The 1984 film The Karate Kid is one of the most iconic films of the 1980s. It entered the pop culture lexicon with the characters of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and the famous line, "Wax on, wax off". With The Karate Kid Part II, the filmmakers exceeded the expectations of fans and the film made even more money than its predecessor. Then came The Karate Kid Part III. Fans and critics were left disappointed with the plot that was simply a repeat of the first two films. But the screenwriter of the film, Robert Mark Kamen, had other plans that could've taken the film in a new direction.
Talking with Crave Online, Kamen said the story he wanted to tell involved time travel.
"I was going to tell the saga in reverse. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi are in a boat. It all happens when Daniel gets hit on the head and he has a dream. He’s in a coma or something and they see a boat in the mist. It docks and Mr. Miyagi and Daniel follow the first Miyagi ancestor into China and then they get involved in this thing. It would’ve been really cool but nobody wanted to do it."
After The Karate Kid Part III failed, a new Karate Kid was found: Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid. This received even more terrible reviews. In 2010, the original film was remade, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. Would time travel have worked in a Karate Kid movie?