First Showing is reporting that Keanu “Whoah” Reeves is adding another straight-faced hero to his resume, playing intergalactic bounty hunter Spike Spiegel in the live-action adaption of anime cult-favorite, Cowboy Bebop.
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According to First Showing’s “inside source” at Fox studios, Cowboy Bebop has long been buried in the list of movies waiting to be green lit, with Reeves attached to the project for some time now. That bit of star-power, plus some early fan buzz, has motivated Fox to fast-track Cowboy Bebop for a 2010 release; though currently there is no director, writer, or script for the film.
For those who aren’t into anime, Cowboy Bebop follows the exploits of a team of bounty hunters, (”Cowboys” as their known,) who coast the cosmos aboard their spaceship, Bebop, tracking down the universe’s worst criminals and collecting the bounty on their heads. The plot thickens when the team’s strong but silent leader, Spike (Reeves) begins to run across his old buddies from a nefarious crime syndicate he used to belong to. The only thing standing in the gangsters’ way? Spike, and the crew of the Bebop.
If Reeves is attached, you can expect the scale of this flick to be big-budget epic. Warring spaceships and kung-fu throwdowns complete with gun fire. Nice. Between Cowboy Bebop, the upcoming Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li and the live-action Dragonball movie, it seems Hollywood is trying to cash in on the anime universe.
Are you psyched for a Cowboy Bebop movie? Or is anime not your thing? Let us know what you think.
Source: First Showing
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104 Comments
I just hope Keanu doesn’t think because of The Matrix he can do martial arts. I’m a fan of the anime and there are quite a few things that would be extremely hard to translate to live action:
Ed, computer hacker, naive, child-like– and a bit insane
Faye would probably be pretty easy to do, just a femme-fatale with giant breasts; though I hope they don’t give her purple hair…
Jet might be difficult, maybe Ron Perlman could add it to his belt since he’s already used to one big arm– and he’s kinda got the look for it.
Just the main characters alone will be a bit difficult, not to mention everyone in this anime is a smoker; our hero Spike is a chain smoker and it effects a lot of situations / reactions to his character.
About the martial arts thing– Spike uses Jeet Kun Do, Bruce Lee’s mix-martial arts style that relies on being completely fluid; Keanu was so mechanical in The Matrix.
Rev
They did a Bebop anime movie, and it was excellent. The show is excellent too.
Personally I can’t see a live action movie comparing to either.
Bebop is about style and tone. If it lacks either, then no good.
Reeves as Spike? No. NOOOO!
Spike has an easy charm that Reeves couldn’t even fake.
Oops. You snuck in ahead of me Reverend.
Excellent points. The smoking would likely be the first to go.
The action scenes are brilliant in Bebop. Graceful, almost like a dance. Takes more than kicking to replicate.
“The only thing standing in the gangsters’ way? Spike, and the crew of the Bebop.”
Ahaha, the article makes the show sound like some crappy saturday morning cartoon. “The misadventures of Spike and the gang!”. Let’s hope the actual screenwriters aren’t as such.
And I implore anyone who enjoys good television to watch Cowboy Bebop. It’s one of the best television shows ever made, and you’ll probably like it even more if you generally hate anime.
Don’t quite know if that will work, if it doesn’t lesson learned and hopefully no one will make fun of me.
I guess it didn’t haha well you can check out the pic I made for this article HERE
I think this could work out to be a nice popcorn-flick. And I think Reeves is a good choice for the role.
And Reverend,
It doesn’t matter if Reeves thinks he can or cannot do martial arts. Anyone, including yourself can learn the necesary moves to pull off what is needed. Not to mention the training he will recieve. And of course his moves were mechanic, that’s was the freaking style of martial arts he was pulling off. Had he done more of a fluid moving martial arts, the guess what? His moves would be more “fluid.”
I think this could work out to be a nice popcorn-flick. And I think Reeves is a good choice for the role.
And Reverend,
It doesn’t matter if Reeves thinks he can or cannot do martial arts. Anyone, including yourself can learn the necessary moves to pull off what is needed. Not to mention the training he will receive. And of course his moves were mechanic, that’s was the freaking style of martial arts he was pulling off. Had he done more of a fluid moving martial arts, the guess what? His moves would be more “fluid.”
This thing has BOMB written all over it. I mean Keanu hasn’t had a hit in almost a decade and one of the most loved and well known anime shows (Speed Racer) flopped like a Roseanne Barr striptease show. No WAY this movie makes money or is even WATCHABLE.
Ash Ali,
Since you know the styles he was pulling off were meant to be mechanic– could you tell me which styles they were?
