As anime has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, the popularity of One Piece has seen a simultaneous rise. Having garnered a reputation for being one of the longest-running manga series in history, One Piece has developed a strong global following, with fans religiously tuning in each week.
For a long time now, there have been rumours about a live-action Netflix adaptation of One Piece. Although nothing had been confirmed then, several industry experts had spoken about the potential for a live-action remake and the ominous dangers of such projects based on original anime.
Comicbook.com quoted a senior Netflix executive, Ted Biaselli, who said: “The pressure of live-action anime has always been a disaster, and I do not want that on my record. I want to be the guy that understands what they’re making and the intention behind the source material and how we translate that. Rather than creating a shot-for-shot recreation or taking the IP and throwing everything else away, there is a middle ground in understanding the truth behind all the source material and then figuring out how that makes sense in a live-action cinematic approach.”
Biaselli added: “I’ve been working on One Piece for four years, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s not about how fast you can get it on. My little mantra is ‘get it right before right now’, and it takes a while, and that’s ok. We’re working directly with Eiichiro Oda, and he has a vision. He’s also never worked in television, so it’s a give and take of what works in live-action and what doesn’t work in live-action. Sometimes he tells us, ‘You guys are missing the point. That’s NOT what this scene is about. THIS is what this scene is about, and we all go ‘OOOOK'”.
Netflix has finally confirmed the 2023 release of a live-action remake based on One Piece. Although no details about the date have been provided yet, check out the poster below.