Since the advent of OTT platforms and other streaming services, directors are increasingly minting out notable series or shows across all genres and do not want to limit their cinematic vision to being only released in theaters. One of the first to achieve this was Marvel TV Studios, which produced hit shows like Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter that aired on the ABC channel and dominated TV screens and movie theaters alike.
Following in the footsteps of Marvel Studios, even the makers of Cobra Cai conceived a fully functional idea for Jaden Smith’s The Karate Kid movie, creating a unique and distinct universe of their own. While the plan may seem like a great idea to some, had it received the go-ahead, it would have disastrously backfired.
Cobra Kai’s failed plan for Jaden Smith’s hit 2010 The Karate Kid movie
With series developing distinct storylines and plots under the same name, sequels, and reboots have elevated the modern era of film and television to entirely new heights. Additionally, it makes a good profit at the box office because the audience has previously seen and enjoyed the first one, so they are confident in the quality. When the Cobra Kai creators wanted the TV universe and The Karate Kid movie to coexist, this is exactly what they had in mind.
The folks behind Cobra Kai Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg’s ideal project were to make Cobra Kai, a Karate Kid movie. The Hollywood Reporter stated that they would have gone more deeply into the history and life of Johnny Lawrence for this project. But business concerns kept it from ever being considered, so they pursued an episodic series based on it instead.
However, acquiring the legal rights for the same was not a simple task, as the film was produced by Overbook Entertainment, which was led by Will Smith. Hurwitz disclosed this in a Business Insider (via Looper) interview and added
We went into that meeting thinking that we would say to him you can still have the movie universe and if Jaden wants to do another Karate Kid feature you can still do that, but like Marvel, there’s now a TV show and the movies
The glorious ambition for the Cobra Kai movie did not pan out; maybe it was for the best. Noting the After Earth box office failure, the 2010 successful film was one of the few good roles that Jaden Smith has played in his acting career.
As such, there’s no guarantee that the film would have worked any magic on screen, let alone that the audience would have enjoyed Jaden Smith’s involvement in the movie, damaging the popularity of the beloved The Karate Kid movie.
Jaden Smith struggled to maintain a successful acting career after The Karate Kid
There are benefits and drawbacks to coming from a family where both parents are successful actors. Son of Hollywood star Will Smith, the industry as well as the audience had high hopes when they spotted the young Jaden Smith in The Karate Kid. However, after that, there was not much to be seen of the actor on the big screen.
He made his Hollywood debut with The Pursuit of Happiness and also received an award for breakthrough performance at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. Just after two years of this, he starred in The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, the movie crashed at the box office quite badly, with critics and viewers criticizing his performance. Subsequently, the After Earth fiasco resulted in a $130 million domestic revenue shortfall.
While the actor failed to make a name in the acting business, he’s also a rapper and has featured with some high-profile artists over the years, namely Young Thug and Justin Bieber. Other than that, though, the actor maintains a low profile, with little information available about his whereabouts and everyday life.
Cobra Kai currently streaming on Netflix