Thanks,
Rev
this film may be cool, but I’m not excited about Dragonball at all. I really dislike anime style cartoons personally, but this space combat thing sounds fun
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
I was really just hoping his agent getting the rights was just a coincidence. I hope this falls through for Keanu and John Cusack somehow steps in to fill the shoes - though I know that won’t happen, sadly.
For those who have seen the show, I think he looks the part as much or more so than Keanu. He’s a little younger, he arguably has better acting ability, and he can probably handle the fighting scenes/character nuances too (remember Grosse Pointe Blank?). Does anyone else agree?
If it goes through with Keanu though, at least maybe they could offset it with a great screenwriter/director like David Hayter with Luc Besson or Steven Soderbergh behind the lens, someone with a good sense of visual style.
Yes, Rev, I agree with Ron Perlman for Jet, he’s the only person I have been able to think of so far that might fit that role.
Hopefully they won’t be stupid and get rid of such a trivial thing as smoking on screen (at least for Spike), but I guess that’s a strong possibility.
Awesome news. Cowboy Bebop was one of favorite Anime shows and I could see it being made into live action. I don’t know what ot think about Keanu Reeves as Spike he certainly looks the part I just hope he can act like him.
I hope they get a director that can get the cool images and music that the anime had.
Andy said: “one of the most loved and well known anime shows (Speed Racer) flopped like a Roseanne Barr striptease show.”
That’s because Speed Racer is a horrible, horrible show. Same with Dragonball (that flopped by simply existing). Cowboy Bebop, however, rivals most television dramas even today.
Of course, the quality of the original rarely actually correlate to their adaptations, but it should say something.
Did somebody say Speed Racer sucks ??
Aaarrrgggghhhh !!!
I need a trailer before I pass judgement on this.
Please somebody help … make up some bumper stickers “Keanu is NOT Spike!”
I’m ready to hand them out at the street corner.
By the way Spike isn’t the leader. He’s in partnership with Jet. Andrea Parker for Fay… she’s got the look…
Hasn’t anybody seen or know anybody whose hair is soo black it looks blue? I have.
Alison Lohman to play ED. Have to do some more thinking for Spike and Jet.
Yoko Kanno for the music! Go to pandora and punch her name in to hear some
samples.
Ok OldMan what’s the prob with Keanu playing the lead,
I’ve never even heard of this anime cartoon ????
It’s the same things as him playing Klaatu.The show is so iconic, the only way for him to do it is to do what I think they’ve done to “TDTESS.” Gut what is at the heart and redo it around Reeves abilities.
It’s sad though the creator of “Cowboy Bebop,” Shinichiro Watanabe has been rumored to have said.
I consider a live-action “Cowboy Bebop” to be “low quality”.
The only thing that truly determines the quality of a movie is the director…the actors only take cues from the man in charge…if he thinks the shot is good, it’s a wrap…if he believes it’s not a good quality shot, then they shoot it again…until it meets his standards.
If you don’t believe my opinoin then remember Catwoman…
The comic is good, the character is great, and her interaction with Batman is essential to comicbook “mythology”, but what about the movie?
We all know the movie was junk relative to its potential, and why?
Because of the director, who was it? Anybody?
His name is Pitof and Catwoman was his feature film directorial debut…Hmm, wonder why it flopped? The sad part is the rumor that he might get to direct…wait for it…
Akira! Are you freakin kiddin me!?!?!
I digress…Batman Begins was awesome, you know why? Because Christopher Nolan understands the characters and obviously invested tons of time into reading up. He not only conveys the obvious messages, but he also comprehends the underlying themes which truly drive both the villians and the hero…Nolan is a spectacular director and through his genius the “new” Batman has become the number one movie to date!!!
My best example would be Ghost Rider. For those who don’t know the main character was played by Nicholas Cage, and he grew up reading the comic book. His comments toward earning the leading role were, “I was made for this role,” and the movie was not up to standards. Why? Just look at Mark Steven Johnson’s resume…
Grumpy Old Men
Grumpier Old Men
Jack Frost
All a bunch of comedies, and then he takes on Daredevil (a piece of crap relative to X-Men and Batman) and Elektra (a little better, but still lacking the raw comic book feel).
These are just opinoins…and we all know what those are like, but if anyone can tell me what Pitof has done that has had worldwide success, please let me know.
And lastly, if anyone thinks Keanu is so horrible, please explain why The Matrix was so popular at the box office? I guess he just knows how to play cool…which is exactly the role of Spike!
But then again, if I hear Keanu Reeves say, “Whoa!” one more freakin time…
I’m gonna shoot myself!
