One of the most acclaimed and popular Japanese anime series is finally getting the live-action adaptation it deserves. The Cowboy Bebop live-action Netflix series now has a date for people to watch its first season: November 19th. Here’s everything we know about the show so far.
Read more: Best sci-fi shows on Netflix
What is Cowboy Bebop?
The original anime series from Sunrise debuted in Japan in 1998. The 26-episode series takes place in the late 21st century. Earth is now uninhabitable, but most of Earth’s solar system has been colonized. In this series, bounty hunters called Cowboys roam the solar system looking to take down bad buys to collect their fee. This series focuses on a group of “Cowboys” on their ship called the Bebop.
The show combined elements of sci-fi and western films, with some detective crime noir for good measure. It definitely was a heavy influence on the 2002 live action TV series Firefly. It also had perhaps one of the best soundtracks ever for an anime series. Composer Yoko Kanno created jazz-themed music for the show that have become highly acclaimed. In 2001, the show became a cult hit in the US due to its debut on the Adult Swim cable TV channel.
You can stream the entire anime series now via the Funimation service at the link below:
Read more: Best anime on Funimation
What is the Cowboy Bebop live-action Netflix series about?
The live-action version of the show was first announced in 2017, and production of the show began in 2019 in New Zealand. The first episode of the 10-episode series is being adapted by Christopher Yost, who previously wrote scripts for The Mandalorian TV show, as well as the films Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. The 10-episode series will be directed by Alex Garcia Lopez and Michael Katleman. The anime show’s original composer, Yoko Kanno, will also handle the soundtrack for the live action series as well. Shinichirō Watanabe, who directed the original anime series, is serving as a consultant for the live action version.
In October 2019, after six episodes of the series had been shot, production was shut down for several months after its lead actor, John Cho, suffered a serious knee injury on the set. More delays happened due to the Covid-19 outbreak of 2020. Filming for the rest of the series began again in September 2020.
Who is in the cast?
The show’s main cast includes:
- John Cho (Star Trek) plays the main character of Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter that was born on Mars and has some seriously spiky hair.
- Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage) plays Jet Black, Spike’s partner that has a cybernetic arm.
- Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) plays Faye Valentine, another one of Spike’s bounty hunting team. She appears to be young, but in fact, she spend over 50 years in suspended animation.
- Alex Hassell (The Boys) plays Vicious, Spike’s ex-partner and now his sworn main enemy.
- Elena Satine (The Gifted) plays Julia, a former romantic partner of Spike’s and Vicious’.
In addition, the show will also feature Ein, the Corgi dog that’s the unofficial mascot for the Bebop crew.
That’s all we know about the Cowboy Bebop live-action Netflix series. We will update the article when we learn more.