Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
STARS ON SCREEN
Strike first: According to Karate Kid franchise villain John Kreese (Martin Kove), “Cobra Kai never dies” — and fans of the Netflix revival have been hoping that the mantra applies to their beloved show, too.
Well, in a case of good news/ bad news, Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” will return for a sixth season on the streamer — but it will be its last.
Series creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg announced the renewal and pending ending in a letter to the fans that was shared by Netflix (and “written” on an All-Valley Karate Championships letterhead).
After paying tribute to the Miyagiverse and Karate Kid fandom, the three stated, “our Day 1 goal with ‘Cobra Kai’ has always been to end it on our terms, leaving the Valley in the time and place we’ve always imagined. So, it is with immense pride and thankfulness that we are able to announce that achievement. The upcoming Season Six will mark the conclusion of Cobra Kai.”
They went on to tout Season 6 as the “BIGGEST SEASON OF COBRA KAI YET” (yes, in all caps) and Deadline is reporting that production is set to begin in late spring.
“Cobra Kai” is set 30 years after the events chronicled in the 1984 film “The Karate Kid,” which launched a franchise that now includes multiple films. The Netflix series centers on original franchise stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, whose characters — Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and Zabka as Johnny Lawrence — have alternated between underdogturned-hero and wounded bully (and occasionally allies) throughout the series’ run, as their conflict spilled over into their family and professional lives.
We’ve seen a few familiar faces reprise their movie roles in “Cobra Kai,” including Elisabeth Shue from the first film and Yuji Okumoto from “The Karate Kid Part II” (1986). So will Hilary Swank, a.k.a. Julie Pierce in “The Next Karate Kid” (1994), make an appearance in the final season of “Cobra Kai”? Neither the actress nor the creators have publicly commented on this possibility, so fans will have to wait and see.
Rami’s Buster: His last TV role, “Mr. Robot,” earned Rami Malek an Emmy for his performance, so it’s not hard to imagine the Oscar winner (for 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”) returning to that medium sometime soon.
And according to Deadline, Malek might already have a role in mind — that of silent film star Buster Keaton.
The trade publication broke the news that a limited series about the Hollywood legend was in development over at Warner Bros. Television, and that Malek would potentially portray the actor known for his physical comedy and deadpan expression.
The story generated a flurry of headlines, but it’s important to note that this project is still in the early stages: it’s being shopped around to networks and streamers, and at the time of writing, Emmy-winning writer Ted Cohen (“Succession”) was reportedly in negotiations to board the project. Negotiations were also underway to secure the rights to James Curtis’ “Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker’s Life” as the source material.
The project hails from 6th & Idaho Productions, which was launched by “The Batman” (2022) director Matt Reeves and has an overall deal at Warner Bros., where Reeves is also developing the Colin Farrell-led series “The Penguin.”
As for its subject, Keaton was a vaudeville star who made the leap to silent films. He appeared in and produced a number of two-reel comedies before moving on to feature films such as “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928), which produced the classic image of him surviving a falling house facade thanks to an open window.
‘Forgive and Forget’: You wouldn’t expect Alzheimer’s disease to be fodder for comedy, though some comedians have been praised for using humor as a way of easing the strain of a loved one’s diagnosis. But the risk of backlash is always there.
It seems the key is to approach the situation with sensitivity and take aim at relatable moments of lightness and levity. This is what a new family comedy hopes to do successfully — that, plus destigmatize a disease currently afflicting more than six million Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The new series is called “Forgive and Forget.” It is a collaboration between Eugene GarciaCross (“The Santa Clauses”), Robin Shorr (“Punky Brewster”) and “Modern Family” star Ty Burrell, whose Desert Whale Production company focuses on comedies from underrepresented voices.
Described as a multi-camera comedy, “Forgive and Forget” centers on the character of Ben Flemings, who is forced to take in his “life-of-the-party” father when he is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Any sense of conflict seems to stem from the fact that they have conflicting personalities, as Ben must come to terms with the fact that he’s “forced to take in the one man he’s worked his whole life not to become” (as it’s been widely reported).