Live-Action Cowboy Bebop

Looks like Keanu is in. :rolleyes:

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Live-Action Cowboy Bebop Proposal Officially Announced (Updated)
posted on 2009-01-15 07:51 EST

The Japanese animation studio Sunrise has officially announced the plans for a live-action film adaptation of its Cowboy Bebop science-fiction anime franchise. The American film studio Twentieth Century Fox, the production company 3 Arts Entertainment, and Sunrise itself are collaborating on the project. Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, A Scanner Darkly, Johnny Mnemonic) is slated to star. Joshua Long is acting as a production supervisor, and Erwin Stoff, a film producer who worked closely with Reeves on The Matrix and A Scanner Darkly, is also attached. The associate producers are Sunrise President Kenji Uchida, the original Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, and the original series script supervisor Keiko Nobumoto. The Sunrise studio itself and Masahiko Minami (former Sunrise producer and BONES studio co-founder) are both acting as production consultants.

Stoff first revealed the existence of the proposed project last July to the IFMagazine.com entertainment website after the parties "just signed it the other day." Reeves confirmed the plans and his intentions to play the lead role with MTV Movies Blog last month. He also indicated that the preliminary story outline partly draws inspiration from the "Red Eye" storyline from the first episode of the animated series. Reeves and Watanabe had previously worked together on the "Kid's Story" segment of The Animatrix animated video anthology.

Watanabe's original Cowboy Bebop series follows the motley crew of the spaceship Bebop as it travels throughout the solar system in search of the next job. The anime distributor Bandai Entertainment and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block released the 1998 television series in the United States, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the subsequent 2001 animated movie. The anime was also adapted into two separate manga series, and Tokyopop released both manga series in North America.

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‘Cowboy Bebop’ Cult Anime TV Series Gets U.S. Live-Action Remake By Tomorrow Studios, Midnight Radio & ‘Thor’ Writer
by Nellie Andreeva • tip
June 6, 2017 7:00am

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress...7/06/bebop.jpg

Tomorrow Studios, Marty Adelstein’s joint venture with ITV Studios, is developing a live-action adaptation of the cult Japanese animated series Cowboy Bebop. Tomorrow Studios has teamed on the project with Midnight Radio (Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg), who will executive produce alongside Sunrise, the studio behind the original series; Tomorrow Studios’ Adelstein (Good Behavior, Prison Break) and Becky Clements (Good Behavior, Aquarius); as well as Matthew Weinberg. Chris Yost (Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok), who started his career writing for comic book-based animated series before segueing to features, will pen the adaptation.

The space Western story follows Spike Spiegel and his rag-tag crew of bounty hunters, or Cowboys, as they try to capture the galaxy’s worst criminals and survive the unexpected dangers they encounter throughout space, sometimes saving the world in the process but always leaving millions in damages.

Cowboy Bebop, considered one of the best anime series of all time, produced 26 episodes, which aired in Japan from 1998-1999. It has done well internationally, garnering several anime and science fiction awards, and is credited with helping to introduce anime to a new wave of Western viewers. In the U.S., it aired on Adult Swim.

“We are excited to work with Sunrise in bringing this beloved anime to the U.S. and global marketplace as a live-action series,” said Adelstein. “The animated version has long resonated with audiences worldwide, and with the continued, ever growing, popularity of anime, we believe a live action version will have an incredible impact today.”

Tomorrow Studios has another U.S. TV adaptation of a popular Asian genre title, South Korean movie Snowpiercer, which has a pilot order at TNT.

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You know what this needs? ScarJo. :p

You know, I've never really tuned into Cowboy Bebop. Should I? It's only 26 episodes, right?

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NOVEMBER 27, 2018 9:00PM PT
‘Cowboy Bebop’ Live-Action Series Lands at Netflix
By JOE OTTERSON
TV Reporter
@JoeOtterson

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.c...0&h=563&crop=1
CREDIT: BANDAI VISUAL/KOBAL/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

Netflix has ordered the planned live-action adaptation of the iconic anime series “Cowboy Bebop,” Variety has learned.

The series is described as the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine and Radical Ed, a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts as they hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals. They’ll even save the world for the right price.

