Netflix is the current go-to platform for a feel-good choice of entertainment. The world’s most popular streaming entertainment service has more than 209 million paid users in more than 190 countries watching TV shows, documentaries, and feature films in a wide range of genres and languages. With that said, a new live-action series is about to jump in soon!
The original “Cowboy Bebop,” which aired from 1998 to 1999 and consisted of 26 episodes, is widely regarded as one of the best anime series of all time and was instrumental in popularizing the genre in the United States. Netflix is hedging its bets that its subscribers will enjoy the streaming service’s new series, despite the fact that live-action adaptations of beloved anime IPs have a shaky track record.
The latest teaser for the show, titled “Cowboy Bebop: The Lost Session,” isn’t actually made up of footage from the show, but it does show off the key trio of Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) in action as they hunt down a bounty, get some noodles and fight through an army of thugs, similar to previous teasers for the show.
It’s a pretty entertaining teaser, shot with energetic, color-coded shifting frames that bounce back and forth between Spike, Jet, and Faye as they fight and brawl. It’s always more difficult to translate anime to live-action, but maybe the actual show will have the same vigor when it premieres on Netflix next month.
Here’s what to anticipate:
1. When Will Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop” Premiere?
The premiere date for the live-action “Cowboy Bebop” has been set for November 19. There will be ten episodes in the first season. All episodes of the series will be available at the same time, like with most Netflix releases. The series’ development was first reported in 2017, and Netflix stated in 2018 that it would release the show on its streaming service.
2. Is it a remake of the anime?
The Netflix program would be an “extension to the canon,” rather than a shot-for-shot recreation of the original series, according to series showrunner André Nemec.
‘Cowboy Bebop’ is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, dubbed ‘cowboys,’ who are all seeking to outrun the past, according to the Netflix synopsis. Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) create a scrappy, sarcastic team eager to hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals – for the right pay. However, they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scrapes until their pasts catch up with them.”
3. Creator and star of the series
André Nemec is the showrunner and executive producer, alongside Midnight Radio’s Jeff Pinkner, Josh Appelbaum, and Scott Rosenberg; Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements; Sunrise Inc.’s Makoto Asanuma, Shin Sasaki, and Masayuki Ozaki; and Tim Coddington, Tetsu Fujimura, Michael Katleman, Matthew Weinberg, and Christopher Yost.
Spike Spiegal will be played by John Cho, Jet Black will be played by Mustafa Shakir, Faye Valentine will be played by Daniella Pineda, Julia will be played by Elena Satine, and Vicious will be played by Alex Hassell.
4. The real star…
Let me introduce you to Harry. Ein is played by Harry and is a canine. Ein is certainly a wonderful dog, as you can see from this official Netflix press photo. Ein was known as a “data dog” in the original series, which meant that his mind had been altered in a laboratory, granting him heightened intellect, before joining the Bebop crew.
5. Trailer
Though the official trailer for “Cowboy Bebop” has yet to be released, Netflix did release the series’ opening credits sequence during a recent fan event. The credits incorporate “Tank!,” the series’ classic opening music, and are a throwback to the original anime’s credits. Many of the action scenes in the opening credits of the live-action series are recreations of scenes from the anime.
Sources: Netflix, The Verge, Indie Wire, TV Line