While the first two seasons of The Karate Kid revival series Cobra Kai are confirmed to arrive on Netflix Aug. 28, a release date for a third season has not yet been announced. That said, fans shouldn't expect it to be delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Serie co-creator and executive producer Josh Heald clarified that production on the third season has been completed for months, with principal photography wrapping before the end of 2019. Furthermore, post-production for the season wrapped just as the pandemic spread into the United States, with a small celebration taking place just before the entertainment industry went into lockdown.
"Thankfully with Season 3, we wrapped production before the end of 2019 and we wrapped post-production...I think there was a little bit of overlap," Heald told CBR. "We were still doing some finishing touches for the effects and some quality checks on Season 3 while the quarantine aspect of the pandemic was just beginning but we finished our final mix -- the last big piece of post-production -- that was done in-person with raising champagne and eating cupcakes and all the things you do to feel like you're at your absolute unhealthiest coming out of the completion of a season. [Laughs] So there were no major delays in terms of COVID."
It has been over 16 months since Season 2 premiered on YouTube Premium. Fortunately, Heald assured fans that the lengthy break between seasons was to accommodate the arrival of the first two seasons on Netflix and let a wider audience experience the series before announcing the eventual Season 3 premiere date.
"Obviously, when Season 3 would've come out on our previous platform was impacted by the fact that we have moved to Netflix and this large audience is now getting the opportunity to experience [Seasons] 1 and 2 before rushing into getting Season 3 right out," Heald confirmed.
Cobra Kai is set 34 years after the original Karate Kid film, and re-examines the narrative from Johnny Lawrence's point of view (placing it within the "minor-character elaboration" genre). His decision to reopen the Cobra Kai karate dojo leads to the rekindling of his old rivalry with Daniel LaRusso.
Starring William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan and Martin Kove, the first two seasons of Cobra Kai will be released on Netflix Aug. 28.