The series, which hails from Tomorrow Studios, has been in the works since last year. Netflix has ordered 10 episodes.

Shinichiro Watanabe, director of the original anime, will serve as a consultant on the project. Christopher Yost, who previously penned “Thor: The Dark World” and “Thor: Ragnarok”, will write the first episode and executive produce. Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio will serve as executive producers. Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki, and Shin Sasaki of Sunrise Inc.– the studio behind the original series–will also executive produce along with Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios, Tetsu Fujimura, and Matthew Weinberg. The series is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, with Netflix handling physical production.

“Cowboy Bebop” proved to be a major commercial and critical success despite the fact the entire television series consists of just 26 episodes. It has inspired two manga series and an anime film, the latter of which was released in the U.S. in 2003.

The announcement comes as Netflix has been pushing more and more into the anime space, with the streamer having ordered multiple original anime shows, including one based on “Pacific Rim.” Last year, Netflix released a live-action adaptation of the manga “Death Note” starring Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield, and Margaret Qualley.

This is also the latest instance of Netflix adapting an animated series into a live-action series. Back in September, it was announced that a live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series was in the works at Netflix with original creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko onboard as showrunners.

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Time to make an indie thread for this Live-Action Cowboy Bebop project. Posts above poached from our original Cowboy Bebop thread.

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APRIL 4, 2019 9:00AM PT
‘Cowboy Bebop’: John Cho, Mustafa Shakir Among Four Cast in Netflix Live-Action Series
By JOE OTTERSON
TV Reporter
@JoeOtterson

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.c...0&h=562&crop=1

The “Cowboy Bebop” live-action series at Netflix has found the lion’s share of its main cast, Variety has learned.

John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, and Alex Hassell have all been cast in lead roles in the series, which is based on the anime series of the same name.

Cho will star as Spike Spiegel, described as an impossibly cool bounty hunter with a deadly smile, a wry wit, and style to spare. He travels the solar system with his ex-cop partner, Jet, pursuing the future’s most dangerous bounties with a combination of charm, charisma — and deadly Jeet Kune Do.

Cho is known for his roles in the rebooted “Star Trek” film franchise as well as the “Harold and Kumar” films. He will also appear in an upcoming episode of the “Twilight Zone” reboot at CBS All Access. He is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Morris Yorn.

Shakir will play Jet Black, one of the few honest cops in the solar system before an ultimate betrayal robbed him of all that he loved, forcing him into a vagabond life of hunting bounties to put food on the table. Jet is an inveterate jazz enthusiast and Captain of the Bebop.

Shakir recently starred in Season 2 of the Marvel-Netflix series “Luke Cage” as well as the HBO series “The Deuce.” He is repped by Gersh, Robyn Bluestone Management, and Schreck Rose.

Pineda will play Faye Valentine, described as a bold, brash and unpredictable bounty hunter. Suffering from amnesia after years of being cryogenically frozen, Faye does whatever it takes to survive. Whether she’s lying, stealing, or just being a thorn in Spike and Jet’s side.

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i always knew they were gonna get a black guy to play jet black...though it sounds a bit racist..lol... seriously though i always wanted the late michael clarke duncan to play that role. steven yuen as spike...eh... we shall see.

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NEWS AUGUST 22, 2019 10:00AM PT
‘Cowboy Bebop’: Elena Satine Joins Netflix Live-Action Series
By WILL THORNE
Staff Writer
@https://twitter.com/WillHMThorne

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.c...0&h=563&crop=1
CREDIT: TIBRINA HOBSON/GETTY IMAGES

The “Cowboy Bebop” live-action series at Netflix is adding another player to its cast.

Elena Satine, whose previous TV credits include ABC’s “Revenge” and Starz’ “Magic City,” has joined previously announced cast members John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, and Alex Hassell.

Satine’s will play Julia who is described as “a sultry beauty with a voice to die for, the dream-like object of Spike Spiegel’s (Cho) desire” who struggles to survive in a violent world.

Netflix picked up “Cowboy Bebop” for 10 episodes back in November. The series is described as the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine and Radical Ed, a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts as they hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals. They’ll even save the world for the right price.


