John Cho headlines the new series based on the beloved anime.
Die-hard fans would be forgiven for having some scepticism over the upcoming Cowboy Bebop remake, as live-action adaptations of other anime projects have proven to be disastrous for all involved.
However, based on what we’ve seen so far, there’s reason to be optimistic about this effort, which has gone to great lengths to stay in the “spirit” of the source material, including bringing back composer Yoko Kanno to write more original songs.
The show also boasts John Cho as its star, an acclaimed actor who has previously impressed as Sulu in the most recent Star Trek trilogy and in the lead role of high-concept thriller, Searching.
Fresh details about Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop were revealed at the streamer’s TUDUM event, so read on for the confirmed release date, cast and more details on the upcoming series.
Cowboy Bebop release date
CONFIRMED: Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop remake will premiere on the streaming service on Friday 19th November 2021.
The show has taken a long time to get here, with filming initially getting underway in 2019 before taking a break after star John Cho sustained a knee injury on set.
As plans got underway for the cast and crew to reconvene, the coronavirus pandemic delayed things further, pushing the resumption date to September 2020.
In late March 2021, co-star Daniella Pineda shared an Instagram post announcing a wrap on Cowboy Bebop, with focus shifting to the lengthy editing process required for a show of this scale.
Cowboy Bebop cast
John Cho leads the cast of Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop, an actor who initially became known for comedic roles in the American Pie and Harold and Kumar film franchises.
But he’s no stranger to wild sci-fi worlds either, having played Hikaru Sulu in the latest Star Trek trilogy. Nevertheless, his casting here proved controversial among die-hard fans of the anime.
They argued that 49-year-old Cho was not the right age to play lead character Spike Spiegel, who is depicted as being more than 20 years younger in the original series.
“The biggest fear that I had was I was too old,” he told Vulture. “I knew people were gonna have issues with my age and I had to get over it… At some point, the opportunity is ‘Yes or no — do you wanna do it?’ And I did wanna do it. So I wasn’t gonna stop myself from doing it.”
Cho added: “I couldn’t have done it when I was 27. I mean, maybe I would’ve been better suited athletically, but in terms of my discipline, I am strangely better suited at this age. I don’t think I would’ve done justice to the emotional depth we tried to give Spike. There’s always a trade-off.”
!["Cowboy]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/09/COWBOY_BEBOP_Netflix-9e86e24.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"COWBOY_BEBOP_Netflix\"")
Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage) also stars as Bebop captain Jet Black, while Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World) fills the role of bounty hunter and con artist Faye Valentine.
Spike’s bitter nemesis Vicious is to be portrayed by The Boys alum Alex Hassel, while his complex love interest Julia will be played by Elena Satine (The Gifted).
The supporting cast includes Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Jan Uddin (Agents of SHIELD), Adrienne Barbeau (American Horror Stories), Josh Randall (CSI), Geoff Stults (Grace and Frankie), and Rachel House (Thor: Ragnarok).
Is Cowboy Bebop based on an anime?
Yes! The original Cowboy Bebop was first broadcast on television between 1998 and 1999, quickly building up a passionate fan following with its bold vision of the future and larger-than-life characters.
A feature-length anime film based on Cowboy Bebop was released in 2003, with original director Shinichirō Watanabe returning to helm the project.
While previous live-action adaptations of anime projects have not done justice to the source material, it appears the team behind this latest effort are taking their work very seriously.
“We would look at sets, we would look at props, we would look at costumes, we would look at the edits, we would talk about all of these things, not to ape the anime, but to live in the spirit of the anime,” showrunner André Nemec told Polygon.
Original composer Yoko Kanno will also be returning to create the soundtrack for the live-action Cowboy Bebop, which might well help some die-hard fans come around to the idea of an adaptation.
Yoko Kanno, the composer behind the iconic soundtrack of the original COWBOY BEBOP anime will be creating the soundtrack for the new Live Action Series. Also confirmed…Cowboy Bebop is coming this Fall. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/6lHZQcoFR6
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 8, 2021
What is Cowboy Bebop about?
Taking the same premise as the original anime, Cowboy Bebop will follow the adventures of a ragtag gang of bounty hunters who track down space criminals for financial gain.
The first season on Netflix will consist of 10 episodes in total.
Is there a trailer for Cowboy Bebop?
Not just yet, but Netflix has revealed the jazzy and stylish opening credits sequence that will play at the beginning of each episode. Check it out below.
Cowboy Bebop is released on Netflix on Friday 19th November. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.