Adapting anime into live-action, especially a Western live-action project, can be tricky and downright disappointing in the wrong hands. Cowboy Bebop is one of the most popular anime series the world over, so fans are equally excited and nervous that Netflix is delivering a live-action adaptation with a mostly American cast.
André Nemec (High Fidelity, 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) developed this version of Cowboy Bebop, with a script by Christopher Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok). John Cho toplines the cast as bounty hunter Spike Spiegel, with Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black, Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine, Elena Satine as Julia, and Alex Hassell as the evil gangster Vicious. A Welsh Corgi named Henry plays Ein.
Shinichirō Watanabe, who directed the anime, is on board as a creative consultant, and original composer, Yoko Kanno, is also back.
Though some may be hesitant about this adaptation, perhaps the newly-released opening credits, which very closely mimic that of the anime, will put some minds at ease.
If you’re curious as to just how close this new opening credits sequence is to the original, Netflix actually released a side-by-side comparison of the two versions.
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.
In addition to the new opening credits, Netflix has released some new still photos:
Tamara Tunie is Ana
Mason Alexander Park is Gren
Alex Hassell is Vicious
Elena Satine is Julia pic.twitter.com/6XURM48q4I— Netflix (@netflix) September 25, 2021
Cowboy Bebop arrives on Netflix on November 19, 2021. Are you excited about this live-action take?