Netflix announced plans to turn the popular anime ‘Cowboy Bebop’ into a live-action series in November, but there hasn’t been a lot of buzz about that series since. That may be about to change. Star John Cho has been spotted sporting the iconic bushy hairstyle of the main character bounty hunter Spike Spiegel.
Screen Rant’s Kayleigh Donaldson shared a picture of the actor on Twitter:
Guys, John Cho has the Spike Spiegel hair now and I fucking told you he would be perfect for this role! Dreams do come true. pic.twitter.com/J3Jf7F6Sm9
— Kayleigh Donaldson (@Ceilidhann) June 17, 2019
No, Cho’s coif isn’t as huge as the cartoon version, but it’s pretty spot-on in a more realistic manner.
Set in the year 2071, ‘Cowboy Bebop’ follows a ragtag group of mercenaries as they track down the nastiest of criminals in the galaxy. Occasionally, they find themselves having to save the day, but only for the right price.
Spike Speigel is described as “an impossibly cool “cowboy” (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a 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.”
Joining Cho on Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’ are Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black, Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine, and Alex Hassell as Vicious.
Jet Black is described as, “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 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.”
Finally, the villain Vicious is “a man who thoroughly enjoys a good kill, Vicious is the Syndicate’s most notorious hitman. He’s also Spike Spiegel’s ex-partner and arch-enemy.”
The ‘Cowboy Bebop’ anime premiered in 1998 in Japan, and arrived in the US in 2001, on Adult Swim. Alex Garcia Lopez (‘Daredevil’) is directing the first two episodes of the live-action adaptation, with a script by Christopher Yost (‘Thor: Ragnarok’).
Based on Cho’s photo, it looks as though the adaptation is in production now. Netflix never announced a release date for its originals until shortly before they are released. Considering the amount of post-production that ‘Cowboy Bebop’ will require, it may not arrive until next year. The first season will consist of ten episodes.
Check back for updates! What do you think of Cho as Spike so far?
