Katey Sagal and Mark Harelik,©Courtesy of Netflix
Katey Sagal and Mark Harelik have been cast in the upcoming second season of Netflix’s fantasy adventure series, One Piece. The performers will play crucial roles in the sophomore season of the live-action adaptation; the actress will portray Dr. Kureha, while the actor will star as Dr. Hiriluk, Coming Soon is reporting.
Dr. Kureha is an eccentric doctor on Drum Island and serves as the head of the Isshi-100. She also becomes an ally of the Straw Hats after she crosses paths with them during their quest for the titular treasure. Meanwhile, Dr. Hiriluk is a former thief who now also works as a doctor on Drum Island.
Jamie Lee Curtis, who is a known fan of One Piece, was previously in talks to play Dr. Kureha. However, she ultimately wasn’t able to sign onto portray the role, due to her busy schedule.
“She loves the show, [but] she has too many films and TV shows that she’s going into production on, so our production dates aren’t going to work,” Becky Clements, the president of one of the drama’s production companies, Tomorrow Studios, recently revealed. “She definitely wanted to do it, but she’s got deals in first position, and it just became complicated.”
Netflix, which shared the casting news on One Pieces‘ X account, also unveiled the following official synopsis for the project: One Piece follows young pirate Monkey D. Luffy as he sails across the seas with his Straw Hats gang — swordsman Roronoa Zoro, cartographer Nami, storyteller Usopp (Romero) and chef Sanji. Luffy dreams of becoming the King of the Pirates and finding infamous pirate Gold Roger’s mysterious treasure, the titular One Piece.
The drama’s core ensemble includes Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero as Usopp and Taz Skylar as Sanji.
The notable additions for One Piece‘s second season include Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Werner Coetser as Dorry, Brendan Murray as Brogy, Clive Russell as Crocus, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol and Ty Keogh as Dalton.
The One Piece television adaptation is based on the best-selling manga series by Eiichiro Oda. Matt Owens and Joe Tracz serve as the co-showrunners and executive producers on the screen adaptation’s second season. Additional executive producers include Oda, Steven Maeda, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Chris Symes and Tetsu Fujimura.
One Piece‘s X account also states: “Yes, the live-action One Piece is currently in production, with filming well underway. The story will cover Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island! Think about it. Imagine how much it’ll cost! Lol. But whether it’s the script or the cast, I continue to insist on this or that, which makes Matt the Showrunner go “Aaarrgh!” and Netflix go “Noooo!” and Tomorrow Studios go “Whaaaat” as they all pull their hairs out. All that, even though we grew so close making season 1.
One Piece premiered its eight-episode first season in August last year. Production on Season 2 began this past June. A premiere date for the follow-up season has not yet been revealed.
Sagal is a veteran television actress who’s best known for her starring roles on such shows as Married… with Children, 8 Simple Rules and Sons of Anarchy. The Golden Globe-winner has voiced the role of Leela on Futurama since the show’s launch in 1999.
Harelik recently appeared in a guest starring role as Liam Reynolds in Presumed Innocent. The Drama Desk Award nominee’s other credits include Battle of the Sexes, Trumbo and Preacher.
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