At the virtual Netflix TUDUM event, the opening credits for the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop were posted. The live-action credits bring back the original notorious “Tank!” song by Yoko Kanno. Regarding music, Yoko Kanno is composing the soundtrack for the live-action series.
Netflix describes the upcoming series as,
Cowboy Bebop is an action-packed space Western about three bounty hunters, aka “cowboys”, all trying to outrun the past. As different as they are deadly, Spike Spiegal (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.”
Other cast members for the series include Mason Alexander Park as Gren and Rachel House as Mao. Netflix also posted a Behind the Scenes video on October 2019 to mark the start of the production. The first season’s production was on hold for a while after John Cho suffered a knee injury in 2019. This initial delay was also followed by the shutdown due to the coronavirus disease. In July 2020, New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovations, and Employment allowed the series’ cast and crew to enter the country for filming.
Cowboy Bebop’s Live-Action vs Original
Since then, writer and producer Jeff Pinkner teased that a second season of the show was already in development. Even though he said that the one-hour episode length for the first season “allows them to tell the full story, there is so much more to tell.” The series is a collaboration between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, with Netflix handling the physical production aspects. Shinichiro Watanabe, the original anime’s director, is serving as a consultant for the project.
The original Cowboy Bebop anime follows the same storyline as the upcoming live-action version. The anime also inspired Cowboy Bebop: The Movie in 2001. Currently, the series is available on Blue-ray and DVD, while also being found on Hulu.
The live-action Cowboy Bebop premiers on Netflix on November 9.