Netflix’s main strategy has been to purchase various existing IPs to bring them to life. While they’ve seen quite a bit of success through their original adaptations, it never deterred the streamer from finding that property that’ll put them on the map in new ways. Well, it seems their next project will be an adaptation of David F. Walker‘s comic The Hated as a Western series. Michael Starrbury, who worked on When They See Us and Black & White.
He’ll take on the role of executive producer alongside Prime Universe Films’ Adrian Askariah, David F. Walker, and Sean Owolo. The project is part of Starrbury’s multi-year deal with the streamer, as he’s also bringing out a comedy The Come Up soon. The series will take place during a post-Civil War revisionist history, where we follow the bounty hunter Araminta Free. The U.S. didn’t unite but separated and she’s one of the few people specialized in crossing the border. It’ll be interesting to see this different take on history and how they tackle the project.
Jim Mickle made a name for himself as the co-creator of Netflix’s hit series Sweet Tooth. Now, he’s locked in his next project as he’s going to adapt Donny Cates‘ God Country for Netflix with Legendary, who is also working on the Enola Holmes and live-action Gundam films. and AfterShock Media developing the project. He’ll direct the project and is co-writing the script alongside Cates.
The story is about Emmet Quinlan. A widower who suffers from dementia is brought back to his prime through a magical sword that he found in the wreckage after a tornado hit. Now, it’s his only tool to protect his family after creatures from another world start threatening his home in search of his newfound powers. Cate‘s has made a name for himself for his work on the Venom series and wrote the six-issue series with Geoff Shaw bringing it to life with his art.
It looks like the production company Supermarché, spearheaded by directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schuman, has accidentally revealed that they are developing a live-action adaptation of the popular superhero Mega Man for Netflix The project originally was announced back in 2018 as part of 20th Century Fox’s upcoming line-up but never picked up development. The updated website seemingly confirms the project, going by the title MEGA MAN for now, has moved to Netflix.
Henry, Rel, and their in-house producer Orlee-Rose Strauss maintain an active development slate. Features in the works include: an adaptation of Capcom’s MEGA MAN for Chernin Entertainment and Netflix […].
IGN confirms that this is the same project and that the Capcom video game is only in very early development. So, we might not expect any development on the project anytime soon, but the update may be a hint that an official announcement was originally intended to go out at some point. It’ll be interesting to see how they tackle this project, especially with how they tackle some of the goofier designs from the game.
Of course, it might be smarter to adapt a different corner of the Mega Man franchise to make the storytelling aspects easier. The original franchise had barely any story outside of the rivalry between Dr. Light and Wily. The X series had a much more interesting approach by exploring a very different future 100 years after the original Mega Man was created. They could even take the Mega Man Battle Network series to use digital avatars with humans. There are quite a few options for the franchise moving forward.
As I said on Twitter, we have entered the Wild West age of Marvel Studios’ projects being spoiled. At this point, no spoiler is too big and multiple projects had big spoilers leaked this week. You can check them out here:
Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the iconic sci-fi anime series, Cowboy Bebop, is dead after one season. Read our review before it becomes a collector’s item.
Michael, not Kenny, G. to score ‘Thor 4’
Michael Giacchino, who has scored at least a half dozen Pixar projects and a handful of Marvel Studios projects, including all the Spidey films, revealed he is now scoring Thor: Love and Thunder. Wait until you guys find out about his next project for Marvel! It’s a howling big deal.
Let There Be More Venom
Sideshow Amy Pascal confirmed this week, to literally nobody’s surprise, that the studio was developing a third Venom film. The two films have inexplicably built a huge fanbase and made a metric shit ton of money, so a third film, featuring Tom Holland, would probably somehow become the biggest money maker of all-time for Sony.
‘Wonder Woman 3’ Headed for a Potential 2024 Debut
WW director Patty Jenkins has been on, off, in and out of a lot of films recently. A new report from one of the trades indicates that she’s still on Wonder Woman 3 and that it’ll start production in 2023, making a 2024 release date a possibility.
Destin Daniel Cretton Signs a Ryan Coogler-esque Deal with Disney
Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton signed a new deal with Disney that will see him develop, among many other things, the Shang-Chi sequel and a Disney+ Shang-Chi spinoff.
