Ralph Macchio doesn't think he'll ever make another 'Karate Kid' film.
Ralph Macchio
The 57-year-old actor starred as lead character Daniel LaRusso in 1984 teen sports drama 'The Karate Kid' and it's two sequels and he has returned to the beloved character for web television series 'Cobra Kai' - which takes place 34 years after the original film and follows the reopening of the Cobra Kai karate dojo by down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and the rekindling of his old rivalry with successful businessman LaRusso.
Following the success of 'Cobra Kai' there have been discussions about making a fourth 'Karate Kid' film with those characters but Macchio thinks the continuation of the story works better as a television project now rather than a big screen project because "movies have changed".
In an interview with Forbes, he said: "It has been discussed, but it's not something that I think we're moving forward with and here's the reason for that.
"To go back and try to do a traditional major motion picture sequel, movies have changed in the sense of what plays in the movie theatres and for how long. It's usually big IPs like superhero movies that get that screen time and then there's everything else. It's hard."
The 'Outsiders' star went on to explain that "the beauty" of telling the characters' continuing story in an episodic way is that it "allows the characters to breathe" and can be more in-depth than a motion picture.
He said: "Also, the beauty of doing this as a series is that you're taking this series and making a five-hour movie then cutting up into ten half-hour parts. It allows the characters to breathe then you're allowed to go into grey areas of Daniel and Johnny's lives, to explore the younger characters as well as the plot.
"You're able to let all of that breathe in a way that, when you're making a two-hour motion picture, it has to be bigger, louder, powerful and something that keeps you in your seat for two hours and get someone in their car to go to a movie theatre."
Macchio also discussed the possibility of Elizabeth Shue reprising her role as Ali Mills - LaRusso's love interest in the original movie helmed by John D. Avildsen - in 'Cobra Kai', admitting the idea has been brought up.
He shared: "I know anyone who was in these films can be inferred storywise. The catalyst of this rivalry at the centre of the 'Karate Kid' story was this character, Ali, that Elisabeth Shue played. We'd be foolish to say we're not exploring that. Whether that happens or not, those conversations have been in play. It's whether it would work organically in the story. I can't tease anything beyond that. Right now they're tight-lipped about all that stuff, but anything is possible. We have to hope it all works in our favour."