Cowboy Bebop is a sci-fi epic, taking place in locales like ultra-busy slums, cityscapes and the far reaches of outer space.īesides, fans weren't too pleased with the concept of a live-action anime at the time. Still, it's easy to understand why the budget would have ballooned in the way Reeves described. This early attempt at a Cowboy Bebop revival seemed like it was incredibly ambitious, then, and Reeves to his credit was likely very ambitious about the project.
The project was in development hell for a long while, with scant details on it revealed since, though Reeves insisted the script "was great and amazing, but it would cost like half a billion dollars to make it."
#COWBOY BEBOP NETFLIX ED MOVIE#
Just over a decade ago, a live-action Cowboy Bebop movie began production with Keanu Reeves in the starring role as Spike Spiegel. You might know that this isn't the first time an attempt was made to revive Cowboy Bebop in a live-action capacity. (Image credit: Netflix) From dark beginnings Yoko Kanno is back as well, and she'll be providing the soundtrack for the show, but I certainly hope that the incredibly catchy Tank! is kept as the show's opening theme. Perhaps best of all, Shinichiro Watanabe is returning as a creative consultant, which means the Netflix remake will be receiving advice from one of the people responsible for creating the original series.
Yost was also on the writing team for both Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, so hopefully Cowboy Bebop's script is in safe hands. It's being written by Christopher Yost, who was previously lead writer on 2010's The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon, a well-received show that maintains a cult following to this day. It's pleasing to know that production of Netflix's Cowboy Bebop is in good hands, too. She's still got that iconic yellow top and red jacket. It's perhaps Faye who's received the biggest overhaul, and even then it's just to make her outfit a tad less revealing. Spike still looks handsomely scruffy, Jet still has his prosthetic arm. They're still recognizable at a glance, of course. The trio's costumes have also been lovingly updated. Oh, Ein is here, too, looking like an incredibly good boy. Mustafa Shakir and Daniella Pineda look similarly excellent as Jet Black and Faye Valentine respectively.
Now that I've seen John Cho all dressed up as Spike Spiegel, I can't imagine him being played by anyone else (except maybe Keanu Reeves, but more on that later). Iconic locations have been recreated, such as the church where Spike battles the series' antagonist Vicious.īut best of all, our main trio look utterly stunning, and I genuinely think the casting is perfect. The lighting is moody and dark, while still being colorful enough to keep track of what's happening, and also highlighting key props within the scene. As mentioned, the recently released screenshots of Netflix's remake are incredibly promising, and maintain much of the atmosphere conveyed in the original series. However, I do believe it's on the right track. Truth be told, I obviously don't know if the live-action Cowboy Bebop remake is going to be any good. (Image credit: Netflix) What's so special about the live-action remake?