Netflix Announces Cowboy Bebop Live-Action TV Show Cast and Director

Netflix has announced the first cast members for their upcoming Cowboy Bebop live-action series. We first learned that the streaming service had locked down a deal to bring the classic anime to life last November and now we know who is going to be portraying most of the main characters in the series. John Cho (Star Trek), Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and Alex Hassell (Suburbicon) have all officially signed on, with a search still on for someone to take on the role of Radical Ed.

John Cho will play Spike Spiegel, described as an impossibly cool "cowboy," aka bounty hunter. He rocks a deadly smile and a wry wit, with style to spare. Spike traverses the solar system with his ex-cop partner, Jet, pursuing dangerous bounties, with his signature charm, charisma and deadly Jeet Kune Do. Speaking of Jet Black, that's who Mustafa Shakir is set to play. He was one of very few honest cops in the solar system before a devastating betrayal robbed him of everything he loved. Thus, he started a new life as a vagabond chasing down bounties to put food on the table. Jet loves jazz and serves as Captain of the Bebop.

Daniella Pineda will portray Faye Valentine, who is described as a bold, brash and unpredictable bounty hunter. She suffers from amnesia thanks to years of being cryogenically frozen. She does whatever is necessary to survive, be it lying, stealing, or just being a thorn in the side of Spike and Jet. Last, but not least, we have Alex Hassell as Vicious. This is a man who enjoys a good kill, probably too much. He's the Syndicate's most infamous hitman, in addition to being Spike Spiegel's ex-partner and arch-enemy.

Cowboy Bebop originally debuted in 1997, running for just 26 episodes. However, its legacy has endured for more than two decades. The show centers on a rag-tag group of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts, as they hunt down the most dangerous criminals in the solar system. Shinichiro Watanabe, who directed the original anime, is on board as a creative consultant. Alex Garcia Lopez (Daredevil, The Punisher) is set to direct the first two episodes of the series. Netflix has given a ten-episode order for the first season.

Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki, Shin Sasaki, Tetsu Fujimura and Matthew Weinberg serve as executive producers. Christopher Yost (Thor: Ragnarok) is on board to write the first episode and will also serve as an executive producer. It hasn't yet been announced when the series will go into production, nor has a release date been set. Though, a 2020 release date seems likely at this point. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are released. Feel free to check out photos of the cast with the official character descriptions from Netflix below.

Topics: Cowboy Bebop TV Show, Netflix, Streaming