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Tag: Netflix

  • Netflix’s Biggest Challenge Adapting ‘ONE PIECE’

    Netflix’s Biggest Challenge Adapting ‘ONE PIECE’

    Ever since my deep dive into the upcoming Netflix adaptation of One Piece, I’ve been excited to see the iconic manga series be brought to life. As such, it also enticed me to revisit the series and explore the various arcs that the Strawhats fight through. Yet, as I started entering the halfway point on Thriller Bark, I’ve come to realize that Netflix has one major challenge ahead of them. The franchise doesn’t abide by any conventional rules and each story arc continues to build upon the previous one. If you compare the Alabasta arc with its smaller cast of characters against Dressrosa, you’ll notice a massive influx of new faces with new storylines, abilities, and much more. As such, Netflix may face the challenge of an ever escalating budget.

    Land of Wano | One Piece (Official Clip) - YouTube

    In the earlier chapters of the series, we slowly get introduced to the concept of Devil Fruits. As such, we see various unique abilities that force our heroes into finding creative ways of surviving. Yet, as the series continues to go on for 1000+ chapters, we see quite a variety of abilities especially once we enter the New World. The latest Wano arc alone includes various Zoan type fruit users that can transform into larger-than-life animals hybrids. Game of Thrones even had to pick their battles on how frequently they showcased the dragons. That doesn’t take into account the unique designs that make each island stand out.

    That’s not all, as One Piece’s world building introduces us to a very bizarre world filled with unpredictable oceans, otherworldly creatures, and so much more. Once the crew sets out on the Grand Line, the series will require a higher budget as they travel from island to island. Once they reach the New World, it’ll just continue to increase. As exciting as the prospect is to see this world explored in live-action, there’s some uncertainty if they’ll manage to keep it consistent. It would be a shame to adapt this series and not introduce the world to the Neptunian Sea Kings or even just Long Ring Long Land’s majestic Hoooooorse.

    Shirahoshi invoca a Reyes Marinos HD One Piece arma ancestral poseidon haki - YouTube

    Of course, there is a way for the Netflix adaptation to keep it manageable. They may coordinate the budget and storylines in a way that they’re manageable throughout a season. So, while East Blue covers the entire first season, it’s uncertain if Alabasta might get split across multiple seasons. Later arcs in the series have also gotten quite extensive. So, the team behind the franchise might have no choice but to split it. If they stick to a ten episode order per season, it would restrict them quite a bit as the franchise continues. There are ways to avoid this issue, but as Netflix is infamous for it only ordering a specific set of seasons. Here’s hoping that the show’s success might give it many more seasons to expand and explore the many arcs.

    Source: Deadline

  • RUMOR: Netflix’s ‘AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER’ Live-Action Series Casting Azula

    RUMOR: Netflix’s ‘AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER’ Live-Action Series Casting Azula

    Avatar The Last Airbender made its streaming debut last year right as the pandemic struck the world, acting as a bit of light in a tough time for everyone. The show struck quite the cord once again, causing everyone to fall back in love with the show’s story and characters. With everyone ablaze about the series many quickly remembered that Netflix was deep in the development of a live-action adaption of the beloved story, a bittersweet concept for some.

    Azula's Creepy Ladies Are the Best Part of Avatar

    Casting for Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko was just recently revealed by Netflix as the project takes one giant leap forward. It seems that the studio may also be actively casting for the role of Princess Azula, Zuko’s estranged sister and daughter of Fire Lord Ozai. AvatarNews is reporting that the role of Azula is being cast for the first season. No details on the casting have been made, but casting will likely test out the actresses chemistry with Dallas Liu, who was recently cast in the role of Zuko.

    The casting of Azula may raise quite a few eyebrows for many die-hard fans of the series. While she is quite the fan favorite, she has no role in the first season. It’s not until the end where she is tasked with hunting the Avatar and her brother Zuko by the Fire Lord. It’s right on the heals when her brother betrayed the Fire Nation. It’s possible the actress may not debut until the very end of the season, or we get more background on the sibling’s relationship before she is tasked with hunting him down.

