there’s something beyond just your local area.
Hurwitz said of the upcoming story:
We have more story to tell; we’re still figuring out the specifics of that. We’re in the midst of filming another series that we created and are showrunning called “Obliterated” for Netflix, which is another passion project of ours. The three of us have been friends since we were teenagers. When we’re making a show, we live together because it’s just easier to keep working at night. After a long day shooting “Obliterated,” the talk turns to “Cobra Kai” very frequently. There’s plenty in store, lots of thoughts going forward. There’s a lot we want to do with these characters and we’re giddy about that next step.
When asked if the newly escaped Kreese will be the main antagonist in Season 6, Schlossberg said:
We liked the idea that for a lot of the characters it feels like, “We did it. It’s over. Cobra Kai is done.” Meanwhile, there’s the ultimate Cobra Kai snake out there that is really pissed off at everybody right now. We’ll see if life goes on easy in Season 6, or if Kreese has something to say. Something tells me that it’s going to be the latter.
When asked about the trio’s upcoming spinoff series based on the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Hurwitz explained:
We are children of the ’80s. When we talk about the seminal movie experiences of our lives, there’s a five-year period from ’83 to ’88, where a lot of those movies fall for us. “Ferris Bueller” was such a moment in our lives. We love side journeys. In “Ferris Bueller,” there’s this great wish fulfillment happening with these two valets, who take this amazing Ferrari on the ultimate joyride. We only get a couple of glimpses of them leaving, cresting a giant hill, taking the car airborne and then returning it. What’s going on in their lives? They seem to be living a very different experience than Ferris, who lives in the the ultimate suburbia. What may have led to them needing that car, wanting that car and taking it? When you begin to unravel all the threads, it sparked a lot of ideas. We’re excited to tell a very different story that takes place in Chicago on that day that’s not trying to retread “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” It is only trying to add to it; we’re not trying to shove nostalgia down anyone’s throats. We love and respect movies that everyone talks about being untouchable, and this isn’t looking to touch or mess with “Ferris Bueller” in any way.
Heald added:
We’re not interested in remaking something. We love it so much, we want to explore it more. The similarity with “Cobra Kai,” it started with a point-of-view that you haven’t seen. In “Karate Kid,” what if you were in Johnny’s shoes? It makes you look back at “The Karate Kid” in a fun, different way. It keeps that movie alive in a different way. If things work out with this, it would be similar.
When asked if any familiar faces or songs might appear from the original 1986 movie, Hurwitz responded:
We don’t want to spoil anything that’s going to happen, but needless to say, it’s taking place the same day as Ferris’ day off. They’re in Chicago, they’ve crossed paths on their journey. Some of the iconic set pieces or locations that we saw through Ferris’ eyes, perhaps we’ll get to see through the eyes of other characters.
I can’t wait to see where Cobra Kai goes next season, and I look forward to seeing how this team will play with the Ferris Bueller story and universe. Cobra Kai Seasons 1-5 are available to watch now on Netflix.