Converting cartoons to live-action has become an unstoppable trend in recent years. Netflix announced back in 2017 that One Piece would be making the leap from anime to live-action on its platform . Three years passed, and after a long silence, the Los Gatos-based company confirmed in 2020 that they would get to work. Development of this new and promising television series began last February, and Netflix has given us a glimpse of what this upcoming production will be like.
Netflix shows us the One Piece sets
What would Eiichiro Oda have thought if, back in 1997, someone had told him that his manga would become a landmark work? Could the Japanese illustrator have ever imagined that he would go on to draw 102 volumes of One Piece ? Or that more than a thousand episodes of the anime would be released and that, in 2022, it would still be unfinished? What we do know for sure is that One Piece has already captivated many different generations, and, just as Toei Animation saw its potential in 1999 by producing the anime series featuring Luffy, Nami, and company, Netflix seems to have reached the same conclusion and is working on adapting the series with live actors—in a condensed form, we assume.
The streaming platform shared a video showing the progress of the One Piece live-action film during its Netflix Geeked Week event this past weekend. The video is only a couple of minutes long, but it already revealed some very interesting details.
In the video, we see Iñaki Godoy , the actor who will play Luffy, and who was selected by Eiichiro Oda himself, who is also the series' executive producer. Shortly after, they show us concept art of several ships we'll see in the first season: the Baratie , where Sanji works, the Miss Love Duck , and the Going Merry.
Following the 3D designs, a very fast time-lapse shows how they built the models they'll use in filming. It's truly spectacular work that proves any fiction can become reality with enough budget and the right team. Even the creators themselves were surprised by the quality of the Baratie's construction.
The actors who will play the characters have also been announced.
At the event, Netflix also revealed the rest of the cast for the series . Until now, we already knew the main cast. Alongside Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd will play Nami. Mackenyu Maeda will play Roronoa Zoro. Sajji will be played by Taz Skylar, and Usopp will be played by Jacob Romero.
meet the newest cast members joining ONE PIECE #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/NfaIaVA8qI
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 6, 2022
These are joined by new faces:
- Alexander Maniatis: Klahadore
- Steven Ward: Mihawk
- Craig Fairbrass: Chef Zeff
- Langley Kirkwood: Captain Morgan
- Celeste Loots: Kaya
- Chioma Umeala: Nojiko
For now, the streaming platform has not given more data, so we will continue without knowing how much is left for the series to reach our televisions.