As many might’ve noticed, we’ve covered Cowboy Bebop and Tomorrow Studios’ next project, One Piece, quite extensively. The studio is tackling some of the most popular IPs and bringing them to life in a new format. Netflix is no stranger to it with their attempts at Death Note and the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender series. The future seemed too bright with the release of Bebop‘s release, but barely a month after its release, the series was canceled by Netflix. Of course, it opens up the question, what does it mean for the future of Netflix’s adaptation wave and, especially, Tomorrow Studio’s next project.
Short term, this won’t have any effect on any upcoming projects. It’ll certainly shake things up and there will be fears instilled that series with seasons mapped out will suffer a similar fate. One Piece‘s manga spans 1,000+ chapters with no true ending in sight as of yet. So, they’ll manage to map out seasons of content as they explore different parts of the Grand Line. Yet, the challenge is that the series has to get over the Red Line after the first season explores the East Blue.
That’s where the uncertainty lies. Even Cowboy Bebop ended on a cliffhanger that’ll remain unresolved with the arrival of Ed. There were plans to build upon what the season has offered. So, it means that even if the creatives behind the series have big plans, it’s not a confirmation that it’ll continue with a full adaptation. Yet, it’s understandable as Netflix puts a lot of value into their productions and has very specific expectations going in. If a product is expensive, they’ll try to get the most viewership numbers out of it.
No matter what your opinion is on the live-action Bebop series is, it’s very likely that the critical reception didn’t play directly into its cancelation. It simply didn’t get the audience that Netflix expected due to the popularity of the IP, the lack of word-of-mouth and positive buzz surrounding the series didn’t add any favors. It may partly be due to a very late marketing campaign with official trailers not releasing until long after its release date announcement. There is also the fact that the franchise may not have a broad of an appeal as one would think considering its standing in specific circles.
As the adaptation moved further away from its roots, choosing a serialized drama format over the bounty-of-the-week structure, it struck a nerve with fans in a negative way. The fact it tries to balance “both” aspects may also have also lost its appeal for viewers going through the ten-episode run. That one point might be One Piece‘s biggest advantage. Unlike Cowboy Bebop, the series was already made with serialization in mind. While the East Blue didn’t include many references to later storylines, the team will likely dip their toes into foreshadowing more and they have quite a bit more to play with.
Luffy’s eventual reunion with Shanks and his brother, who are making waves out in the Grand Line. The possibility of different and creative Devil Fruit abilities that come in countless varieties. Then there’s the history that led to Arlong’s actions and how the Marines play into this world. The dangers of the Grand line are heavily hinted at through Don Krieg during Baratie.
If they hide away enough details and hint at future storylines, may it be as small as Germa 66 posters in the background, there is quite a bit more build-up to the future of the franchise. Most of Cowboy Bebop‘s storyline focused on his time with the Syndicate that technically was mostly resolved outside of a left-field twist in the finale. We learn very little about the world outside of its underworld and our main casts’ backstories. One Piece, however, is all about world-building and letting its characters set out on a voyage to explore every corner of it.
There are mysteries that still haven’t been answered and certainly something that’ll grab people’s attention. Many fans are still discussing the mysteries of the weapons and the Void Century. I would dare say it’s a mystery on the same level as John Snow’s heritage that’ll have newcomers guessing what it may potentially be about and even visit the manga or anime adaptations to find out more. Cowboy Bebop is more straightforward in its approach, as there isn’t much to theorize. Ed’s arrival at the end doesn’t foreshadow any plotline, but rather gives fans the character’s long-awaited arrival.
Plus, there’s one last effect that may have also become a hurdle for new viewers to the anime adaptation. While the original 90s anime was a new benchmark within the industry, it was THE entry that defined future additions to the genre. Sadly, as time went by, we’ve seen plenty of entries that shared similar visual styles, storytelling concepts, and more. So, Cowboy Bebop also isn’t as new as it once was and the live-action adaptation may have suffered as a result.
One Piece, on the other hand, might seem like a pirate story similar to Disney’s Pirates of the Carribbean, there aren’t many “pirate” elements in the story. Once viewers meet the Straw Hat pirates and the wacky world they live in, the unique aspect of the show might draw in viewers that thought they were just going to see something in the vein of Black Sails or the Pirates franchise. One Piece is still even unique among other Shonen series and that may be to its advantage once it premieres on Netflix.
