Netflix's live-action Though it only ran for 26 episodes, Cowboy Bebop is one of the most popular anime series of all time in both Japan and the United States. Originally airing in 1998, Cowboy Bebop was also a massive critical success and inspired a manga series, video games, and an animated film adaptation in early 2001. Set in 2071, the series follows the futuristic adventures of a bounty hunter and his crew aboard the spaceship known as the Bebop.
Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop production has seen numerous delays since it was first announced in June 2017. Perhaps the most severe setback came when its main star John Cho suffered a serious knee injury during filming, which required surgery and shut down production for over seven months. On top of that, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic put many projects on hiatus for health and safety concerns, especially in New Zealand, where Cowboy Bebop's production was taking place. After a long wait, fans of the anime series finally have some good news about the production of the Netflix adaptation.
Season 1 of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the beloved anime Cowboy Bebop has wrapped filming, per Faye Valentine, posted a mirror selfie while wearing a Cowboy Bebop t-shirt to make the announcement, “Season 1 of COWBOY BEBOP is finally finished,” she captioned her post.
Pineda is the first Cowboy Bebop cast member to update the status of Season 1, but expect more soon. Shinichirō Watanabe, a writer and director of the original anime was brought on as a creative consultant. The original series’ composer Yoko Kanno also composed the score for Netflix’s live-action adaptation. The cast also includes John Cho as the main protagonist Spike Spiegel, Alex Hassell as Vicious, Elena Satine as Julia, and Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black.
Naturally, fans of Cowboy Bebop are skeptical about whether Netflix’s live-action adaptation can capture the spirit of the original anime, which was known for incorporating elements from various genres, such as science fiction, westerns, and noir films. Other live-action series, such as Westworld and Firefly, have accomplished this with some success, but it remains to be seen how the popular anime series will fare. Considering that filming for season 1 has wrapped, a Cowboy Bebop trailer may be on the way soon.
Source: Danielle Pineda