    Source: AvatarNews

  • ‘COBRA KAI’ Gets Early Season 5 Renewal

    ‘COBRA KAI’ Gets Early Season 5 Renewal

    It looks like we’ll get a lot more of Cobrai Kai in the future, as Netflix has renewed the series for a fifth season ahead of the fourth’s release in December. The series continues the story of Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso from The Karate Kid. It initially started off as a YouTube Red series before they moved on from original programming and was continued by Netflix as of its third season. There, it’s success has made it a household name for many viewers.

    It’s crazy to see how much this series has grown since premiering on YouTube’s early attempts at a streamer. The idea to look at the original film’s world from the perspective of William Zapka‘s Lawrence. The revival of Cobra Kai as he tries to escape his fall from grace. This act leads to his rivalry with LaRusso also getting reignited, who has been struggling since the death of his mentor Mr. Miyagi.

    Throughout the various seasons, we’ve seen many familiar faces making a return. They even went on to include characters from the various Cobra Kai sequels. In December, we saw the return of Tamlyn Tomita and Yuji Okumoto, who appeared in The Karate Kid Part II from 1986. As the series continues, it makes you wonder if we’ll see other references, such as The Next Karade Kid or perhaps even Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han from the 2010 remake. Here’s hoping we’ll find out what the future has in store once the fourth season premieres in December.

    Source: IGN, Twitter

  • EXCLUSIVE: Justin Timberlake Joins Benicio Del Toro’s Netflix Project ‘REPTILE’

    EXCLUSIVE: Justin Timberlake Joins Benicio Del Toro’s Netflix Project ‘REPTILE’

    In December of 2020, Variety announced that Benicio Del Toro will executive produce and star in Black Label Media’s film, Reptile. The film will be directed by music video director Grant Singer who has collaborated on various projects with The Weeknd and Taylor Swift, but is taking the step into the world of feature films. We can exlusively reveal that Del Toro won’t be alone, as the film has added Justin Timberlake in the role of Will in the Netflix original.

    Justin Timberlake Tickets für 2021 2022 Tour. Information über Konzerte, Touren und Karten von Justin Timberlake in 2021 2022 | Wegow Österreich

    The film will follow Del Toro‘s Nichols, who is a detective in Atlanta trying to solve a case that starts to unravel as time goes on. It’ll force him to also take a closer look at the illusions of the life he believed he lived. Singer and Ben Brewer wrote the script with Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill from Black Label Media producing the film. The production is currently eyeing a production start from September to November.

    Timberlake is no stranger to acting, as the singer famously starred in 2011’s In Time and Friends with Benefits. He recently headlined the Apple+ project Palmer and also lent his singing voice to the 2016 Trolls film. Still, one of his best roles might be the fact he somehow ended up voicing Boo Boo in the 2010 film adaptation of popular Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Yogi Bear. So, you could say he has experience in psychological thrillers and is the perfect choice to join Del Toro in the upcoming Netflix film.

    Source: Variety

  • First Concept Art of Brandon Routh’s Gideon Jura for Netflix’s ‘MAGIC: THE GATHERING’ Series Released

    First Concept Art of Brandon Routh’s Gideon Jura for Netflix’s ‘MAGIC: THE GATHERING’ Series Released

    It looks like Netflix continues to build out its various franchises, as they just confirmed on Twitter that their The Magic: The Gathering series will premiere in 2022 on the streaming service. Sadly, they don’t offer a specific date but revealed that Brandon Routh will tackle the role of Gideon Jura. That is not all, as they also confirmed the series will take the route of adapting the popular card game through 3D animation. They also shared the first look at Ravnica and Golgari through some concept pieces.

