'Cowboy Bebop' First Look: John Cho And Co. Look Cool As Hell In Netflix's Live-Action Adaptation
Ya like jazz? Well, you're going to like the first look at Cowboy Bebop even more. Netflix's live-action adaptation of Shinichiro Watanabe's acclaimed anime series of the same name that initially ran from 1998 to 1999, has released its first images and boy, do they look cool as hell. See the Cowboy Bebop first look images below.
Cowboy Bebop First Look
John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda take the spotlight as Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, and Faye Valentine, respectively, strutting through damp streets lit by neon lights and/or explosions. In one image, Cho's Spike Spiegel is seen strutting through a destroyed church, gun in hand, suit unruffled. And of course, Netflix treats us to an image of a shirtless Cho training for...something.
All in all, the images are enticing enough even for the most hardened cynic who might scoff at Netflix's attempt to adapt the classic anime. But the streamer's decision to cast a diverse cast might pay off — the original anime series is a western-noir-meets-space-opera, and its interstellar setting lends to the multiracial bounty hunter crew.
Here is the synopsis for Cowboy Bebop:
COWBOY BEBOP is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka "cowboys," all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system's most dangerous criminals — for the right price. But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with them.
What You Need to Know About Cowboy Bebop
The original Cowboy Bebop featured 26 episodes and aired in Japan from 1998 through 1999. The show has been hailed as introducing a new wave of Western audiences to anime, thanks in part to being the first anime to ever air on Adult Swim. The anime was adapted into two manga series and a feature film released worldwide. To this day, it's considered one of the all-time classic must-see animes.
The live-action Cowboy Bebop series is created by André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner, who have previously worked together on several shows including Alias. It will be directed by Alex Garcia Lopez (Daredevil, The Punisher, and The Witcher) and Michael Katleman (Primeval and The Last Ship). It is executive produced by André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios, Makoto Asanuma, Shin Sasaki and Masayuki Ozaki of Sunrise Inc., Tim Coddington, Tetsu Fujimura, Michael Katleman, Matthew Weinberg, and Christopher Yost.
Nemec serves as showrunner. Original anime series director Shinichiro Watanabe is on board as a consultant on the series, and original composer Yoko Kanno returns to score the live-action adaptation. The series also stars Alex Hassell and Elena Satine.
Though the production of Cowboy Bebop was plagued by delays due to first to star John Cho's knee injury, then the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the series managed to resume filming after the long hiatus in September last year. The first season, premiering this fall, will be 10 episodes — though a second season may be well on its way.
Cowboy Bebop premieres on Netflix on November 19, 2021.