Netflix is reaching back into its anime bucket with the announcement that a One Piece live-action series is on its way, lead by creator and mangaka Eiichrio Oda. The streamer has approved a ten episode first season of the show, also tagging Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) to act as showrunner and EP, along with Matt Owens (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Luke Cage) to write.
For those unfamiliar with the famously long running manga, One Piece follows a young pirate by the name of Monkey D. Luffy. With his quirky crew (and his uncanny ability to stretch his body), he attempts to become the world’s next Pirate King. Over two decades, 600 chapters and an anime later, he’s still giving it his best shot.
The One Piece live-action series announcement comes from the production’s official Twitter page, in the form of a note from Oda. The original text is in Japanese, though an English translation is also available for you to check out in full below.
This is a relief for fans of the franchise; as Oda explains, the original adaptation was announced back in 2017 and has gone essentially unmentioned since then, presumably due to this deal’s negotiation.
Netflix is pulling from an experienced crew here, too. For the One Piece production, the streamer is re-upping its agreement with Tomorrow Studios; the same folks working on the live-action Cowboy Bebop series starring John Cho. For the time being, there’s no news on when to expect the pirate’s debut – although the Twitter account’s bio offers an optimistic “Coming soon.”