Well, this is quite a shocking reveal. It seems that Netflix has decided they aren’t moving forward with their latest Anime adaptation, Cowboy Bebop. The first project together with Tomorrow Studio saw the first attempt at adapting one of the most iconic Anime series in live-action. While it was met with a mixed reception, the numbers we’re looking good during its first week. The Hollywood Reporter reports that while it managed to garner 74 million hours viewed, it did plummet by 59% not too long after.
Given their perchance on streaming length over critical reception, it may have been one of the key factors in its cancelation. They seem to balance viewership with cost, as around 60% of shows make it to a second season. For a long time, there was a running joke that Netflix would renew anything, but as they continue to grow, so does their audience analysis. These numbers highlight that their benchmarks are continuing to grow.
It’s strange though to see how strong the social media push was for the show, but it looks like it ended up being an underdog after all. The series has taken a challenging route by trying to appease mainstream audiences and streamlining what some might consider being the “holy grail” of Anime. It’s uncertain what it means for the future of Tomorrow Studios’ as they continue work on their upcoming One Piece series.
What is it with Western shows and their pre-season finale flashback episodes? It’s a funny trend that continues in Cowboy Bebop. Yet, in a way, the timing is perfect as Spike’s fight with LeFou knocked him out land Vicious unleashed his wrath. So, once again we move away from the trio that is supposedly at the forefront of the series and explore Spike’s time as Fearless and what lead to his new identity. Is it worth the detour, or are we just treading water until the show comes to an end?
John Cho carries the show once again, but Alex Hassell does continue to have some fun with the role this time around. It feels like we get more of the unhinged version at times that we were given a glimpse of during the last episode. It does add a lot of weight to this interpretation of Vicious, who is described as mostly unhinged and childish. It’s definitely the character we’ve seen in the past episodes, but it does seem like a more cliché approach given how little he changes across the season’s runtime.
Julia also gets more character development, as we find out how exactly she met our two Syndicate members. I’ll be honest, the romance feels a bit rushed here, especially when you consider how strong it was in “Binary Two-Step.” Elena Satine gives a good performance but having to know how she became a singer didn’t seem like a necessary addition to this story. Her introduction through the song may have been more efficient as it adds a layer of mystique to her that is gone, especially given what happens in the finale.
The strength of the episode, however, lies in Fearless’ storyline. We finally find out what the references for what he blames himself for were all about. It’s a strong moment that punctuates a well-done action sequence, but it adds one point of confusion. He has his affair with Julia, who Vicious is dating at the time, but also goes out of his way to save his “best friend.” While I get why he wants to leave the Syndicate and it’s a rushed action out of love, it still seems like the build-up to that moment was a bit, lacking. That’s kind of the drawback of telling this entire story in an episode, just in time to highlight the eventual meeting of everyone involved in the finale.
While a lot happens in this episode, it feels like there’s not that much to talk about. We mostly get some clarifications on some smaller elements that were built up, but it felt like it could’ve been also scattered through flashbacks by Spike. I liked the idea to use the new storytelling structure to build up the mystery of our protagonist’s time with the evil corporation, but it’s not the strongest landing. Most revelation or story elements were already hinted at, which makes most of the “bigger revelations” less impactful s they could’ve been. It’s a competently made episode with some strong moments but a bit forgettable overall. Here’s hoping the finale can continue where episode eight left us off on.
Earlier this week, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, confirmed that Charlie Cox, who portrayed Matt Murdock and Daredevil over 3 seasons of the Netflix series, Daredevil, would be portraying the same character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cox will join Daredevil co-star Vincent D’Onofrio, who first appeared in the briefest of cameos in Episode 3 of Hawkeye, as actors who will portray their Netflix characters in MCU. While that makes for an exciting future, what’s not clear is if the their appearances in the MCU will be continuing the stories they began telling on Netflix, will serve as a soft reboot or will ignore them entirely and simply be the same actors playing entirely new versions of the same characters.
With so much uncertainty over the topic, Twitter user Trash ‘n Treasure smartly asked one guy who might know: Daredevil Season 1 showrunner and director Steven DeKnight. Unfortunately, as it turns out, DeKnight is in the same boat as the rest of us.
It looks like people will continue to debate the canonicity of the Netflix series until we have further evidence from the projects in which the characters will appear (and let’s be honest, even when faced with a factual answer, people will still debate it). However, while fans continue to dwell on the past of the characters, it’s a lot more enjoyable to focus on what seems like it’s going to be an exciting future for them. Regardless of whether or not the events of the Netflix series “happened” in the MCU, two actors who gave incredible performances are about to give fans a whole new set of events to enjoy and debate. With D’Onofrio and Cox expected to be fully revealed in the roles over the next two weeks, we wont have too long to wait to start enjoying them all over again.
