You like bounty hunters? You like space? Take a seat, friend, because I’ve got some good news for you. A live action adaptation of Sunrise’s Cowboy Bebop anime is in the works. Prepare yourself.
Funimation
According to Deadline, Marty Adelstein’s Tomorrow studios is partnering with Midnight Radio to produce Cowboy Bebop for television with the blessing of Sunrise, the studio responsible for the original series. In a public statement, Adelstein expressed his excitement at developing the adaptation for American audiences.
“The animated version has long resonated with audiences worldwide,” Adelstein said. “With the continued, ever growing, popularity of anime, we believe a live action version will have an incredible impact today.”
In the original Cowboy Bebop series that ran for 26 episodes and concluded in 1999, humans have fled an uninhabitable Earth in favour of various colonised planets where groups of bounty hunters make a living tracking down rogue criminals. The series chronicles the adventures of the Bebop, a ship piloted by one Spike Spiegel (a con artist), his partner Jet Black (a former police officer), Faye Valentine (a con artist dealing with amnesia), Ed Wong (a prodigy hacker), and their dog Ein, a superhumanly intelligent corgi.
While Cowboy Bebop has some of the most gorgeous animation you’ll ever see, it’s the series’ soundtrack that people most often bring up in their celebration of it. It will make a jazz fan out of you.
No news about casting or production has been announced as of yet. For now, you’ll have to spend your time debating whether or not this adaptation is actually a good idea (could be) and who you want to see as Spike (Keanu, obviously).