The Karate Kiduniverse is about to go global.
Itsthe biggest, most dangerous(and totally fictional) karate tournament on the planet, the Sekai Taikai.
We talked about what its like getting closer to the end.
Team Miyagi-Do gets ready for the world’s biggest karate tournament on Cobra Kai.Image: Netflix
We also talked about how they felt being instrumental in, somehow,makingThe Karate Kidcool again.
Read about all that, and a whole lot more, below.
For now though, everything that follows is spoiler-free.
The teams of the Sekai Taikai. Image: Netflix
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
We wanted it to feel different.
We wanted there to be different combinations.
Rayna Vallandingham as Zara inCobra Kai. Image: Netflix
We didnt want it just to be straight-up one-on-one fighting.
This is a character-driven show.
So it was thinking about whats going on with the characters.
Image: Netflix
Different individual drama going on between the characters like with Demetri and Hawk, that kind of thing.
An added level of intensity.
We love the idea of it not just being Cobra Kai versus Miyagi-do.
That was the other big thing for us.
There was a lot of a lot of very meticulous planning and discussions about each and every event.
I know its been there before but it seems to hit harder at the Sekai Taikai.
Whats the story behind having a hawk noise play when Hawk is fighting?
Hurwitz:That started in season one, right?
Josh Heald:Yeah.
Hayden Schlossberg:I thought that was an editor thing.
Heald:It was.
Schlossberg:It was never written into a script.
Heald:I think it was when he showed his tattoo for the first time you got that sound.
Is there any world where we build to a situation where you might fit in Youre the Best?
Heald:Theres always a possibility.
So, that thats a possibility.
And there are other possibilities.
And, you know, while were sunsetting this series, we hope were not sunsetting the universe.
We have a lot of plans for how were continuing that.
io9: I was gonna end with that but Josh you brought it up.
Any updates on how you might continue theKarate Kiduniverse in the future?
Schlossberg:Yeah, its awesome to see Ralph Macchio on the movie poster.
Were fans of the 80s and to give life to this world is exciting.
Give me your final best tease of how you feel about the final five and what people can expect.
We are enormously proud of what we pulled off in the final five.
It is going to deliver upon every cliffhanger that weve set up.
And it is going to go to some places that you dont expect.
Ill just say prepare yourselves.
Because youre gonna want to watch all five probably in one sitting.
Its gonna be hard to put down.
Its out November 15 on Netflix.
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