Anime & Manga News

'Cowboy Bebop' Receives Live-Action TV Series

by Vindstot
Jun 6, 2017 8:19 PM | 91 Comments
Tomorrow Studios, a joint venture between producer Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios, has been announced to adapt the 1998 anime Cowboy Bebop into a live action TV series. Animation studio Sunrise, which produced the original series, will executive produce the live-action series along with Midnight Radio, which consists of Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg. Other executive producers include Tomorrow Studio's Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, and Matthew Weinberg. Christopher Yost (Thor: The Dark World) will compose the adaptation.

Cowboy Bebop is an original TV anime that aired for 26 episodes between 1998-1999. The anime inspired the Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira movie, which premiered in September 2001. The series was originally licensed by Bandai Entertainment for North American distribution, before FUNimation relicensed it and released the anime in Blu-ray and DVD volume in December 2014. The TV series aired in the US via Adult Swim in 2001 with many reruns. The anime series became a commercial success in Japanese and international markets, particularly in the US, and is widely considered as one of the best anime series of all time.

Source: Deadline

20 of 91 Comments Recent Comments

TO BE FAIR, i know everyone hates live action, i mean look at attack on titan, death note and assassination classroom. HOWEVER, Cowboy bebop was not a bad live action. i actually really enjoyed it. 9/10 would recommend

Oct 6, 2022 2:14 PM by Alessio_Jackman

The Japanese language in the background of the opening was lame... Netflix, you can make it cooler, right?

I thought it was a new story, but it was the same story that aired in the anime...? I was hoping for something like the French live-action version of City Hunter, which was very good.

Oct 20, 2021 12:10 AM by kihel

BitchOnTheBeach said:
Why is there a sudden increase in live action anime adaptations? Can't they just leave it alone?


As long as they do it right then it's not a bad thing. The Kenshin movies were great.

Aug 31, 2021 6:30 PM by Jyoshiro

One anime that could transition great to live action. Unfortunately no the way they are doing it.

Aug 31, 2021 6:29 PM by Jyoshiro

they need to STAAAAAAAP

Apr 9, 2019 3:35 PM by Iridium410

So now John Cho has been cast as spike, I wonder how they'll handle the Mushroom Samba episode. Cowboy Bebop goes to spaceage White Castle lol

Apr 5, 2019 3:54 AM by Fortress_Maximus

Mark my words-this is going to be a giant steaming pile of bullshit!! Bebop is an anime series-not a fucking live action one.

Dec 3, 2018 4:48 PM by zrdb

meh. Im going to watch it.

Dec 1, 2018 3:46 PM by bokutohana

I'm hoping for the best, but...

Nov 30, 2018 12:54 PM by malvarez1

Spiegel need to be keanu reeves. It must be HIM

Nov 29, 2018 3:22 PM by removed-user

NiQue_ said:
how the weebs are already on theshitstorm train.. tbh Cowboy Bebop is fairly easy. They can only screw up with bad scripts and authors.

give it 2 good lead actors for Spike and Jet (they can be americans because the race of both were never mentioned and they look western in the anime) and a FireFly vibe with the Budget of Altered Carbon/Lost in Space..

It could be awesome.

Same goes for Psycho Pass.. could work easy as an americanize series.
don't forget the sound track, that's what really makes cowboy bebop great.

Nov 29, 2018 11:21 AM by Grandassassin

Can;t wait for the anitubers to milk this and NGE next year.

Nov 28, 2018 12:18 PM by Stripes

how the weebs are already on theshitstorm train.. tbh Cowboy Bebop is fairly easy. They can only screw up with bad scripts and authors.

give it 2 good lead actors for Spike and Jet (they can be americans because the race of both were never mentioned and they look western in the anime) and a FireFly vibe with the Budget of Altered Carbon/Lost in Space..

It could be awesome.

Same goes for Psycho Pass.. could work easy as an americanize series.

Nov 28, 2018 8:07 AM by NiQue_

Oh splended another great anime going to be tarnished, they already fucked up Perfect Blue and Ghost in the Shell and now this, I'm not surprised at all.

Nov 28, 2018 4:46 AM by Grandassassin

Apparently, Netflix has involvement in the live action and Keanu Reeves will probably not act as Spike Spiegel as originally planned from a decade ago. My enthusiasm is dropping with every breath I take.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cowboy-bebop-live-action-series-a-go-at-netflix-1164398

Nov 28, 2018 1:31 AM by Linerax

Streamed on Netflix, 10 eps. total.
Mix of American and Japanese staff also listed.
https://natalie.mu/comic/news/309858

Nov 27, 2018 10:52 PM by tsubasalover

All I have to say is "God no, oh god no, no no no, god no.

May 16, 2018 2:50 PM by removed-user

Why? Come on it's going to be garbage Hollywood.

Mar 31, 2018 9:54 AM by Botan-Chan45

The staff honestly kills any chance of this being good but honestly I am excited for it. Even if it's utter shit I still want to see it, just one episode. I am also excited for the One Piece adaptation that has a budget higher than Game of Thrones. I wonder who would be casted as Luffy?

Sep 2, 2017 5:13 AM by StefyG

I don't know how to feel about this.I really love Cowboy Bebop but I don't know how to feel about a Live-Action series.
I hope they nail the coolness of the Anime and the characters.

Jun 11, 2017 2:51 AM by -Ayu

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