After years of rumors about a Cowboy Bebop movie, the cult anime series is getting a live-action adaptation. An English-language TV series is officially in the works—and it’s coming to Netflix.
Guess it’s time to announce that Cowboy Bebop, the live-action series, is heading to @Netflix. pic.twitter.com/bKe0d8EKoH
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) November 28, 2018
Cowboy Bebop is a space Western in a similar vein to Firefly, following a bounty hunter named Spike Spiegel and his crewmates on a spaceship called the Bebop. Famous for its unique rock/jazz/country score by composer Yoko Kanno, it became one of the first adult anime series to break through in the U.S., reaching a wider audience when it aired on Adult Swim in 2001.
The anime’s original creator, Shinichiro Watanabe, will act as a consultant, with 10 episodes ordered for the first season. It’s expected to expand on the original material. This follows a wave of new and old anime arriving at Netflix, along with other live-action adaptations like Death Note and the anime-influenced Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Variety reports the live-action TV series will be co-produced by the show’s original studio, Sunset Inc., and a number of U.S. partners. It will be written by Chris Yost, best known for his work in Marvel Comics and the latter two Thor movies.
There’s no casting news yet, but as one of the most popular anime series among international audiences, there’s a huge pressure to live up to the original, especially when it comes to the music choices.
Updated 9:40am, Nov. 28: Updated to include details from the Netflix deal.