Well, this is disappointing. After premiering almost 3 weeks ago on Netflix, the streaming platform has cancelled the live-action adaptation of the anime Cowboy Bebop.
According to The Hollywood Reporter sources have indicated that Netflix’s decision “was made by balancing the show’s viewership and cost.” While the series itself has racked up over 74 million viewing hours since its debut on November 19, it plummeted 59% in its second week. This, along with the cost of production, seemed to point to the show’s doom. It also didn’t help that Cowboy Bebop had a poor Rotten Tomatoes score of 46%.
Based on the classic 1998 TV anime and 2001 anime film, Cowboy Bebop starred John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda. Here is the official synopsis from Netflix:
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.
The road for Cowboy Bebop has been a rocky one. Netflix first greenlit the series back in 2018. In 2019, the production had their cast and was ready to film. However, in October 2021, Cho sustained a knee injury which set production back by 8 months. By then, the COVID pandemic hit, and filming was not allowed to resume until Sept. 2020.
“Everything has a beginning and an end. Life is just a cycle of starts and stops. There are ends we don’t desire, but they’re inevitable. We have to face them. It’s what being human is all about.
-Jet Black
The series finally dropped on Netflix in November 2021 with a 10 episode first season. The shot-for-shot opening of the series had many fans rooting for the series. Unfortunately, the season ended on an interesting cliffhanger with Spike, Jet Black, and Faye going their separate ways and the introduction of fan-favorite character Radical Ed. Looks like for now, the live-action down on their luck bounty hunters are down on their luck for any future.
What do you think of Cowboy Bebop coming to an end? Feel free to let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter!
