Posted in: Netflix, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: anime, geeked week, netflix, one piece, preview

One Piece Featurette Offers BTS Set Tour; New Cast Members Welcomed

The cast of Netflix, Tomorrow Studios (Netflix's Cowboy Bebop, TNT's Snowpiercer) & publisher Shueisha's upcoming live-action series based on author Eiichiro Oda's manga One Piece has been grinding away the days filming in South Africa. So in honor of this week being Geeked Week, the team is taking viewers behind the scenes to show them just how impressive the sets are with a new featurette. But before we get to that, we also have some additional casting news to share. Langley Kirkwood as Captain Morgan, Celeste Loots as Kaya, Alexander Maniatis as Klahadore, Craig Fairbrass as Chef Zeff, Steven Ward as Mihawk, and Chioma Umeala as Nojiko have joined the series. The six join Iñaki Godoy (Who Killed Sara?) as Monkey D. Luffy, Peter Gadiot (Yellowjackets) as Shanks, Mackenyu (Ruroni Kenshin: Final Chapter) as Rornoa Zoro, Emily Rudd (Fear Street) as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson (All Rise) as Usopp, Taz Skylar (Boiling Point) as Sanji, Morgan Davies (The Evil Dead) as Koby, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino (The Sex Lives of College Girls) as Alvida, Aidan Scott (Action Point) as Helmeppo, Jeff Ward (Hacks) as Buggy, McKinley Belcher III (Ozark) as Arlong, Vincent Regan (Troy) as Garp

Now here's a look behind-the-scenes at just how massive of production the live-action series take on One Piece has become (including some amazing looking examples of how the concept art is coming to life):

The streamer's 10-episode series highlights the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew as they explore a fantastical world of endless oceans and exotic islands in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as "One Piece" to become the next Pirate King. Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) serves as writer, showrunner & executive producer, with Matt Owens (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel's Luke Cage) also writing as well as producing. Oda serves as an executive producer, alongside Tomorrow Studios' Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements (with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios co-producing).

"We've been working with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios on the massive project that is the Hollywood live-action series adaptation of ONE PIECE! How many years has it been since it was announced, right? I know, I know! But rest assured we've been making steady progress all along! It's not easy when you're working with people from different cultures! But it's precisely that process that can yield something special! For now, we're able to announce the main cast! Rather, we need to hurry and announce it, or else it'll be leaked, apparently! Hilarious, lol. Their face, the size of their mouths and hands, their aura, the way they carry themselves, their voice, their acting skills, their height, the balance amongst the Straw Hat Crew, etc…," Oda said in a statement when the casting news was first announced. "We decided on this cast after numerous discussions involving people around the world! These are the people who will be our Straw Hat Pirates! It'll take a bit more time to get this show done, but we'll continue to do our best to deliver a show that we're confident will be enjoyed by everyone around the world! Look forward to more updates in the future!"

Maeda and Owens added, "We are so excited to set sail with this amazing and talented cast! Finding the right people to pull off the looks, emotions, and actions of the iconic Straw Hats was a long and challenging (and fun!) process. Much like the search for the One Piece itself. But we have finally found the perfect fits! They have already begun working very hard to bring these characters to life. You will come to know and love them just as much as their manga counterparts. All of us can't wait to show you what we've come up with! Onward to adventure!"

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