Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s long-running manga series One Piece launched last week and seems to have been a big success. Fans are eager for more, and producers told Variety that scripts for One Piece season 2 are already complete.
“We’ve got scripts ready,” said Marty Adelstein, CEO of Tomorrow Studios, which produces the series. Production on One Piece season 2 obviously can’t get underway until the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved, but once they’re able to start, Tomorrow Studios president Beck Clements said the new season could debut as early as next year. “Realistically, hopefully, a year away, if we move very quickly, and that is a possibility,” Clements said. “Somewhere between a year and 18 months, we could be ready for air.“
Netflix hasn’t yet announced a season 2 renewal for One Piece, but Clements seems confident it’s coming. “They keep it, as you know, close to the vest until post-launch,” Clements said. “But with Netflix’s support of the title, we expected it to be number one and we sensed their research and algorithms probably saw the possibility for that. But in our subsequent calls post-launch, we have been told that we have exceeded expectations, which is also fantastic.“
“Based on Japan’s highest-selling manga series in history by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a legendary high-seas adventure unlike any other,” reads the official synopsis. “Monkey D. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom since he can remember. Luffy sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, ONE PIECE, to become King of the Pirates! But in order to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he’s always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines, and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn.“
One Piece stars Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji. Additional cast includes Vincent Regan, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Morgan Davies, Aidan Scott, Langley Kirkwood, Jeff Ward, Celeste Loots, Alexander Maniatis, McKinley Belcher III, Craig Fairbrass, Steven Ward, Chioma Umeala and Michael Dorman.
Upon the release of the first One Piece trailer, creator Eiichiro Oda expressed his excitement for the series. “I’ll say this. There were no compromises on this show!” Oda wrote. “There was so much that went into it–all of the efforts by the actors, the building of the world and the costumes, presenting things in a way that can only be done in live action, the dialogue–and the entire process of so many people putting their heads together was a festivity in and of itself. The producers and the crew are pros at live action, and frankly, they’re ONE PIECE superfans too. By now I just love the production team and cast so much that I can’t wait for them to get the acclaim they deserve from everyone around the world.“ The first season of One Piece is now streaming on Netflix, so be sure to check out a review from our own Alex Maidy.
What are you hoping to see in One Piece season 2?