This article was originally posted to animemojo.com
As we get closer to the middle of the year 2023, the official Twitter account for the live-action adaptation of One Piece sent a letter from manga author Eiichiro Oda that offered hope for fans regarding the new adaptation of the series. The message was written on the series' distinctive parchment and includes some doodles from Oda himself.
In it he claims that the whole cast and crew are "burning with passion" for the series, which, although having a release date of 2023, "won't launch until Oda's satisfied." aka the series' release may be delayed until further notice from production. We are hoping the attention to detail the production team is taking will hopefully equate to an amazing live-action!
You can read Eiichiro Oda's official statement below:
"I’ve been working with Tomorrow Studios and Netflix for quite some time now. Even though they understand each of the characters, we obviously come from very different cultures so, when it comes to entertainment, we have different codes, skill sets, and aims. Sometimes it could be frustrating for both sides. It felt like, “We’re all trying to get to the same place so how come we’re not on the same wavelength?” there was even a time when I thought, “Is a foreign production even possible?!”
Now, this might seem like it’s coming out of nowhere but... We’ve been hard at work this entire time. And now, each and every entity involved is working in sync. We’re finally here!!
Considering my expected life span, I believe this is the last chance to bring One Piece to the entire world. If we’re going to do it, I want to be able to supervise things while I’m still active. That’s why I agreed to the live-action adaptation of One Piece back in 2016.
Since then, Netflix has committed enormous resources to the production. It was announced that the show will launch in 2023, but they’ve promised that we won’t launch it until I’m satisfied.
The entire cast and crew, spanning various countries, are brimming with love for One Piece!! They’re burning with passion, and I’ve reminded everyone involved that this should be fun.
We’re in the final process! Right now! Of finishing all 8 episodes!
We’ll be setting sail very soon!!"
Check out some of the cast members for the live-action One Piece series:
Iñaki Godoy as Luffy
Emily Rudd as Nami
Morgan Davies as Koby
Taz Skylar as Sanji
Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp
Mackenyu Arata as Zoro
Here's a full list of more of the announced cast for the live-action adaptation (drop a comment below for who you are most excited to see on screen!):
- Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Alvida
- McKinley Blecher as Arlong
- Jeff Ward as Buggy
- Vincent Regan as Garp
- Aidan Scott as Helmeppo
- Peter Gadiot as Shanks
- Jean Henry as Fullbody
- Len-Barry Simons as Chew
- Alexander Maniatis as Klahadore
- Steven Ward as Mihawk
- Craig Fairbrass as Chef Zeff
- Langley Kirkwood as Captain Morgan
- Celeste Loots as Kaya
- Chioma Umeala as Nojiko
The One Piece television anime is still going strong, with over 1,000 episodes of the series streaming right here on Crunchyroll with new episodes coming out each week as they air in Japan. Although no premiere date has been confirmed, we will keep our fingers crossed hoping it will still be premiering on Netflix late this year!
Let us know your thoughts on the live-action adaptation of One Piece in the comments below!