Just kidding, but seriously…
With the right director, this live action Bebop might be “okay”
It’s never going to live up to the standards Watanabe set, just like a live-action Eva will never be satisfactory in Hideaki Anno’s opinoin. The reason is because no live-action movie can fully capture what is possible in anime…
In anime there is complete creative control over every single aspect…
The actors do precisely what you envision, the scenes are the exact amount of delay and timing, and even the voices match the movement of the lips (they draw first, then record so the audibles match the movement on the screen). No movie will ever be able to fully capture this creative control, no matter the actors, the director, or the studio…
Unless we let Pixar make this into a digital film…
The Muse, so do you like Ghost Rider or hate it, I can’t tell ???
And, I have no prob with Keanu btw…
I’ll take some of those bumper stickers, Old Man. Reeves is just not the right man. He can do cool, in a quiet, static way. Spike isn’t like that at all. He’s a charmer, wise-cracker, taking everything in his stride (unless his past comes up). If nothing else Reeves would have to speak up!
Perlman as Jet would be very cool, and totally agree about having the right director. Again, that’s the thing you worry about with a star getting hold of a movie like this. They’d rather have a director they can boss about.
Also, Yoko Kanno’s music is a must.
Cowboy Bebop is one of the best animes ever done. It is a show any anime fan would point to as a champion of the genre. It deserves a lot better than a pop-corn flick.
Agree with the previous poster that Cusack would be a better fit for Spike. There’s a wry sense of humour associated with the character and a healthy dose of fatalism that seems to be right in Cusack’s wheelhouse. As for the other casting concerns, maybe Michael Chilkis (The Shield?) could pull off Jet, I don’t know, maybe Perlman perhaps. Faye Valentine….maybe Christina Hendricks from Mad Med and Firefly. The thing is the anime is character and story based, one of the best around, one of those perfect storm kinda shows, where the story, the art and the music all work to paint one helluva picture. Unlike any other anime that most folks have ever seen (if your basing your thoughts on this movie as being similar to Speed Racer and dragonball Z it would be like comparing the Mary Tyler Moore Show with Combat, i.e. no relevance whatsover other than the discussion that one is anime and the other uses live actors).
The story is good enough to be Live Action, but without the proper director and casting I fear that this would be a major disappointment (I would see it yes, but stilll…. y’know).
There is no way a live movie will ever top the TV show or the Animated Movie. Just lower your expectations and leave them at the door of the theatre…
The movie has to have Ein in it also. He was the fifth member of the crew.
@ Muse “The only thing that truly determines the quality of a movie is the director…the actors only take cues from the man in charge”
Ledger had the ability, the director can’t shove that into just anybody, it has to be there. I think they call it talent.. Nolan said as much about Ledger in a recent interview.
Additionally, a script goes a long way in determining the success. Look at all the people just here, endlessly discussing and pulling for their favorite story points for the next “Batman” movie. The director isn’t always the source of the story! I’m concerned too about just how “Attached” Keanu is. Like having complete autonomy and creative control. You talk about the director being “IT” but what happens when that person has given up on making the material “sing the song it can sing?” They might be the best but are ham strung or looking for a payday. Don’t get me wrong I liked Keanu in “The Matrix.” I just want someone with more talent, curly hair, and knows Jeet Kune Do. The easy way to settle this is have auditions! If Mr. Reeves is confident he can do the part he shouldn’t mind putting up against competition.
“old man” you are absolutely correct!
Absolutely, the only true way to fit a role as large as Spike is to find someone who is suave, calm, and knows Jeet Kun Do. Keanu is just not a good enough actor, I wasn’t defending his ability to act, only his ability to perform martial arts.
Lastly, the actors with talent are definitely a huge part, but the big picture is controlled by the director. Just remember X 3. Plot-good, Characters-great, Actors-even better, script-awesome…but the movie was nowhere near the quality of the first two…maybe Superman should have been completed first so Singer would remain director…..
Cusack would definitely be a better Spike, but the most obvious choice would be someone “undiscovered” who really fills the shoes, vis a vie: Toby Maguire is Peter Parker!
@ old man…you called my bluff…now what? And steven the git…Get a couple extra and mail ‘em to me! Keanu will turn this movie into a “whoa” fest of box office bombs!
