Prepare For Stormy Seas Ahead…
To many, One Piece is the greatest manga series of all time. For the past twenty years, creator Eiichiro Oda has given us characters, settings and battles that at times defy comprehension. A fantasy world with such richness and razor-sharp political commentary that it’s not uncommon to find yourself laughing your ass off over the antics of a talking skeleton…only to then watch a global government commit mass genocide.
Yes, Luffy’s journey is truly a modern gem. Along with it’s faithful anime adaptation and plethora of original movies, One Piece is a franchise that is revered as almost untouchable. Surely no one would even think to try and make a live-action version, there’s just so much content and creativity that it would do a disservice to Oda’s work if they tried to replicate it. Besides, just a single arc of the manga would prove to be a cinematic-herculean labour. No studio is that crazy.
Or so we thought.
According to an article on Anime News Network, it seems that a live-action TV series is indeed in the works, and we have no idea how we feel about it.
In a video message shown at Jump Festa 2018’s One Piece stage panel on Sunday, producer Marty Adelstein stated that the live-action Hollywood television series adaptation of Eiichiro Oda‘s One Piece manga will start with the East Blue arc and will “broaden from there.” Adelstein also stated that the series promises to create “a true One Piece” after he discussed the project with Oda personally.
Tomorrow Studios, a partnership between Adelstein (Prison Break, Teen Wolf) and ITV Studios, will produce the adaptation. Adelstein commented on the project in July, stating “I am enthusiastic to give my all to make One Piece succeed. I think this project could set a new record for the highest production cost in television drama history. The work’s worldwide fame merits this scale of production.”
Oda himself commented in July that his condition for the project was that the project “will never betray the fans who have supported me for 20 years.”
We hope these guys are aware of the gravity of their decision. Anime adaptations have been rather poorly received as of late, and given One Piece’s reputation and legacy, expectations will be through the roof!
Be sure to check out the video below if you want to see our picks for the Top 10 Best One Piece Characters!
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