Shinichiro Watanabe, director of the original anime, will serve as a consultant on the project. Christopher Yost, who previously penned “Thor: The Dark World” and “Thor: Ragnarok”, will write the first episode and executive produce. Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio will serve as executive producers. Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki, and Shin Sasaki of Sunrise Inc.– the studio behind the original series–will also executive produce along with Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios, Tetsu Fujimura, and Matthew Weinberg.

The series is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, with Netflix handling physical production.

Satine is repped by Mosaic, ICM and Bloom Hergott.

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I loved Revenge but I can't remember who Elena played at the moment. Man, why don't we have a thread here for that show? It had ninjas. :o

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Originally Posted by doug maverick

i always knew they were gonna get a black guy to play jet black...though it sounds a bit racist..lol... seriously though i always wanted the late michael clarke duncan to play that role. steven yuen as spike...eh... we shall see.

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Forgive my ignorance - was Jet not black in the original? Like I said, I really don't know this franchise. :o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4gPQDyOixQ

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‘Cowboy Bebop’: Netflix Series Shuts Down Production For 7-9 Months Following Star John Cho On-Set Injury
By Nellie Andreeva
October 18, 2019 3:30pm

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress...1&h=383&crop=1
David Buchan/Shutterstock

Netflix’s upcoming live-action series Cowboy Bebop is going on a lengthy hiatus following a knee injury sustained by lead John Cho on the set of the show in New Zealand.

Sources describe the injury as a freak accident that happened on the last take of a routine and well-rehearsed scene almost two weeks ago. It requires surgery, for which Cho has been flown back to Los Angeles, and an extensive rehabilitation. The production shutdown is expected to last seven to nine months. The new filming schedule will be set once Cho’s prognosis is clear.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress...pg?w=328&h=220
Sunrise

Cowboy Bebop, an adaptation of the cult Japanese animated series, was a few episodes into production on its 10-episode order when the accident happened. Netflix marked the show’s start of production last week with a behind-the-scene video which featured Cho (you can watch it below).

Being relatively early into filming would allow Netflix to recast the role, but I hear the streamer is fully committed to Cho in the title role, willing to wait until late spring/early summer to resume filming, along with the logistical challenges that presents.

“Our thoughts are with John, and he has our complete support as he recuperates from this injury,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline.

Following Deadline’s story, Cho posted a message on Instagram, quoting the great Bruce Lee, thanking fans for their well wishes, and vowing to be “back and flowing in no time”.

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johnthecho
Verified
•

https://scontent-sjc3-1.cdninstagram...om&_nc_cat=109

johnthecho
Verified
“Water can flow or it can crash.” - Bruce Lee

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. Gonna be back and flowing in no time!

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The space western hails from Tomorrow Studios, Marty Adelstein’s joint venture with ITV Studios; Midnight Radio (Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg); writer Chris Yost; and Sunrise, the studio behind the original series.

Written/executive produced by Yost based on the worldwide phenomenon, Cowboy Bebop is the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of Spike Spiegel (Cho), an impossibly cool “cowboy” (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit and style to spare, and his ragtag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts as they hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals. They’ll even save the world — for the right price.

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress...pg?w=304&h=171
Netflix

Nemec, Appelbaum, Pinkner and Rosenberg executive produce via Midnight Radio and serve as showrunners. Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements executive produce for Tomorrow Studios. Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki and Shin Sasaki of Sunrise also executive produce alongside Tetsu Fujimura and Matthew Weinberg. Shinichiro Watanabe, director of the original anime, serves as consultant.

Cowboy Bebop is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios; with Netflix handling physical production.

Cowboy Bebop, considered one of the best anime series of all time, produced 26 episodes and aired in Japan from 1998-99. It has done well internationally, garnering several anime and science fiction awards, and is credited with helping to introduce anime to a new wave of Western viewers. In the U.S., it aired on Adult Swim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4gPQDyOixQ

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THREADS
Live-Action Cowboy Bebop
Stunts - injuries & deaths (assuming it was a stunt-related injury)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq2N-9EmedA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JDWm1f6-M0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULCIHP5dc44

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Netflix Cancels Cowboy Bebop After One Season
Viewership of the season reportedly tanked after its opening week
By Luke Plunkett
Yesterday 6:30PM
https://kotaku.com/netflix-cancels-c...son-1848189622
Image: Netflix
The Hollywood Reporter has the news this evening that Netflix’s live-action adaptation of classic anime series Cowboy Bebop has been cancelled after just one season.

