“Cowboy Bebop” is a Japanese animated franchise that has been in development hell for years, as Hollywood attempted many times to bring the story to live-action. At one point, Keanu Reeves was attached over a decade ago. However, as with many of these projects, filmmakers come and go, actors leave and come back, and eventually, fans are left to wonder if they’ll ever see it happen at all. Well, with Netflix announcing plans for a live-action “Cowboy Bebop” series, fans knew they were finally getting the live-action series they were hoping for, and now, we know who is going to lead the cast. Spoiler alert: it’s not Keanu.
Netflix announced that John Cho will lead the cast for the “Cowboy Bebop” series, playing the bounty hunter Spike Spiegel. For those not familiar with the franchise, “Cowboy Bebop” follows a group of bounty hunters as they traverse the solar system looking for the most dangerous criminals around.
READ MORE: Netflix Orders 10-Episode Season Of A Live-Action ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Series
Cho is probably best known for his role in the “Harold & Kumar” franchise, but recently, he’s been seen in the rebooted “Star Trek” films, as well as an incredible performance in the under-seen thriller “Searching.”
With live-action anime adaptations coming fast and furious in Hollywood (“Akira” was most recently reported), the big question surrounding the casting is the “whitewashing” situation. With Reeves as the lead, many fans would have cried foul with a white male leading the cast of the Japanese franchise. However, Netflix has not only hired an Asian lead for the series, but a damn fine actor, as well. So, it appears that this is a win/win for the streaming service.
Joining Cho in the cast are Daniella Pineda (“Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom”), who will play Faye Valentine, Mustafa Shakir (“Luke Cage”) as Jet Black, and Alex Hassell (“Suburbicon”) as Vicious.
The first episode of the series is written by Christopher Yost and directed by “The Witcher” helmer Alex Garcia Lopez. Original “Cowboy Bebop” director Shinichiro Watanabe serves as a consultant.
The series doesn’t currently have a release date.
Here’s the synopsis, as well as character descriptions from Netflix:
Based on the worldwide phenomenon from Sunrise Inc., Cowboy Bebop is the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts, as they hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals. They’ll even save the world…for the right price.
JOHN CHO (Star Trek, Searching) as Spike Spiegel
Spike Spiegel is an impossibly cool “cowboy” (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit, and style to spare. He travels the solar system with his ex-cop partner, Jet, pursuing the future’s most dangerous bounties with a combination of charm, charisma — and deadly Jeet Kune Do.
MUSTAFA SHAKIR (Marvel’s Luke Cage) as Jet Black
Jet Black was one of the few honest cops in the solar system before an ultimate betrayal robbed him of all that he loved, forcing him into a vagabond life of hunting bounties to put food on the table. Jet is an inveterate jazz enthusiast and Captain of the Bebop.
DANIELLA PINEDA (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; What/If) as Faye Valentine
Faye Valentine is a bold, brash and unpredictable bounty hunter. Suffering from amnesia after years of being cryogenically frozen, Faye does whatever it takes to survive. Whether she’s lying, stealing, or just being a thorn in Spike and Jet’s side.
ALEX HASSELL (The Red Sea Diving Resort; Suburbicon) as Vicious
A man who thoroughly enjoys a good kill, Vicious is the Syndicate’s most notorious hitman. He’s also Spike Spiegel’s ex-partner and arch-enemy.