Netflix names its Straw Hat pirates for live-action One Piece adaptation
The adaptation of Eiichiro Oda sprawling manga series prepares to set sail
One of the most beloved and expansive mangas is getting the old Netflix treatment. Announced earlier this year, One Piece, the massive—and massively popular—manga and anime series, will become a live-action adventure show for the streamer, and Netflix has the cast to prove it, announcing their stars via a series of wanted posters.
Iñaki Godoy stars as your Straw Hat Pirate captain, Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy searching for buried treasure. In this case, the treasure, which belonged to the legendary Pirate King Gol D. Roger, is “one piece.” Shrouded in mystery, “one piece” has incalculable value. Oh, also, Luffy swallowed a magic “Devil Fruit” known as “Gomu Gomu no Mi,” which turned him into a rubber boy, which is exactly what it sounds like—he can bend, stretch, bounce, etc.
Rounding out the crew of the Going Merry pirate ship is Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji.
One Piece is a years-in-the-making project—a side effect of the manga being 1,000 chapters long (if you’re curious, the anime has more than 900 episodes to date). Many compare the world-building and detail of One Piece’s version of Earth to Lord Of The Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien.
In announcing the project, series creator Eiichiro Oda said:
We’ve been working with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios on the massive project that is the Hollywood live action series adaptation of One Piece! How many years has it been since it was announced, right? I know, I know! But rest assured we’ve been making steady progress all along! It’s not easy when you’re working with people from different cultures! But it’s precisely that process that can yield something special! For now, we’re able to announce the main cast! Rather, we need to hurry and announce it or else it’ll be leaked, apparently! Hilarious, lol. Their face, the size of their mouths and hands, their aura, the way they carry themselves, their voice, their acting skills, their height, the balance amongst the Straw Hat Crew, etc…! We decided on this cast after numerous discussions involving people around the world! These are the people who will be our Straw Hat Pirates! It’ll take a bit more time to get this show done, but we’ll continue to do our best to deliver a show that we’re confident will be enjoyed by everyone around the world! Look forward to more updates in the future!
This is by no means the first live-action manga or anime adaptation from Netflix. In 2017, the streamer released a live-action Death Note to the dismay of some fans. However, the company’s most high-profile attempt at live-action anime, Cowboy Bebop, drops on November 19.
There’s no release date of One Piece yet. But if you’re too excited to dive in, you could probably start the anime series now and be most of the way through by the time the show drops.