The series, which was somewhat anticipated prior to release—at least based on what little we had to go on it—reportedly had decent viewership figures of 74 million hours worldwide during its first week (after launching on November 19), but those numbers went through the floor in the week after, dropping 59%. THR say that Netflix looked at those numbers, looked at the cost of the show and decided to pull the plug.

While its cancellation will break few hearts, it must be frustrating for fans to see once again a beloved anime given the adaptation treatment by a major Western studio or platform, only for that new take to fall flat and disappoint fans.

We wrote that the show needed some colour, but it also needed a lot more than that. Despite the enthusiasm and clear love for the source material from both cast and crew, the adaptation fundamentally failed to understand what makes anime—and Cowboy Bebop in particular—so special in its original format, leading to a live-action series that underwhelmed in almost every area (except for its soundtrack and Cho’s starring performance).

Unlike the anime, the live-action series sometimes feels like it’s embarrassed to be associated with any of this. Things that the original expects you to just accept, like character names, are questioned and underlined and over-explained here. Iconic lines or songs are dropped like someone was checking them off a list, and other moments directly pulled from the source material are needlessly expanded to clearly spell out character motivations. If there’s a cool thing from the anime, this Cowboy Bebop will fight like hell to make it sillier or stupider.

André Nemec’s adaptation doesn’t trust the audience nor does it trust itself; it plasters over that lack of confidence with a sense of cartoonish detachment in the sets and the performances that practically say, “We’re not taking any of this too seriously, so you don’t have to either.”

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I ended watching all of this after reviewing the entire original anime. Maybe I'll review it here.

The Netflix show never found its stride.

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Cowboy Bebop Scriptwriter Keiko Nobumoto Passes Away At 57

By EVAN VALENTINE - December 10, 2021 05:02 pm EST

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more prolific writer in the field of anime than Keiko Nobumoro, responsible for writing the likes of Cowboy Bebop, Tokyo Godfathers, and Samurai Champloo to name a few, which makes the news of her passing all the more tragic. Having passed earlier this month, both anime fans and the creative minds behind some of the biggest works in the genre have taken the opportunity to mourn the talented writer and the works she has put together in the past.

Keiko was born in 1963, having also written for some major anime series not mentioned including the likes of Space Dandy, Carole & Tuesday, Samurai Champloo, and Macross Plus to name a few. Nobumoto herself was closely linked to director Shinichiro Watanabe, who was responsible for bringing Cowboy Bebop to life. Needless to say, considering the amount of talent that the scriptwriter had and the anime series she had a hand in that are considered to be some of the best examples of anime within the medium, the world of pop culture overall has lost a giant when it comes to creativity.

Fellow scriptwriter on Cowboy Bebop, Dai Sato, revealed the unfortunate news of Keiko Nobumoto on his official Facebook account, sharing his thoughts as to her passing as well as reflecting on the immense talent that the screenwriter had throughout her career in the world of anime and video games:

WIth Cowboy Bebop, Nobumoto was responsible for some of the biggest episodes of the series, including the likes of Asteroid Blues, Jupiter Jazz, My Funny Valentine, and the series finale of The Real Folk Blues. Her first job in the anime genre came from her screenplay for Tobe! Kujira no Peek, aka Fly! Peek the Whale which focused on young kids attempting to free an albino whale from captivity. Noburo is responsible for some of the best examples of anime hand's down throughout the years and will be sorely missed by both the community and her fellow creative minds within the world of anime and gaming.

Keiko passed following her battle against esophageal cancer at the age of 57.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Keiko Nobumoto during this difficult time.

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Harsh timing.

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Originally Posted by GeneChing

Harsh timing.

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Very much so.

I was a huge fan of Samurai Champloo.

I even liked the live action show, I wish it would have gotten a 2nd season to see where it would go.