Netflix has cast five of its main roles in its anticipated One Piece live-action series. Iñaki Godoy (Go, Youth!, Who Killed Sara?), Mackenyu (Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter, Pacific Rim: Uprising), Emily Rudd (Fear Street, Hunters), Jacob Romero Gibson (Greenleaf, All Rise) and Taz Skylar (Boiling Point, Villain) will all star on the show, Variety is reporting.
Godoy is set to play Monkey D. Luffy, while Mackenyu will portray Roronoa Zoro.
Rudd will star as Nami, Romero Gibson has signed on as Usopp and Skylar has been cast as Sanji.
All the characters are members of the Straw Hat Pirates, the protagonists of the franchise. One Piece follows Luffy, the series’ main character, and his pirate crew as they embark on a journey to explore a fantastical world of endless oceans and exotic islands. He’s in search of the world’s ultimate treasure, the titular One Piece, which will help him become the next Pirate King.
Netflix announced in January that it ordered 10 episodes for the upcoming screen adaptation’s first season. One Piece is based author Eiichrio Oda’s iconic Japanese manga of the same name that launched the franchise, which also includes the 20 seasons of the anime series and 14 animated films.
“We’ve been working with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios on the massive project that is the Hollywood live action series adaptation of One Piece! How many years has it been since it was announced, right?
…But rest assured we’ve been making steady progress all along,” Oda, who’s also working as an executive producer on the upcoming live-action show, said.
“It’s not easy when you’re working with people from different cultures! But it’s precisely that process that can yield something special,!” the writer-executive producer continued.
“For now, we’re able to announce the main cast! Rather, we need to hurry and announce it or else it’ll be leaked, apparently!…We decided on this cast after numerous discussions involving people around the world! These are the people who will be our Straw Hat Pirates!,” Oda added.
“It’ll take a bit more time to get this show done, but we’ll continue to do our best to deliver a show that we’re confident will be enjoyed by everyone around the world! Look forward to more updates in the future!,” the author concluded.
Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) is serving as the co-writer, showrunner and an executive producer on the live-action series, with Matt Owens (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Luke Cage) also co-writing and executive producing. Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios are also serving as executive producers on One Piece. The show is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, with the streaming service. handling physical production.
“We are so excited to set sail with this amazing and talented cast,” said Maeda and Owens. “Finding the right people to pull off the looks, emotions, and actions of the iconic Straw Hats was a long and challenging (and fun!
) process. Much like the search for the One Piece itself.
“But we have finally found the perfect fits! They have already begun working very hard to bring these characters to life. You will come to know and love them just as much as their manga counterparts. All of us can’t wait to show you what we’ve come up with!,” the co-scribes-executive producers added.