Netflix has finally released the first trailer for their upcoming anime adaptation, Cowboy Bebop, showing off footage from the science fiction neo-noir series. Developed by André Nemec, written by Christopher Yost, and starring John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Elena Satine, and Alex Hassell, Cowboy Bebop brings the popular anime series to live-action next month.
The show looks like another big budget serial project for the streaming service, and could very well add to their ever-growing list of hugely popular original series'. The fairly extensive trailer offers a good look at the show, with the footage frequently recreating some of the most famous visuals from the original. While it looks to be avoiding be as straight-forward as a one-to-one remake of the anime, the series will clearly be deeply rooted in the source material, and includes several elements such as, Pierrot Le Fou, the Space Warriors eco-terrorist group, the Teddy Bomber, and the exploration of both Spike and Jet's backstories.
Along with the trailer, Netflix has also unleashed a poster for the series, depicting Spike, Jet, and Faye standing around the Swordfish in what looks like an old Western-style town, with the mood and colour palette setting the tone for this sci-fi spaghetti western.
Netflix has described Cowboy Bebop as an action-packed space Western, which follows three bounty hunters, aka "cowboys," all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegel (John Cho), Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), and Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) form a scrappy, snarky crew ready to hunt down the solar system's most dangerous criminals - for the right price. But they can only kick and quip their way out of so many scuffles before their pasts finally catch up with them.
The series is based on the beloved anime series, Cowboy Bebop, and is being executive produced by André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios, Makoto Asanuma, Shin Sasaki and Masayuki Ozaki of Sunrise Inc., Tim Coddington, Tetsu Fujimura, Michael Katleman, Matthew Weinberg, and Christopher Yost. Nemec serves as showrunner. Original anime series director Shinichirō Watanabe is a consultant on the series, and original composer Yoko Kanno returns for the live-action adaptation. The series also stars Alex Hassell and Elena Satine.
Shinichirō Watanabe, the director of the original anime series, has been heavily involved in the creation of the Netflix live action adaptation, with the beloved auteur being confirmed as a consultant. "For me, it's a great surprise and honor that the Cowboy Bebop universe has thrived for over 20 years and will continue onward," Watanabe said of the development of the Netflix show.
So far, Cowboy Bebop looks to be a pretty accurate adaptation of the anime, and while many fans will no doubt have their criticisms, the series will hopefully find a balance between honoring the original series and forging its own identity. Cowboy Bebop is scheduled to be released on November 19, 2021 on Netflix, and will consist of 10 episodes