    Netflix has been a powerhouse adapting various popular franchises and has started expanding into animation quite a bit frequently. They’ve also brought the popular gaming franchise DOTA to life with DOTA: Dragon’s Blood. As companies like Disney and Warner Bros. have an extensive library to rely on, they’ve been carefully exploring avenues on popular franchises to draw in new subscribers.

    They’ve even expanded into bringing anime to life, such as the recently revealed first look at the new Cowboy Bebop series. It seems that they’ve been generally highlighting quite a few projects lately, which might also give hope we get some updates on the mysterious One Piece adaptation that got postponed due to COVID. There have been rumors that casting is underway with Ludi Lin as a contender to bring Zoro to life. So, we’ll have quite a few exciting new adaptations in the future and can add Magic: The Gathering to that list.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix’s ‘COWBOY BEBOP’ Gets November Release Alongside First Look at Series

    Netflix’s ‘COWBOY BEBOP’ Gets November Release Alongside First Look at Series

    After a long wait and some teases, we finally got our first true look at Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. Not only that, but we also get the confirmation that the series will get released on the streaming service on November 19th, which will follow the adventures of John Cho‘s Spike, Daniella Pineda‘s Faye, and Mustafa Shakir‘s Jet Black. We even get a look at the space-traveling corgi Ein, which gives us a good sense of how much the first season will explore. The first look at the cast is great, as they’ve brought the original designs to life in a greater fashion. Faye got a slight redesign with the core aspects of her original design present.

    There are some really interesting reveals, as we get a shot of Spike in a church, which might tease Vicious appearance in the first season. Alex Hassel was cast in the role of the series’ main antagonist, who is a cornerstone of our space cowboy’s past. The images are mostly focused on their planet-based adventures with some glimpses of the iconic ship. It’s uncertain how much will be spent in space and if we get any episodes that primarily feature space battles. It wouldn’t be the same without them and Netflix would have the budget to bring these types of stories to life. Here’s hoping we get the first trailer in the coming week, as they start rolling out the promotion for the series November release. See you Space Cowboys!

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • Netflix’s ‘ONE PIECE’ Should Include the G-8 Filler Arc

    Netflix’s ‘ONE PIECE’ Should Include the G-8 Filler Arc

    Any anime fans shutters when they hear the word “filler.” In the past, there have been too many story arcs invented for the anime adaptation due to them having already caught up with the manga they are adapting. As they play for time, they rush out story ideas that don’t truly match with the rest of the story, especially when following closely planned projects like One Piece. Netflix’s upcoming live-action adaptation will likely stick to what was set up in the manga, but there’s one filler arc I believe does deserve attention. It’s time to introduce the G-8 arc into the canon.

    One Piece AMV - Stronghold - G8 Arc - YouTube

    In 2014, the anime caught up with the manga and had a void to fill when the Merry Go drops from the sky islands into the open sea. So, the team took a different route and had the team land in the middle of the marine base known as G-8. They had to find a way to survive and infiltrate enemy ranks. There we meet the Marine vice admiral Jonathan and his wife, the head chef Jessica. Unlike most filler storylines, it has left quite the impression on viewers to this day.

    As it’s a filler arc, there are no references to this location throughout any other adaptation. Also, the mangaka Eiichiro Oda has been very specific about what chapters he includes, as he loves utilizing parallels. Of course, a non-manga storyline would require some inversion to keep that theme alive and well between the Paradise and New World eras. The team behind the Netflix adaptation will very likely follow his original vision primarily.

    5 Reasons why I consider One Piece G8 Arc to be Canon

    Yet, there is the possibility of how they can include the storyline. It would be a waste not to explore one of One Piece‘s most fascinating members o the Marines, Jonathan, and further explore their history. In the anime, he is the protégé of Akainu. So, his inclusion would allow the series to introduce the character earlier on. His first appearance was during the Ohara Incident, which got explored in the Enies Lobby arc. They could also tease the CP-9’s existence and flesh out the Marines. It works as one or a maximum of two episodes after the end of the Sky Island Saga. Plus, the season-ending with them in the middle of a marine fortress would be quite an attention-grabbing way to end.

