Returning to the Past: Ralph Macchio Still Has Reboot Fever with Talk of ‘My Cousin Vinny’ Update

Having played The Karate Kid‘s Daniel LaRusso for (possibly) the last time, Ralph Macchio is looking back on another of his classic film’s he’d like to revive in the 2020s: 1992’s My Cousin Vinny.
My Cousin Vinny‘s two “youts” may now be ready to join AARP, but Macchio thinks that audiences would love to see Bill and Vinny Gambini, and of course, Mona Lisa Vito back in action again, provided the “smart angle in” can be found.
Macchio spoke on the red carpet of the Dolby Theater in Hollywood as he walked into PaleyFest on Saturday. When a reporter asked about Vinny, Macchio said, “yeah, I’ve had conversations with other writers about that.”
“Yeah, that one’s a beloved piece,” he added of the film. “It’s about finding the smart angle in.”
My Cousin Vinny, directed by Johnathan Lynn, follows the unlucky-in-law Vinny (Joe Pesci), a big-city lawyer who has never won a case, as he helps his cousin Bill (Macchio) and his friend Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) out of a tough spot after they are accused of murder in a small Alabama town.
Marisa Tomei became a breakout star after audiences were enamored of her performance as Vinny’s fiancée Mona Lisa Vito. The portrayal earned her a Best Supporting Actress statue at the 1993 Oscars.

Image courtesy 20 Century Fox.
Like Tomei, none of the still-living original cast have weighed in about whether they’d be down for a sequel. Macchio acknowledged that for the project to feel right, Pesci, 82, would have to be involved in some way — and allowed the producers could make concessions to make that happen. “He could FaceTime it in here,” Macchio suggested.
Macchio starred for six seasons on the Karate Kid continuation Cobra Kai, which recently concluded on Netflix. He will also reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso, now a martial arts instructor, in Karate Kid: Legends, due in theaters at the end of May. Jackie Chan also stars.