After Amazon Studios passed on the deal, Netflix picked up the long-awaited live-action version of Cowboy Bebop, a popular anime that started in 1998. Originally, it was set to air as a feature-length film in 2008, but the project was waylaid due to budget issues. Now, ten years later, the project has been divided into a 10 part series starring Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel, the space cowboy protagonist.
The original show’s creator, Shinichiro Watanabe, will be consultant for the series with Sunrise Inc. and Midnight Radio as the producers. Chris Yost, who was the screenwriter for Thor, will be heading the adaptation.
The story takes place in a future where humans have colonized space after Earth had become uninhabitable. In this adaptation, it will supposedly expand on the original series, leaving fans to wonder if the iconic loose ending will be tied up.
According to Netflix, Cowboy Bebop is: “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.”
The jazz, western, and gothic infusion intertwine in the original series in an unspeakably fitting way, giving the show an earned title as a cult classic. Each episode would not be complete without existential undertones, often interspersed with violence, nudity, and adult themes. Although it may be animated, it is clearly not a show for the kids. Spike Spiegel, the protagonist, is an introspective, quiet, and deceptively mundane character. However, he, as do all the characters in the show, holds more than meets the eye. For this reason, Keanu Reeves seems like a fitting actor for the role, as he is known for his monotone voice and ambiguous personality. The actors for the other main characters have yet to be announced, but fans are hoping for other big names with Keanu already on the bill.
This is one of a slew of anime series that Netflix has lined up to release in the near future. They have also announced the adding of Neon Genesis Evangelion, another popular anime series, and a new series called 7Seeds, based on Yumi Tamura’s manga series by the same name.