ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Netflix series Cobra Kai (2018–), which revisits one of the most popular film franchises of the 1980s – The Karate Kid (1984) and its two sequels. The series serves as a recent example of “complex TV” world building which reboots the classic franchise for a 21st-century audience through an extensive and expansive cross-media adaptation. Thus, instead of simply remaking the old property to update it to the contemporary Zeitgeist, Cobra Kai skilfully merges two forms of adaptation, the sequel with the remake, which allows for the previous teenage dramedy to now also appeal to adult viewers. Such adaptation strategies create a complex and hybrid text that is not only suitable for diverse age groups but also challenges some of the sexist and orientalist assumptions of its predecessors. It builds a more complex narrative arc and nuanced character study, giving voice to those on the margins. More importantly, with its theme of generational succession, this multi-generational karate universe, in theory, could continue ad infinitum, creating an open transmedia text that can easily travel across cinema to television and back again as long as it remains anchored to the powerful brand.
