In less than two weeks, best-selling manga One Piece is coming to life as a live-action series on Netflix. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
One Piece Live-Action Cast
Iñaki Godoy takes on the role of protagonist Monkey D. Luffy in the live-action adaptation. As longtime fans know, Luffy embarks on a journey accompanied by his crew, all in pursuit of the legendary treasure known as One Piece. Also starring are Mackenyu playing swordsman Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as the navigator Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp the sniper, and Taz Skylar as Sanji the cook. All five actors were first announced in 2021.
Additional cast members were revealed in the following months. Notable actors include Ian McShane as the series narrator, Peter Gadiot (who will play Shanks), Jeff Ward (Buggy), Michael Dorman (Gold Roger), and Morgan Davies (Koby). The series will also be dubbed by the original voice actors of the One Piece anime.
Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the manga, serves as the executive producer of the live adaptation.
Live-Action One Piece Trailers
On June 18, 2023, Netflix unveiled the first glimpse of its live-action adaptation of One Piece at the 2023 edition of its global fan event, Tudum Festival. In the footage, the character Monkey D. Luffy proclaims, “Ever since I was a kid, the sea’s been calling, so I’m setting out to follow my dreams. I’m going to be King of the Pirates!”
Following this initial teaser, a full-length trailer was subsequently released on July 22, 2023. The trailer opens with a scene showing the former pirate king who faces execution at the hands of the Marines and reveals his most prized possession, the One Piece. Viewers get to see more action, as the Straw Hat crew faces rival characters such as Buggy the Star Clown and world’s strongest swordsman Dracule Mihawk.
One Piece Live-Action Episodes and Arcs
Eight episodes comprise the first season of the live-action One Piece series. The storyline of the first season will cover the first hundred chapters of the source manga material. In other words, the six story arcs of the East Blue Saga will be shown in the series:
- Romance Dawn Arc
- Orange Town Arc
- Syrup Village Arc
- Baratie Arc
- Arlong Park Arc
- Loguetown Arc
Per pop culture website Murphy’s Multiverse, series producer Matt Owens set up the first season into four two-episode arcs where viewers get to meet and know “Straw Hat” Luffy and his crew. More than an origin story, Owens said that the first season is “an encapsulation of the idea of found family.”
Oda has acknowledged there will be differences between the live action adaptation and the manga in terms of missing characters and omitted scenes. But he also claims there were “no compromises” in the production. In an interview with Variety, Oda says the live-action is “faithful” to fans who supported One Piece throughout the years.
Should the series turn out popular and successful, a wealth of content awaits. There are over a thousand chapters in the source material, with more than 40 new chapters published on average each year. The East Blue Saga is just the beginning, a taste of what the expansive One Piece universe has to offer in potential future seasons.
Netflix One Piece Live-Action Release Date
One Piece is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on August 31, 2023, at 12:00AM Pacific Standard Time. For fans in the Philippines, this means the highly-anticipated, live-action series will be available for streaming at 3PM PH time on the same day.
The series was originally slated for a Summer 2023 release but was then announced to be delayed. In a May 4 tweet, Oda revealed his involvement in the delay, indicating he persuaded the Netflix team responsible for the live adaptation to promise not to launch until he is satisfied with the result.
Nonetheless, he stated that he is optimistic about the production and that everyone in the project is burning with passion and brimming with love for One Piece. In a later statement, Oda said they are confident that the show will be enjoyed by everyone around the world.