'Cowboy Bebop' first look reveals John Cho's suave Spike Spiegel in live action (original) (raw)
Netflix's space Western, inspired by the beloved anime about space bounty hunters, will premiere this November.
Published on August 23, 2021 09:00AM EDT
Three, two, one, let's jam! Star Trek and Searching star John Cho debuts as sci-fi bounty hunter Spike Spiegel in a batch of first-look photos of Cowboy Bebop, the live-action Netflix series based on the beloved anime of the same name.
Cho is every cosplayer's dream in these images. The actor replicates the character's classic jazzed-up double-breasted suit from the original 26-episode series and the 2001 movie, which were both directed by Japanese filmmaker Shinichirō Watanabe.
John Cho plays bounty hunter Spike Spiegel in the live-action 'Cowboy Bebop.'. Kirsty Griffin/Netflix; Hulu
And, of course, his hair is on point. Cho grew out his locks to channel Spike's signature hairdo. A mere glimpse during Netflix's Geeked Week in June got Cho's name trending on Twitter. (The power of the hair!) Now, we see it in all its glory.
The photos also reveal Spike's bounty hunter cohorts in live-action. Mustafa Shakir (The Deuce) costars as Jet Black, while Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) features as Faye Valentine. No Cowboy Bebop adaptation would be complete without Ein, the data dog. Sure enough, Pineda is seen walking the intellectually enhanced corgi.
John Cho as Spike Spiegel, Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black, and Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine in 'Cowboy Bebop'. Geoffrey Short/Netflix
Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine, John Cho as Spike Spiegel, Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black on 'Cowboy Bebop'. Nicola Dove/Netflix
Cowboy Bebop, executive produced by showrunner André Nemec, will premiere this Nov. 19, Netflix announced on Monday.
Set in a future where humanity colonized surrounding moons and planets after earth became uninhabitable, the series follows Spike, Jet, and Faye, three bounty hunters aboard the Bebop ship who hunt down the solar system's most dangerous criminals for the right price.
Watanabe serves as a consultant on the live-action series, and the anime's original composer, Yoko Kanno, returns to score the music.
John Cho as Spike Spiegel in 'Cowboy Bebop'. Geoffrey Short/Netflix
John Cho as Spike Spiegel in 'Cowboy Bebop.'. Kirsty Griffin/Netflix
Inside the Bebop ship of 'Cowboy Bebop'. Nicola Dove/Netflix
The cast also features Geoff Stults (Little Fires Everywhere) as Chalmers, Jet's former co-detective in the ISSP's Homicide Division; Rachel House (Thor: Ragnarok) as Mao, the Capo of the Syndicate's White Tigers family; Ann Truong (Strikeback!) and Hoa Xuande (Top of the Lake) as Shin & Lin, the twin Syndicate henchmen of hitman Vicious (Alex Hassell); and Mason Alexander Park (the National Broadway Tour's Hedwig and the Angry Inch) as Gren, the right hand of Ana (Law & Order: SVU's Tamara Tunie), owner of the hottest underground jazz club on Mars.
Danielle Pineda as Faye Valentine in 'Cowboy Bebop'. Geoffrey Short/Netflix
Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black in 'Cowboy Bebop'. Geoffrey Short/Netflix
Cowboy Bebop has been a long time coming. The show was first announced in 2018 and began filming the following year. However, a knee injury Cho suffered on set postponed the series for months. The COVID-19 pandemic then added further complications, as it did for all live-action Hollywood productions. Now, this crew is finally ready to Bebop to the top of your streaming queues.
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