And to answer 790…I didn’t like Ghost Rider, it lacked anything substantial to really grasp my attention, just like the latest Rambo movie. Old people shouldn’t make young movies…And that’s the final reason to cut Keanu…he’s too old to play a zealous, brash character like Spike. I’d like to see James Franco take a try at Jeet Kun Do, he has the talent at least to act the part of Spike…
And this is crazy, but I think Jason Statham could play Jet…if he lost the accent. Really though the best fit would be Pearlman (he looks so cool with the shaved head and dark glasses). Another idea would be crazy, but might just work…Matt Damon could carry the role of Jet pretty well…but only if Benny was there to hold his hand as Spike, hmmm???
Ghost Rider and Rambo. Ooooooooo
Harsh MUSE, harsh!!
Yeah…I know, but I’m just a little too critical I guess. Better example would have been the first Hulk movie, right?
Anyway…
Who thinks Angelina Jolie would make a good Faye? She’s got the talent, and the twins…
If not her, then a certain Slayer…like Ms. Sarah Michelle Gellar? Perhaps???
i think it is going to be fantastic.
Ryan Renolds would pull off Spikes personality almost flawlessly.
Hugh Jackman has the physique of Jet.
Scarlett Johannson has the curves for Faye.
What do I think?
Here is what I think, I have created my on little protest comic: http://www.comicmoviegeeks.com
Da@m, now I’ve got to dig up my printing press! Lets see one ACE protest comic is equal to how many bumper stickers??
BlackDingo you should get an award!
Many thanks to ‘The Old man’, glad to hear you liked it!
As for bumper stickers? Mate, real world bumper stickers is a whole new level of cool. A custom protest bumper sticker beats a small time webcomic anyday!
Would love to see that happen.
Cheers!
what the heck was that keanu reeves cannot do fung bung. he can so.
between the feung shoe & thai noodles & seeing through the pain, (are you seriously unhinged why would any decent brain cell do that?) fighting off bruce lee’s demons, he made him a nice cup o’ cha, he can do both the martial & the arts.
anyway about the actual movie is it going to be like a scanner darkly, i really liked that but i can see coboy bebop’s design as fantastic. i think this is going to be no words just applause.
i loved x men.
i like the idea
Ed Harris as Jet; Ashley Judd as Faye
Keanu could be OK, though John Cusack would have been better (he’s got the better martial arts training)
I have no idea how they are going to cast Ed - that’st he real challenge
You gotta understand, John Cusack is..old. I mean Jesus, when I think of John Cusack I think about a flight marshall with a stick stuck up his behind since ConAir. I think Hugh Jackman and Keanu would do a fine job..a director is a director. If the director doesn’t force Keanu to really act, he’s not going to force any actor in his place, to really act. Get an actor that can look like the character, and make him act. It’s not hard to look like someone, it’s more important who is pulling the strings, and who will determine when the performance is good enough to move to the next scene.
@ Dante: Can’t get blood out of a stone.
Auditions are in order, if you a want a Bebop that’s any good.
Yeah, my friend said the same thing about Cusack’s age and then we looked them both up on IMDb and found Keanu to be two years older. “In Grosse Pointe Blank”, Cusack plays a former hitman with a mysterious past, so maybe that’s partly why I’m drawn to him for the role besides his similar looks to Spike. I agree with the old man that auditions really should be mandatory though, preferably an unknown if not Cusack. I think we’re all on the same page here that Keanu and his agent have already bought him the role and we’re all in a bit of hopeful denial. Le sigh…
Hey degafra, who was that aimed at?
Just curious.
I’m pretty sure it was aimed at me,,,
So your pro Keanu right,, Degafra, ?
46th !!!!! :-O
Meanwhile,,,,,
Ok,, so Old Man, is this series totally availible on dvd ? If so was it expensive ??
Well they re-released the Remix DVDs as a Complete Collection and I know RightStuf.com has it on sale a lot for $30, so it’s probably comprably priced elsewhere.
Thanks,,,jon x_x,,!
I’m gonna check that out. 30 bucks for the whole series that’s pretty cheap.
degafra, hey its not like I’m criticizing your acting ability or is their something I should know? Look, everybody here has seen his work to date. You really think he could pull it off? Well you got every right to your opinion, but unless he’s grown as an actor since his last role, I don’t think he can bring anything to make it special. It’ll just be a mediocre adaptation. I like the material better than that. I want the American industry to show Watanabe something! Cinema is one of America’s last great industries. What’s left, the M.I.C.?
Say what you want, but if I “Speak Like A Child” I’ll be the one that inherits the kingdom.
“Overcoming yourself is better
than winning 1000 battles.”
SPIKE= JAKE GYLENHALL
Keanu Reeves is underated i know it’s all Rep in the biz , His not the first actor to struggle in the begining of his career . I fell now he is in the moment he is a good actor and if people starting saying otherwise than people would change but it’s his rep that people are just treating it like a which hunt look at the work that is good give credit when it’s do
Faye Valentine = Famke Janssen!!!
