With the arrival of Cobra Kai on Netflix, and recent release of the show’s third season, the universe of The Karate Kid has become a pop culture touchstone once again. For the first time since the 1980s, the characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence are household names, and people are diving back into the movies that made the characters famous in the first place. Of course, rewatching The Karate Kid today is a bittersweet experience, as fans are reminded of the loss of beloved actor Pat Morita, the man behind the iconic Mr. Miyagi.
The spirit of Miyagi is at the core of the Cobra Kai series, but there’s nothing quite like Morita’s performance as the character. Most fans know Morita only as Miyagi, or maybe as Arnold from Happy Days. Behind the popular roles, however, was a lovable and troubled man, and a new documentary is hoping to peel back the curtain on his life. More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story is arriving on-demand on February 5th, and you can check out the film’s first trailer in the video above.
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More Than Miyagi dives deep into the personal life of Morita, who brought some incredibly memorable characters to life over the years, but also struggled with alcoholism and depression for much of his career. This documentary shines a light on the man behind the roles we all know so well.
Some of Morita’s closest co-stars are featured in the new documentary, including The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai‘s Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, and Martin Kove. The doc also stars Henry Winkler, James Hong, Sean Kanan, Marion ross, Esai Morales, Tommy Chong, Don Most, Anson Williams, and more. More Than Miyagi was directed by Kevin Derek.
You can check out the synopsis for More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story below.
“The Oscar-nominated actor best known for his role of Mr. Miyagi, left behind a painfully revealing autobiographical record of his much-too-brief time here on Earth, tracing his journey from being bed-bound as a boy to the bright lights and discrimination in Hollywood. Deep inside that sweet, generous, multi-talented performer seethed an army of demons, that even alcohol and drugs couldn’t mask.”
What do you think of the first trailer for More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story? Let us know in the comments!
More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story will be available to purchase on-demand and on DVD and Blu-ray February 5th.