It’s fun finding out that one of the first looks we got from the series was for the eighth episode in the series, “Sad Clown A-Go-Go.” As the title points out, we get the live-action introduction of Pierrot LeFou. It’s a bit sudden that Vicious goes out of his way to send out the madman to take on Spike, but it does open the question of whether the show can tackle one of the series’ most memorable villains or lack the subtlety to bring it full circle?
So, the strangest change here is connecting Ein directly to LeFou. It technically has no true effect on the story outside of our team heartlessly leaving the upper behind. There’s a reason for the set-up later down the line but it seems a bit heartless from our usual ragtag team. Here’s hoping they make up for this action next season, but it seems like an easy way to explain how Spike finds the assassin rather than it being through actual sleuthing.
Still, Josh Randall does play the character quite well and he has his quirks from the anime, even if not as “animated” as you would think. It’s funny how Western adaptations go out of their way to explain things, as we get a showcase for why he can float. Though the shot of his shadow hanging over the team until his reveal was well done even if he lacked the absurdity of the original. Once he gets his clown-inspired costume, the look is completed even if it feels a bit too short-lived on screen.
Spike is his main target, but he feels a bit less in danger than he did in the episode that inspired it, “Requiem for a Clown.” The opening does push him to his limits, which was great to see but the actual one-on-one confrontation loses that appeal when Spike seemingly knows exactly how to solve the impenetrable shield of LeFou. So, it kind of explains away a plot point that was more of discovery during the original for us as the viewers and Spike.
Even the “mommy” scene feels less impactful as we see the character act a bit more controlled earlier on in the same episode. He’s manic but still in control which doesn’t quite work with the message of the original. It does highlight the aspect of the series that it lacks the same kind of subtlety that the original had when it came to its message and characters. Strong moments like “Galileo Hustle” are there but they seem sometimes far and too few throughout the first season.
Speaking of lack of subtlety, Vicious’ story arc throughout the series comes to the moment he’s been waiting for. His plan by switching places with Santiago was surprisingly smart for the character we meet, and even if it was pretty obvious he wasn’t going to die, it still was well executed. Especially as it seems like this twist was why the character of Abdul Hakim was wearing the tech that changed his entire look. So, they technically set it up indirectly.
The reveal that his father was an Elder here was a pleasant surprise, as it explained why Vicious seems like the cliché of a “rich boy with daddy issues.” I’ll still argue that the character works in the context of this series even if it’s far removed from the original. He gets “his moment” in this episode but it is undercut by Mao just selling out Julia randomly. That scene was a bit of a headscratcher for me personally at that moment, but I guess it’s to set up her role as well.
Overall, it’s a bit of an underwhelming episode in comparison to the last three. It lost a bit of its momentum and tried too much to lean into LeFou without truly utilizing the character’s full potential. It feels more like they wanted to include him and forced a connection that takes away from the mystery. It’s kind of a general issue with this adaptation as it focuses too hard on serializing a series that didn’t necessarily require it. We’ll see how it ties it all together in the final two episodes. Though I wonder if the clown referenced in the title is about LeFou or Vicious.
With Charlie Cox’s return as Daredevil confirmed by Kevin Feige, there were always going to be further questions about whether other characters from the Netflix series could follow suit. Fans have been clamoring for some of the actors to jump into the MCU since the cancellation of the various shows. Now with Cox emerging as Matt Murdock once again, the chances of some of those other characters also appearing might go up. Screenrant spoke to Feige about the possibility of those Netflix Marvel characters appearing in the MCU, who had a rather curious statement on their potential future:
I always say that whenever a character comes back into the Marvel sandbox, it becomes another tool in the storytelling ability of the MCU. As I said before, the good news is, all will be revealed when people actually finally watch.
Kevin Feige
Feige suggesting that the MCU is ‘the Marvel sandbox’ suggests a clear line in the sand for characters outside it. It could be suggested that characters outside of the sandbox may not get the full range of freedom those inside do. It still remains to be seen whether those Netflix Marvel characters will be exactly the same ones we previously saw on screen, but with Marvel Studios liking to do things their way, as with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, it seems clear that these actors could be playing MCU variants of their previously played characters. It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for these characters.
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