Summary
A dream live-actionOne Piececasting that once looked overly ambitious feels distinctly plausible after a season 2 announcement.One Piece’s successful debut season cemented the series asNetflix’s best live-action anime adaptationto date, but did so without the benefit of major stars.One Piece’s season 1 castcomprised almost entirely of lesser-known actors, with the most notable exception being a surprise voice cameo fromJohn WickandGame of Thronesstar Ian McShane in episode 1. Ultimately,One Pieceprioritized casting the right actors over casting recognizable actors, and that strategy paid off handsomely.
One Piececould, however, have the best of both worlds: perfect casting with a sprinkling of star power. That appears to be the directionOne Pieceseason 2is taking afterDavid Dastmalchian was announced as Netflix’s Mr. 3. Best known forThe Suicide Squad,Ant-Man,The Dark Knight,Gotham, andThe Flash, as well as non-superhero projects likeLate Night with the Devil, Dastmalchian - a genuinely significant name in modern Hollywood - is by far the most famous face to joinOne Piece’s live-action world thus far. His recruitment also makes a dream season 2 casting much more likely.
How Many One Piece Episodes Netflix’s Live-Action Covers (& Where To Start Watching The Anime)
The One Piece anime has over a thousand episodes, so Netflix’s live-action series has a lot of ground to cover. Here’s what One Piece season 1 covers.
After One Piece Season 2’s Mr. 3 Casting, Jamie Lee Curtis As Kureha Is Finally Possible
One Piece Season 2’s Cast Has Some Seriously Big Bounties
By some distance, the most popular live-actionOne Piecefan casting is Jamie Lee Curtis as Kureha - the mentor of future Straw Hat crew member Tony Tony Chopper, and a character who will likely feature in season 2, albeit briefly. The calls forCurtis to portray Kureha in Netflix’sOne Pieceadaptationhave been elevated beyond the realm of hopeful speculation by the actor herself, who has expressed interest in playing Kureha on several occasions.
For the first time, the prospect of Jamie Lee Curtis - Oscar-winning, household name, cinematic icon Jamie Lee Curtis - rocking up as Kureha inOne Pieceseason 2 is within reach
Jamie Lee Curtis is very clearly the perfect Kureha, and her passion for the character makes the casting even more perfect, but turning dreams into reality is another matter. Curtis is an A-list movie star at the height of her powers after winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2022 forEverything Everywhere All At Once. Even if she is aOne Piecefan, the notion of Jamie Lee Curtis joining an anime adaptation with a relatively unknown cast, and playing a character who is unlikely to appear in more than two episodes, previously felt unattainable.
David Dastmalchian’s casting, however, provesOne Pieceseason 1’s success is allowing the show to draw bigger names. More importantly, those big names aren’t necessarily playing major characters, as Mr. 3 will have more or less the same prominence in Netflix’s adaptation as Kureha, according to the source material. For the first time, therefore, the prospect of Jamie Lee Curtis - Oscar-winning, household name, cinematic icon Jamie Lee Curtis - rocking up as Kureha inOne Pieceseason 2 is within reach.
David Dastmalchian As Mr. 3 Proves How Big One Piece Season 1 Really Was
Irrespective of whether more Hollywood stars climb aboardOne Piecein season 2, David Dastmalchian’s casting as Mr. 3 provides a sure indication of just how much success the debut season enjoyed. The critical acclaim is clear: Netflix’sOne Pieceholds an 85% critics score onRotten Tomatoesalongside an even higher 95% audience score. Considering most live-action anime adaptations struggle to make double digits, that alone is hugely impressive.One Piecebacked up those positive reactions by keeping Netflix happy too.
The streamer is infamously choppy when it comes to cancelations, soOne Pieceseason 2’s very existence proves Netflix was satisfied with season 1’s performance. More evidence can be found in Netflix’s own viewership data, which revealsOne Pieceas the top TV release in the second half of 2023, racking up 71.6 million views - an astounding number by any measure. The big, Luffy-shaped dent in the side of Netflix’s biannual report perhaps explains whyOne Pieceseason 2 is now attracting actors like David Dastmalchian, and demonstrates why fans shouldn’t give up on the dream of Jamie Lee Curtis as Kureha just yet.
Sources:Rotten Tomatoes, Netflix
One Piece
One Piece follows young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew as they embark on a daring quest for treasure. Released in 2023, the film brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.
