Ever since Hollywood cracked the formula for successfully weaponizing nostalgia, any brand or property with a built-in fanbase or even the slightest hint of name value will almost inevitably find itself reinvented for modern audiences, but as is the case with most bandwagons the industry tends to jump on, the results have been massively inconsistent.
One of the best examples of a nostalgia-driven smash hit is Netflix’s Cobra Kai, with the streaming service acquiring the rights to the Karate Kid sequel series from YouTube and transforming it into one of the most popular shows on the planet, with the recent third season drawing in over 40 million viewers in four weeks to become one of the platform’s ten most-watched returning series ever.
Before Cobra Kai, the Karate Kid franchise was largely irrelevant, having sat on the shelf for close to a decade following the Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan remake. But after roaring back to the forefront of the public consciousness, the adventures of Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso have now become appointment viewing for fans both new and old.
On the other side of the coin, another 1980s favorite that studios have struggled to reboot is Predator, with Dan Trachtenberg’s in-development movie the fourth attempt at launching a new franchise since the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger original. And now, a new fan poster imagines the insanity of a Cobra Kai vs. Predator crossover, which you can check out below.
If Trachtenberg’s project fails, then there are definitely worse ideas out there than having Johnny Lawrence and his martial arts apprentices battle against the intergalactic trophy hunters in the next season of the show, and the concept of Cobra Kai vs. Predator sounds so crazy that it might actually work in the right hands.
