Netflix has revealed most of the key cast for its upcoming live-action series based on the acclaimed Japanese anime Cowboy Bebop, by Shinichiro Watanabe (who serves as consultant). The new 10-episode project will star John Cho (Star Trek, Searching) as Spike Spiegel, Mustafa Shakir (Marvel’s Luke Cage) as Jet Black, Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, What/If) as Faye Valentine), and Alex Hassell (The Red Sea Diving Resort, Suburbicon) as Vicious. Casting for manic pixie hacker Ed is TBC (no word on Ein corgi, either).
Cowboy Bebop is the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts, as they hunt down the solar system’s most dangerous criminals. They’ll even save the world… for the right price. Alex Garcia Lopez (The Witcher; Marvel’s Daredevil and Marvel’s The Punisher; Utopia) will direct the first two episodes.
Spike Spiegel (John Cho) is an impossibly cool “cowboy” (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, wry wit, and style to spare. He travels the solar system with his ex-cop partner, Jet, pursuing the future’s most dangerous bounties with a combination of charm, charisma — and deadly Jeet Kune Do.
Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) was one of the few honest cops in the solar system before an ultimate betrayal robbed him of all that he loved, forcing him into a vagabond life of hunting bounties to put food on the table. Jet is an inveterate jazz enthusiast and Captain of the Bebop.
Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) is a bold, brash and unpredictable bounty hunter. Suffering from amnesia after years of being cryogenically frozen, Faye does whatever it takes to survive. Whether she’s lying, stealing, or just being a thorn in Spike and Jet’s side.
A man who thoroughly enjoys a good kill, Vicious (Alex Hassell) is the Syndicate’s most notorious hitman. He’s also Spike Spiegel’s ex-partner and arch-enemy.
Cowboy Bebop is a co-production of Netflix and Tomorrow Studios (a partnership of Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios), with Netflix handling physical production. Showrunners / exec producers are Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio. Exec producers are Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios; Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki and Shin Sasaki of Sunrise Inc; Tetsu Fujimura and Matthew Weinberg. Writer/exec producer Christopher Yost (Thor: The Dark World & Ragnarok) will write the first episode.
