Hilary Swank mentioned thanks, however no thanks.
The creators of the hit Netflix present “Cobra Kai” have revealed that they tried to get Swank, 50, to seem within the well-liked “Karate Kid” sequel collection.
However the Oscar-winning actress, who performed Julie Pierce in 1994’s “The Next Karate Kid,” politely declined.
“Cobra Kai” creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg opened up concerning the state of affairs throughout a sit-down with Leisure Weekly on Wednesday.
“We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path,” Heald mentioned, revealing that they approached the actress shortly earlier than the present’s sixth and remaining season started manufacturing in 2024.
“We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something,” he continued.
“It was going to feel like it could be a one or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue,” Heald added, “where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship.”
Shue, who starred as Ali Mills alongside Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso within the unique 1984 “Karate Kid,” reprised her character for the final two episodes of the Netflix present’s third season.
Though Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg did attain out to Swank’s reps to seek out out if they may have a dialogue together with her and introduce themselves, the trio by no means even acquired that far.
“On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy,” Heald defined. “She was just in a place where she wasn’t looking to do that.”
“She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting,” he added. “She didn’t want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn’t something she was ready to do at that moment.”
Swank welcomed twins together with her husband, Philip Schneider, in April 2023. She joined the solid of Showtime’s “Yellowjackets” for Season 3, which premiered this yr.
Regardless of Swank’s refusal, the three creators nonetheless hope to see her return as Julie Pierce in a possible “Cobra Kai” spinoff.
“It’s a big piece of the Miyagi-verse that’s still out there,” Heald mentioned. “For us, it was a little disappointing because we like getting everybody, but at the same time, we didn’t sacrifice any huge story that we had fully developed.”
“It’s more fruit on the vine for if we can revisit this universe going forward,” he concluded.
The Put up has reached out to Swank’s reps for remark.
“Cobra Kai,” which premiered on Netflix in 2018 and wrapped up its sixth and remaining season in February, adopted Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) 34 years after the occasions of the unique “Karate Kid” film.
Whereas Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg have been unable to persuade Swank to return, they did convey again different characters from the six-movie franchise to affix Macchio, 63, and Zabka, 59, on the small display.
Yuji Okumoto reprised his character Chozen Toguchi from 1986’s “Karate Kid Part II,” and Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes), Thomas Ian Griffith (Terry Silver) and Robyn Full of life (Jessica Andrew) all returned to their roles from 1989’s “Karate Kid Part III.”
Plus, Macchio lately reprised his position as Daniel LaRusso for the tenth time for the franchise’s latest movie, “Karate Kid Legends,” which premiered on Could 30.
The film additionally noticed Jackie Chan return as Mr. Han from the 2010 “Karate Kid” remake.
“Reprising this role means paying that legacy forward,” Macchio mentioned upon the discharge of “Karate Kid Legends” final month. “It’s about spreading that wisdom and knowledge in a good way, in a positive way.”
Pat Morita, who performed the beloved character Mr. Miyagi within the unique “Karate Kid” trilogy and “The Next Karate Kid,” died in 2005. He was 73.