You know maybe I’m going about this all wrong. Maybe I should make up stickers that say “Keanu IS Vicious.” Vicious is Spike’s one time friend turned mortal enemy who is as cool as Spike. His story runs Through the core of Bebop and would, could, should get into the script. I believe it would be a juicer part for Keanu, and I think he could use another villain in his filmography, given all the heroes he’s played.
Reeves as Viscious would make so much more sense. Wonder if he minds large birds perched on his shoulder though?
loves it. the family guy woodpecker scene, where you think you see dandruff, no breadcrumbs.
don’t be git.
impeach you fat ass’s.
impeach.
NINJA SCROLL LIVE ACTION.
Forget about the Dragonball movie,Cowboy Bebop can get stuffed I like to hear some news from Threshold Entertainment
the Mortal Kombat movie makers on adaptation of the 1994 anime Ninja Scroll.
Hollywood will finance the Ninja Scroll with a amonut of $60 million,there will be visual effects,sword fights,martial arts and the story to follow the anime.
Threshold will handle the story for Ninja Scroll as there will announce the screenwriters.
Thank you.
BRUCE ACOSTA
AUSTRALIA.
Ha… Being the physical person he is I bet Keanu is top notch with animals. At least it wouldn’t be a monkey or another dog. Man, animals always steal the show. Ein is a must though…
“Ninja Scroll,” I’ve seen that. Pretty good, but I’d choose to watch “Bobop” over it, because the characters have much more history to them. That makes them more interesting. I would choose it over “Dragonball”, most of the time, because “Scroll” was somewhat more real. Though the big villain seemed too indestructible to be believed. Supernatural I guess.
@degafra
You are one strange dude…but can’t help but read your posts and be entertained.
Vic,
Got your comment on degafra via email and I laughed out loud. That kind of direct and non-politically correct response is why I love screen rant.
Rev
LOL, thanks Rev. BTW, he followed up with a couple of comments in the same vein that went into moderation, and he’s now banned.
Vic
Wow - this will be pretty awesome. Anyone see the keanu fanatic klaus pierre? It sort of changes the way you look at keanu. “I believe in faith and in keanu” LOL!
Yeah, I’ve seen his site. He mustn’t visit Rotten Tomato, “http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/keanu_reeves/”
Reeves has been on a down slide since 06.
oh my god. I think I just came rainbows. If they are seriously even considering making a cowboy bebop movie, nothing will ever make me smile again, because I would have experienced the ultimate joygasm from seeing this.
Wow. I’m extremely jaded already. Cowboy Bebop never struck me as a series that could possibly be translated to live-action despite some of its realism, and the fact that they made a casting error like this just makes me more pessimistic of a film version.
Reeves might look a bit like Spike, but he’s got the personality of a wooden plank (Plank from Ed, Edd, and Eddy excluded). I think part of the appeal of the series was in the laid-back charisma of the main character. Reeves hasn’t shown us the ability to pull off that kind of charisma. God knows how bad this will be if he tries to rehash the Matrix. It wouldn’t matter if they got every Oscar-winning actor or actress to fill every other role.. If you’ve got a bad Spike, you’re going to have a bad movie.
I think I’m just going to pretend that they’re not making a Cowboy Bebop movie.
I think Ed Norton would be a really badass Spike. Faye might be hard to cast though, she is a unique looking woman. It would need to be someone tall and thin and very top-heavy with a widow’s peak hairline (which I’m sure can be achieved with hollywood makeup magic), black hair, and very pale skin. Her facial features would have to be petite and thin, like a thin small nose and thin lips and large almond-shaped eyes that pop under thick eyebrows. I think finding a no-name ex-eastern european model with no accent might not be an option so my only suggestion would be Kristin Kreuk or that girl that plays Inara on Firefly.
Mr. Norton certainly has the acting chops to pull off the character, It’s the look of Spike’s character that would conflict with a Norton performance. Their’s a good chance the movie will be an origin story, so getting everything just right is very important. That’s how I see it as a fan.
I want JOHNNY YONG BOSCH to play Spike! he’s perfect for the role. i think it would be a great transition for him to enter into live action movie from voice over shows. and he’s a good martial artist.
Hey MUSE pixar would only ruin the movie pixar cant make other than a sh*t kids movie
@ Krissy Rumore: It will be interesting to see how “Stray” comes out, which is in post production.
@ Ann Onee Moose: Saw “Street Kings” tonight. I’m thinking Keanu is looking a little, long in the tooth for a role like Spike. Hes’ already got a double chin! Maybe he should produce.