    There’s also an existing parallel to this arc in the manga, which would keep Oda’s type of storytelling alive. This fact gets highlighted by a popular theory of the so-called “checkered fate.” YouTuber Totally Not Mark made the parallel between our favorite pirates’ journey on Jaya, Skypiea, and Long Ring Long Land to the Zou arc. G-8 takes place right before the confrontation with the Foxy Pirates in a Davy Back Fight, which writer Matt Owens has openly stated will get included. In a way, the Zou arc already has parallels to G-8. Rather than escaping a fortress they fell into, they need to enter a mysterious city on top of a wandering giant elephant. Also, it’s not the Strawhat pirates pretending to be someone else to save themselves, but its inhabitants, the Mink tribe, pretending to keep someone safe. It works as a parallel even if loosely. The theory actually would still work with G-8 getting included in the series’ canon.

    5 Reasons why I consider One Piece G8 Arc to be Canon

    We don’t know how closely the Netflix series will follow the original manga series, as they have quite a bit of story to bring to life. We might even see game stories or films make it into the series as additional entries due to Netflix not abiding by classic seasonal structures. Yet, it seems unlikely as Oda is heavily involved with the series and, as revealed by Owens, wants the core story to remain. Still, G-8’s inclusion might also help define a seasonal arc, as they can build up to the Water Seven arc and keep the massive Enies Lobby for a follow-up season. It’s also an arc storyline that fits right in with any other arc, for some even more so than the Davey Jone Fights. The big twist of that arc would be a perfect way to end that to keep viewers on their toes. So, one of the best filler arcs ever put to the screen might help the live-action adaptation’s structure and remain within Oda‘s original vision. Also, it would just be great to see more of Jonathan in the series.

    Source: YouTube, YouTube (Writer)

  • Netflix Unveils Trailer for CG Remake of ‘HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE’

    Netflix Unveils Trailer for CG Remake of ‘HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE’

    Here’s a rather curious surprise. It seems that Netflix has planned out two entries in the He-Man franchise, as they just unveiled a brand new trailer for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. No, this isn’t the second part to Kevin Smith‘s franchise but a remake of the original. Masters of the Universe: Revelations acts as a sequel to the original franchise while this CG animated series is a complete reimagining of the franchise. It will premiere on the streaming service on September 16th.

    It’s a curious decision to release two different entries in the same year, but we have to keep in mind these series have very different audiences. This CG remake is for a younger audience and will introduce a new generation to the franchise. Revelation continues where the previous one ended, which is more for people that already spent time with the franchise. Though, there has been some vocal backlash against the direction the first animated series took.

    Still, it’s great to see this iconic franchise make a return. It’s the second time Netflix reimagined a series from the He-Man franchise, as we also got the modernized take on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power a few years ago. Perhaps the move to push out a second series was also inspired by the direction the Revelation version took to give people some more time with He-Man in the series. The very distinct art style means we won’t get a crossover between any of these series, but they still serve a very specific audience.

    Source: YouTube

  • Current State of Netflix’s ‘ONE PIECE’ Live-Action Series

    Current State of Netflix’s ‘ONE PIECE’ Live-Action Series

    Netflix has the tendency to greenlight a plethora of projects to bank its growing success on. It recently started venturing into live-action adaptations of classic animes. While their attempt with Death Note was questionable, the upcoming Cowboy Bebop series seems promising, but we’ve only seen the cast so far and a tease of the soundtrack. A personal highlight was the announcement to adapt the manga series One Piece.

    Eiichiro Oda‘s manga series started all the way back in 1997 and still continues to this day. The upcoming series was initially announced back in 2017, it wasn’t until 2020 that they got the backing of Netflix for the series. There hasn’t been a lot of details revealed since its announcement but with hints at its production starting soon, it’s the perfect timing to explore how much we actually know about the project and what is heading our way.

