Live-Action Cowboy Bebop Proposal Officially Announced (Updated)

[democritus]

The Japanese animation studio Sunrise has officially announced the plans for a live-action film adaptation of its Cowboy Bebop science-fiction anime franchise. The American film studio Twentieth Century Fox, the production company 3 Arts Entertainment, and Sunrise itself are collaborating on the project. Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, A Scanner Darkly, Johnny Mnemonic) is slated to star. Joshua Long is acting as a production supervisor, and Erwin Stoff, a film producer who worked closely with Reeves on The Matrix and A Scanner Darkly, is also attached. The associate producers are Sunrise President Kenji Uchida, the original Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, and the original series script supervisor Keiko Nobumoto. The Sunrise studio itself and Masahiko Minami (former Sunrise producer and BONES studio co-founder) are both acting as production consultants.

Stoff first revealed the existence of the proposed project last July to the IFMagazine.com entertainment website after the parties "just signed it the other day." Reeves confirmed the plans and his intentions to play the lead role with MTV Movies Blog last month. He also indicated that the preliminary story outline partly draws inspiration from the "Red Eye" storyline from the first episode of the animated series. Reeves and Watanabe had previously worked together on the "Kid's Story" segment of The Animatrix animated video anthology.

Watanabe's original Cowboy Bebop series follows the motley crew of the spaceship Bebop as it travels throughout the solar system in search of the next job. The anime distributor Bandai Entertainment and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block released the 1998 television series in the United States, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the subsequent 2001 animated movie. The anime was also adapted into two separate manga series, and Tokyopop released both manga series in North America.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun, animeanime.jp


Image © Sunrise, Inc.

Update: The Daily Variety entertainment trade newspaper's website reports that Peter Craig has signed onto the project to write the screenplay.

courtesy animenewsnetwork.com

And another story on it...

Cowboy Bebop Live Action Formally Announced



Keanu Reeves is set to play Spike in COWBOY BEBOP

Via reports from Mainichi Shimbun and animeanime.jp, it's been confirmed that Sunrise has announced that the live action version of Cowboy Bebop is going forward with Twentieth Century Fox along with production company 3 Arts Entertainment. As previously discussed since the project first came to light in 2008, Keanu Reeves is set and excited to take on the role of Spike in it. On the behind the scenes side of things, Joshua Long is being brought on as the production supervisor while Erwin Stoff is also attached. From the Japanese side, there are a number of associate producers that are being included as well which bodes positively. Sunrise President Kenji Uchida along with , the original Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe and the series script supervisor Keiko Nobumoto.

What it's about: The crew of the Bebop is once again ready to take control of space; bringing bad guys to justice and trying to make some cash while doing it. Join the always-cool Spike, investigative genius Jet, the fabulous Faye, the amazing (but weird) Ed and the super-smart Welsh Corgi named Ein as they try to make a buck in the year 2071. How do they do it? They're bounty hunters!

Courtesy www.mania.com


It's really gonna be made people! Brace yourselves!

[Jademoon20]

Great anime, potentially great movie- BUT Keanu Reeves ?!?!?!?! Thats a turn off right away. They could have done better than that. Holy crap that guy sucks and Spike is so cool. The part is doomed to fail. I am saddened and dissapointed. Yuck

[Lynethia]

Keanu Reeves equals epic fail.

[finalxnoodles]

well he is the chosen one
so why not have some faith for the movie
im looking forward to it

[tienguan]

hope it is a good one as from the trailers i saw about dragon ball z the movie, it is so bad i don't think i will watch it. please make cowboy bebop movie good.

[kawaiixneko]

Wow, Keanu Reeves. I'm expecting this too be good ^_^ Unlike other remakes *coughs* Dragon Ball Z *coughs*

[xXNirvashXx]

the anime was simply amazing and now americans are going to wreck it just like they did with DBZ live action...sad day

[snowii77]

Vincent Gallo as Spike! Skinny, Hair, and Cooler!

[loginus]

'oh no' was my initial reaction...and sort of still is
There is some hope in that Wantanabe and Nobumoto will be associate producers.

[mih0shinj0]

Personally, I feel that Cowboy Bebop should be left as an anime unless it HAD to be turned into a Live-Action movie to expand the tale of the Bebop crew; rather than just retelling an old tale.

Also, Mr. Keanu Reeves just seems too stiff (that might be due to his previous roles in other movies) to be casted as Spike.

I'm biased at any rate when it comes to live-action ver. VS anime ver.

[boco903]

Keanu..? @_@
Spike is such an epic character. The casting’s gotta be perfect to a tee for this movie to even compare to the original. I would have much preferred to have seen an unknown, non-a-list actor get the role..
Well we’ll see.. I’m still hoping for the best!

[osase]

this movie is not the enjoymentThe enjoymentThe enjoymentThe enjoymentThe enjoyment

[slimslam]

Keanu as Spike hmmmmmmmmmmm worries worries. I'm really not that confident, but who knows...

[Sakura_Kissu]

I m not confident either, Keanu Reeves seems too old for it.
Just my point of view, not offense to anyone

[yasminkov]

i dunno about too old for it, he just doesnt look like spike...at all,im sure there are better options...but i withold judgement and hope he pulls it off, i expect the movie will be good either way and will probably get more people interested in watching the original, hopefully it won't alienate us fans though