You know, I was thinking about Ed Norton as Spike the entire time I was reading this. And Ryan Reynolds — Also a good choice. Reeves is such a bad choice for the film.
As for Faye, Uma Therman in her Pulp Fiction days. Just pop a black wig on her, and there we go. Or, like some have already said, Angelina Jolie. She may not have the face for her, but she does have the body. I think she could pull off the role quite nicely. Or, like someone before me has already said, Famke Janssen, even. She would be a great choice when it comes to appearance, but what about when it comes to capturing the characters personality?
As for Jet, Ron Perlman is clearly the wisest choice for the role.
As for Ed, I am not sure as to who would be a good choice. Although Ed is a girl, a skinny 12 year old boy might be the best choice for the appearance, as their voice may still be a bit feminine as they are young. The only problem with capturing Ed is the personality. Finding a kid to act the way Ed does shouldn’t be too hard, but you have to keep in mind — a kid doesn’t exactlty have the acting experience needed for a movie like Cowboy Bebop.
But like someone has already said, I think auditions for the roles would be the best choice. Although, I am fairly certain they would still favor Reeves, even if he is clearly not the best choice.
All in all, though, I think making this movie isn’t such a good thing. I don’t think it will be the movie they are expecting it to be.
(Haha, just a funny thought, though. I am not for Reeves as this role, but it would be rather funny if he gets the role and completely blows us all away XD I highly doubt it, though.)
-Katia
Katia, if I had a choice I’d rather try to make a “Bebop” film. It’s a better property to translate than “Dragonball.”
He, he, I don’t envy those guys and gals one bit.
Haha, I have no interest in a “Dragonball” movie whatsoever.
Yeah I have to agree, the Dragonball-Z, fanbase just graduated from high school a few months back.
They should have done that film years ago.
(IMO)
Bad Timing ,,,
@Katia
I’m with you. I’m glad some of my boyz here at SR are interested enough to cover it.
Vic
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! all flavors of wrong! has the world gone completely mad?! there are some things that shouldn’t be touched, especially by Keanu Reeves! no, no, no, o god no! bebop is profound just as it is, listen to watanabe-sama! or if hollywood is itching for another cb movie, ANIMATE IT! Steven Blum IS Spike (at least in dubbed in english). i am an animefreak, that’s the audience that this proposed flick would be geared towards and at this rate it is likely to be an insult.
and just for the record, the only way any movie version could have any chance of retaining the soul of cowboy bebop is to involve yoko kanno.
see you later space cowboy…
Totally agree. On the anime site I go to, when this was announced, the response was widely negative.
With anime and other cult genres, people keep dipping into them to find hits (and money) but then quickly put off the core audience. Not clever.
At Vic –
Glad to know someone is with me on that.
Also, I agree with 790, they should have made that movie years ago, if at all.
Making these movies is a lame idea, I think. It is just an all around bad idea. You just won’t have the same feeling as the anime would to begin with, and you can’t work with a live action like you can with an anime. And like someone has already said, the core audience would be mostly turned off at the idea. They would never make back the money they spend on it. That is all they think of with the idea — the money. When in all reality, they will spend tons of money, thinking they will make back more than was actually spent, when in all reality, they won’t.
Probably won’t, rather.
-Katia.
Blum’s voice is incredible isn’t it.
If watanabe-sama couldn’t stop it going live we’ll have to either avoid it or pull for an excellent translation. I think out of so many animated properties it has the best chance to cross over, be a hit, and showcase to those who haven’t given Anime a chance to be changed by it. Then too, if it garners even a modest new audience and inspires them to go looking for the original material then perhaps it’s translation is worth it. Perhaps even convince the production companies in Japan that a few “extra sessions” would be a good thing. Personally I thought the show was a little light on cases solved to justify the fuel used. Like in “Speak Like A Child” to travel all the way to earth just to get a VCR.
Why is it so trendy to get upset about these kind of things? Not saying Keanu would be a good choice, but have a little faith. Even if the movie tanks, you’ll still have the original series and people who hate anime or don’t know about it will still be none the wiser.
I think it’s because the fans believe that something that’s, in their minds un doable, sullies the whole franchise. The story of Bebop, as you might know ended, but it did so in a way that you might be able to get another story or two out of it. I would rather see these stories IF they were to be told, in the anime form. This is because, barring a FEW kinds of mistakes they would be as good as the rest of the sessions. However what if someone who has production rights decides that they want to continue the story where the Anime left off? Pile on top of that the distinct possibility of ALL kinds of mistakes from casting to continuity to xenomorphs. People watching the new stuff can get the wrong impression about the original program, and by extension the people that cared enough to sell it to their friends and acquaintances. This is just one wrong direction, I’m sure others have other nightmares. If Yoko Kano isn’t on board it’ll bomb with me automatically.