    Image

    As the letter above showcases, the mangaka behind the series is an active executive producer on the series and will oversee its production. X-Files‘ Steven Madea joined the project as its executive producer and is currently still the only official talent attached to the project. Cowboy Bebop‘s Becky Clements will also act in the same role on the series. Agents of SHIELD and Luke Cage writer Matt Owens has publicly confirmed his involvement with the project during the podcast The Reverie, and was mentioned on the official Twitter page. He even confirmed that Oda supervised the scripts. In March, the working title “Project Roger” was revealed on Madea‘s Instagram account.

    This brief tease was also followed by a brief interview by SyFy with Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein, who was working on the Snowpiercer series at the time and Netflix’s adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. He also gave the following update on when we can expect casting to begin and production:

    We were supposed to start filming in August in Cape Town, South Africa. We anticipate the date being able to film [now is] September, at the latest. We have basically all 10 scripts written. We will start casting when we go back. My suspicion is June 1, but we will start doing our casting. We have a lot of names that we’re talking about, and we should be in production in September. We have been working very closely with Sensei Oda. So, we’re going to get started, and this one is very big. I mean, Snowpiercer was a big production; this is even bigger.

    Marty Adelstein

    There hasn’t really been any news since with only glimpses and rumors hitting the internet. If they are on track, they should be finishing up casting in the coming weeks before starting production in Cape Town Film Studios. There are rumors floating that Junie Lowry-Johnson joined the project as casting director alongside Black Sails‘ Marc Jobst as director, but these were never confirmed. The only movement that has been seen from the production is what looks like the Merry Go being built from all the way back in March as well.

    There hasn’t been much of an update since until Illuminerdi dropped the character descriptions, which hints at the ongoing casting process. It seems the only one they could hint at is Ludi Lin for the role of Zoro, but that’s it. If their schedule still holds, we might hopefully get the official castings in the coming weeks before they officially start produciton on the project. It’ll be interesting to see if we get any set photos featuring the cast and when we can expect the project to finally hit Netflix after an almost five year long wait.

    Source: Twitter, Instagram, Variety, YouTube (Reverie VIII), LRM Online, SyFy, Cape Town Film Studios, IMDb, Twitter, Twitter (Ship)

  • RUMOR: ‘ONE PIECE’ Cast Descriptions May Hint at Season 1 Adapting the Entire East Blue Saga

    RUMOR: ‘ONE PIECE’ Cast Descriptions May Hint at Season 1 Adapting the Entire East Blue Saga

    It feels like forever since we heard about Netflix’s plans on adapting One Piece into live-action. The project was delayed due to the pandemic, but Illuminerdi shared some first details on the various members of the Straw Hat Pirates. While it offers our first details on the personalities of the characters, the casting offers a clearer picture of what may potentially get adapted in the show’s first season.

    One Piece: East Blue Saga is good but the weakest (a review) – Tower City Media

    The list includes Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji. They were the first members to join the crew before they head out into the Grand Line. It starts with Luffy setting out years after he ate the Rubber Rubber-Fruit and his body turned into literal rubber. The entire saga consisted of his meeting with the various members and the emotional Arlong Park Arc. It ended with a brief stint in Loguetown before they entered the most unpredictable seas of their world. It was the sage with the most arcs in the franchise, but later stories were considerably longer in comparison.

    So, does their inclusion mean the first season will end in Loguetown? It would make the most sense to end the arc just as they set out into the sea. Still, they might also end with the Baratie Arc, where they recruit Sanji. It might be worth giving more time to the iconic Arlong Park arc, which has some of the strongest emotional moments. Plus, the introduction of the Fishmen might be costly and they could always shorten the season length if necessary. Still, it’ll be exciting to finally set out into the East Blue if the series enters production sometime in the near future.

    Source: Illuminerdi