Welcome Back, Space Cowboy
A live-action adaptation of the critically-acclaimed anime has been cycling around Hollywood for years now, though to due to the estimated astronomical budget, it seemed that Spike and the rest of the Bebop crew would never see the silver screen. Enter Netflix, who has once again come to the rescue via a recent announcement that they will be bringing back the beloved bounty hunters.
According to an article on Crunchyroll –
Cowboy Bebop, one of the most beloved anime series of all time, is coming to live-action via Netflix, Variety reports. The 26-episode anime series from 1998 follows the adventures of a motley crew of bounty hunters (and more) in space, and the upcoming 10-episode live-action series is anticipated to follow the same direction.
Tomorrow Studios, the same studio behind the upcoming One Piece live-action Hollywood film, will be producing the series for Netflix, with original TV anime creator and director Shinichiro Watanabe to serve as a creative consultant. Chris Yost, screenplay writer for Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017), will be penning the first of ten episodes.
This announcement comes barely 24 hours after Netflix’s major annoucnement that it will be adding Neon Genesis Evangelion to the service in the spring of 2019.
While Netflix did not provide details regarding the series’ cast, director, or release date, it’s worth noting that the streaming service is putting considerable focus on live-action adaptations of other anime and animated property, from licensing the Japanese Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach adapations, to greenlighting a second Death Note film, to bringing Sword Art Online to live-action.
While there’s every chance that such a project could prove to be too much for the streaming service to handle and could end up as just another failed anime adaptation, we’re optimistic that Spike’s swagger and the ongoing feud he shared with Vicious will manage to translate mediums rather smoothly. Here’s hoping that Keanu Reeves finally manages to land his dream role!
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Surprising Celebrity Anime Fans.