The old man has basically said it all. Although, teacup, I do see your point, as well. You are right that it really won’t change much. But, like the old man said, people may get the wrong impression and such. I am still a bit iffy about the whole idea in the first place. But, I definitely agree, if Yoko Kano isn’t part of this, that really is something that needs to be reconsidered.
Spike - john Cusack. I don’t care how old he is.
Jet - Delroy Lindo. don’t care if he’s black. he’s perfect.
Faye - kate beckinsale, padded chest. purple hair a must.
Ed - unknown child with not bones…
te be directed by robert rodriguez and sinichro watanabe(these two have alrady had several meetings about this. check out the backrounds of bebop and the secret movie in episode one(…a very obvious tribute to desperado). aside from that. no keanu. no angelina. no ron.
check out the movie Constantine. Keanu Reeves emotes in it and his character has a penchant for taking out a soft pack of marlboros in a very familiar fashion.
Constantine is a horrible excuse in regard to stayin true to the source material. Originally called Hellblazer a good adult title under DC’s vertigo, with the character english in origin and physically based off the musician Sting. if anything, your just pushing the point onward that keanu should have nothing to do with Bebop.
I don’t see why Keanu shouldn’t take a bold step and fill the producers’ shoes. He was already key in acquiring the property and he would have more creative control than as an actor. He would certainly learn more than trying to act and co-produce at the same time. Plus, as he’s begun to get up there in years his action roles will only start to diminish. Why not strike now since another career beckons? He could be making stars instead of tarnishing his own..
producer is one thing actor is another. I am however, majorly pissed over hearing keanu is involved in any fashion (his agent is the one who bought the rights and is writing a script… this is only an excuse to keep his actor happy and popular and employed… if this is the path taken, this movie will be GARBAGE!) I was told by Sinichiro Wantanabe (creator and director of bebop) himself that he and Robert Rodriguez had planned to work on this film some where down the line, together.
alainvoid, i think you’re taking a rumor way too personally. if anything, someone else is more likely be cast as spike spiegel and people like yourself still wouldn’t be happy. let’s be honest, nothing adapted to film (comic books, novels, or otherwise) is ever truly faithful or even 90% to the original fans’ liking. i think in this case it’s the thought that counts. sure, some comic book films bombed, but it hasn’t stopped the original fans from doing what they were doing. and you can’t say that films like those, even the bad ones, didn’t pick up a few supporters along the way or inspired people who never even heard of it before to look at the source material themselves.
it’s not a rumor. here’s the link. http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=6571. And as for upset by any adaption… I liked everything from the old punisher with dolph lundgren to a scanner darkly which took quite a few liberties but was a fantastic film. the dark knight is one of the best films I have ever seen and the current adapted batman franchise is a far cry from the comics (which is more or less a good thing.) There are a lot more detail in anime stories than most american cinema and it’s likely they’ll turn this into a formulaic three explosion summer film.
“I was told by Sinichiro Wantanabe (creator and director of bebop) himself that he and Robert Rodriguez had planned to work on this film some where down the line, together.”
Eww alainvoid, I was under the impression he was against a live action adaptation period. Did he say how he lost those particular rights? If you spoke to him, it would be nice to know more of the particulars? I’m losing my passion for these properties having any hope of even a fair outing as live action. Looks like I’ll be reading more books and watching a lot less at the movies..
I met sinichiro at an Anime Convention in Dallas a few years back. he discussed it at a panel after some one asked him about the secret hidden episode/movie of bebop which was an homage to the movie desperado. (Red eye, the first episode) After this, he had mentioned he had been contacted by rodriguez and the two met up in Austin at his studio, Troublemaker. he stated after that the he and robert wanted to work on an adaption of one of his works based in texas (all the bebop locations are visually based on texas cities and rural areas.) So as much as I’d love to ask him personally, he’s not a personal freind.. and my japanese is horrible!
