It was a little over a year ago that a Japanese live-action adaptation of manga author Oda Eiichiro’s longstanding Shueisha Inc. publication and anime IP, One Piece, was announced for its own live-action movie. I’m not certain if that project is still moving forward but I’ll be sure to spread the word if I hear anything else, although considering recent movement over at Marty Adelstein’s Tomorrow Studios, I reckon it won’t be any time soon.
The word now is that Oda, Shuesha Inc. and the studio are partnering for a live-action television drama instead, in news as reported over at Japan Times in the wake of the manga’s twentieth anniversary celebration. The manga itself took off in 1997 and has expanded itself greatly into television and original video animes with its story centered on Monkey D. Luffy and his epic, action-packed and sprawling quest to find said ‘piece’ and claim the title of “King Of The Pirates”.
The project marks the latest anime to live-action serial development over at Tomorrow Studios following news of its current work on the upcoming live-action series adaptation of Kuga Cain’s Cowboy Bebop as of last month. Adelstein reportedly states he’s been a fan of One Piece for the last 20 years and is honored that Oda as well as Shueisha Inc. have entrusted the show’s live-action transition to him in the face if possibly record-setting costs. Details remain pending on show details, broadcasting and premiere dates.
per Japan Times:
“There have been offers from various directions about live-action before but they did not really get settled for a number of reasons,” said Hiroyuki Nakano, editor in chief of Shonen Jump magazine, at a news conference in Tokyo.
“This time, it’s finally come to the point where we can make an announcement. This means that we consider the project this time to have exceeded our expectations,… so please look forward to it,” he said.
One piece has sold sums of up to 350 million copies of the manga in Japan, as well as 66 million overseas.