The “One Piece” live-action series at Netflix has cast five of its main roles.
Iñaki Godoy (“Go, Youth!,” “Who Killed Sara?”), Mackenyu (“Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter,” “Pacific Rim: Uprising”), Emily Rudd (“Fear Street,” “Hunters”), Jacob Romero Gibson (“Greenleaf,” “All Rise”) and Taz Skylar (“Boiling Point,” “Villain”) will all star in the series.
Godoy will play Monkey D. Luffy, with Mackenyu set to play Roronoa Zoro. Rudd will play Nami, while Romero Gibson will play Usopp. Skylar will play Sanji. All the characters are members of the Straw Hat Pirates, the protagonists of the series.
Based on the iconic Japanese manga of the same name, “One Piece” centers on Luffy, a young man who embarks on a journey to become king of the pirates and find the celebrated “One Piece” treasure. The show was ordered for 10 episodes at Netflix back in January. In addition to the manga, 20 seasons of the “One Piece” anime series have been released to date along with 14 animated films.
“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,” said author of the manga series and executive producer Eiichrio Oda. “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…! 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!”
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Steven Maeda serves as co-writer, showrunner, and executive producer on the “One Piece” live-action series, with Matt Owens also co-writing and executive producing. Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios executive produce along with Oda. The series is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, with Netflix handling physical production.
“We are so excited to set sail with this amazing and talented cast,” said Maeda and Owens. “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!”