@ alainvoid: I thought that maybe you had a chance to speak to him at a con where he was signing stuff. Don’t know if he’s into that or not. If you had, just wanted to know if he elaborated more than you wrote. Still It’s good to know, from his recent comments, I’d say he’s changed his mind somewhat, about his work going live action. More to the negative.. Thanks
Cheers
Keanu as Spike…. he can look like Spike. Acting? Spike’s head doesn’t bobble when he talks, downside for Reeves. Fighting? If Reeves can loosen up while fighting, then he’s good… Ron Pearlman SHOULD be Jet. Faye just needs to have black or dark DARK purple hair, leave it at that. Ed, they can pull off something, she’s not that hard to emulate, its just not that many people who coplay as her.
actual bebop character stats:
spike age: 27, 5′6
faye age: 22, 5′2
jet age: 36, 6′0
just doin this to spark up some more debate ( I do like the idea of John Cusack or Edward Norton as Spike, myself. Ron pearlman as Jet and Ashely Scott as Faye would be awesome.. ages be damned!)
I’ve never seen Cowboy Bebop, but it looks good. I despise Keanu Reeves, and will see the real thing and not come within miles of what looks like it’s going to be a travesty.
Steve your right
When they make this movie the style factor has to be dialed up through the roof. And the of course the most important thing THE MUSIC and pacing. It just wouldn’t be Bebop with some crappy nu-metal techno soundtrack.
Also why Keanu? your telling me there is no one else in the acting world who’s more hip than him, yeah right
he’s very hip, 2nd to lenny kravitz he’s the hippest coolest majerks ever.
when i think of him he’s always the coolest always.
some days when he’s not even trying he’s cooler than lenny but lenny doesn’t try either.
I don’t know what you people are talking about. Speed racer was awesome. But it’s mostly if you find humor in the similarities between the movie and the cartoon. I don’t think many people got that, which is why it’s sort of a “love it or hate it” type film.
As for Cowboy Bebop, I would only be excited for it if the director and writer and everyone was really serious about it. I have the feeling that because it’s an anime-to-movie, the crew won’t take it very seriously, inevitably dooming the movie.
And in terms of Faye casting, she needs to be Asian, because, well… the character’s from Singapore. If they can find a really great Asian actress for the part, that would be cool. Like Lucy Liu or someone… If not, I guess they can take someone else.
I just now thought of Clive Owen for Spike. I don’t know if it’s actually a good idea or not, but I’m throwing it out there anyway.
Well Jenny if Keanu was smart he would spend his efforts nurturing the property to success, rather than just using it as his next acting vehicle. Since this may be the first attempt to bring Bebop to the live action scene, its success isn’t nearly as critical as say the “Punisher” property. Then again Bebop does have that NIH, [Not Invented Here] strike against it.
No director or anything?
The Ghost in the Shell Live Action has completely the opposite.
They’ve got Steven Speilberg and Dreamworks, but no actors.
cant wait to see the movie …
i’ll definitely gonna watch it !!!
kyaaa keanu reeves is so hot !!!
and i love cowboy bebob too
i think the plot and storyline is unique lolz
PS: not gonna watch it if its not keanu reeves on charge in it
lolzzzzzzzzz
@ Realfolkspike: I think there are two different sets of stats for the characters of the Bebop, those particular stats being from the manga series. Spike and Faye are actually a lot taller according to the anime series. Spike’s supposedly 6′, Faye’s 5′6” and Jet’s 6′2” (and I think Ed’s 5′3”). I generally wouldn’t find this fact too important to argue, but I just think Spike’s WAY too sexy to be shorter than me! :3
As far as Keanu goes, at first I was completely opposed to him in this role. I don’t think he’s the greatest actor in the world. There’s no way that his speech and intonation could ever be as smooth as Spike Spiegel’s. But the more I think about it, he does have the ability to look an awful lot like Spike (the hair better be spot on or I’ll die!) and I kinda just wanna give him a chance and see just how badly he effs it up. After all, I did see Constantine, and I thought it was pretty good. If it sucks, I’ll just go back to my DVD collection and fan fiction writing. I can only do so much. : /
I agree with Jenny about having Faye be Asian. Asians are fierce, and Lucy Liu definitely has the curves for the role! ^_~ Whoever mentioned Uma Thurman up there, I think she’d be much better suited for the role of Julia, (if she were to have a role in this at all. Julia should be much prettier.)
Ed, boy or girl, (either could work) should definitely be tanned. She’s from South America! It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a small, brown, plucky girl with a lot of energy and a dream. Acting experience shouldn’t be too important, as long as the girl embodies Edward’s personality. After all, Ed acts like a kid because she really is one. No profound, smarmy, obviously scripted, Dakota Fanning lines should be coming out of her.
If all these elements are incorporated, I’ll be as happy as a clam. ^_^
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF**K!
WHY!? Leave Cowboy Bebop alone!
If they have to make a live action CB movie, then at least get a more talented actor!
Chris Nolan should Direct and Christian Bale should play Spike (I think he can play anything)
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