Cowboy Bebop: Why Netflix Canceled This Live-Action Adaptation
Netflix canceled Cowboy Bebop after just one season. After all of the hype and money that went into this series, the streamer didn't like the returns.
When Netflix announced in 2017 that it would spend over $8 billion (yes, with a “B”) on content, jaws dropped. Not only was Netflix bringing in popular content, but it was also producing its own originals. Among those originals, Netflix was moving into the anime market, by turning the beloved anime Cowboy Bebop into a live-action Cowboy Bebop series.
But things went wrong with this live-action Cowboy Bebop adaptation and after it was released, the returns just weren’t there in terms of viewership, ratings, or fan engagement.
COWBOY BEBOP CANCELED BY NETFLIX
The live-action Cowboy Bebop was released by Netflix on November 19, 2021, and all 10 episodes went up for fans to dive into. John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda were the core trio and the show adapted the popular anime film of the same name. With all of the requisite hype it seemed like the streamer could have a real winner on its hands.
But just as quickly as it hit there was word the live-action Cowboy Bebop was being canceled. For starters, critics weren’t on board with what they saw here and on Rotten Tomatoes the first season of the show is sitting at just 46%. Clunky action sequences, stilted dialogue, and a sense that the production value just wasn’t up to snuff as a live-action imagining of the popular series were cited as problems, and it’s easy to agree with the assessment. The slick coolness of the characters and the set pieces seemed like they could carry this production, but it just didn’t all land quite right.
And according to The Hollywood Reporter at the time, while the live-action Cowboy Bebop saw about 74 million hours of streaming time on Netflix in the first week, there was a dropoff in the second week that signaled terrible news for the show. It just wasn’t picking up a larger audience.
It was quite the shame too because there was reason to believe, in the years leading up to the release that this show would really land here with the right audience. It didn’t happen. Let’s take a look back at what went into making the live-action Cowboy Bebop on Netflix.
NETFLIX’S ANIME BACKGROUND
The world of anime was not new to Netflix since back in 2014, they had been creating their own original anime content for some time. John Derderian the director of Japan and Anime at Netflix told Variety, “We’d been distributing anime for many many years from the DVD days. When we went streaming, it’s just such a core fanbase, we saw a lot of engagement when we put up something very old and non-exclusive. So that led us to, about five or six years ago, to start co-producing anime, where we would come in as a pre-buyer or early investor in the show and get global rights.”
Netflix had approximately 30 anime projects working, so it should come as no surprise when they also announced they were taking a popular anime and turning it into a live-action series. This one is from the late ‘90s, Cowboy Bebop.
WHAT IS COWBOY BEBOP?
The Cowboy Bebop anime is set in 2071, nearly fifty years after Earth was made virtually uninhabitable by an accident with a hyperspace gateway. Since that time, the solar system has seen humanity colonize most of the moons and rocky planets. But the crime rate is on the rise and the Inter Solar System Police has legalized a contract system where bounty hunters (aka Cowboys) track down criminals and bring them in for a reward. The bounty hunters in this series work from a spaceship called Bebop.
Cowboy Bebop ran for 26 episodes and was the very first anime to be shown on Adult Swim. The series focused on Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter who is a former hitman for the Red Dragon Syndicate, and his partner Jet Black. They are eventually joined by Faye Valentine, Edward Wong (who, despite the name, is a female) and Ein (a corgi). The main arc focused on Spike and his war with Vicious, former partners and friends. Vicious is now the head of the Red Dragon Syndicate.
THE CAST OF COWBOY BEBOP
John Cho (The Grudge, Star Trek) starred in the live-action Cowboy Bebop as the main cowboy, Spike Spiegel. In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, Netflix described Cho’s character. They said their Spiegel is “an impossibly cool ‘cowboy’ (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit, and style to spare. He travels the solar system with his ex-cop partner, Jet, pursuing the future’s most dangerous bounties with a combination of charm, charisma – and deadly Jeet Kune Do.”
Alex Hassell (last seen on The Boys) would play Spiegel’s former partner and friend, Vicious. Their past has a price in not only their friendship but the woman they both loved. Julia was Vicious’s girlfriend until Spike and Julia decided they wanted to elope. This obviously didn’t go over well with Vicious.
In Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop, Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage) joined Cho as his partner in crime, Jet Black. As the captain of the Bebop, Black was one of the few honest cops left before the ultimate betrayal robbed Black of everything he loved. This forced him into the life of a bounty hunter to make ends meet.
Danielle Pineda (Jurassic World) is Faye Valentine, the amnesiac con-artist who is on the run from her enormous medical debt.
Elena Satine (Twin Peaks, The Gifted) stars as Julia, the girl Spike was to elope with and the reason Vicious is out to murder him.
And finally, putting rumors to rest, an actual corgi portrayed Ein in the live-action Cowboy Bebop, a genetically engineered dog with human-like intelligence. Fans were sent reeling when a Bebop blog posted that a husky was replacing a corgi as Ein, but it’s not true. Executive producer/writer Christopher L. Yost (Thor: Ragnarok) finally cleared up the rumor on his Twitter page, telling Bebop fans what they wanted to hear. Ein is a corgi. In fact, Netflix shared a brief behind-the-scenes look at Bebop as a perfect way to confirm this….
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Alex Garcia Lopez (Daredevil, The Witcher) was Netflix’s choice to direct the live-action Cowboy Bebop. Twelve writers were on board to help form the story, exec producer Christopher L. Yost being one.
Another positive for the live-action Cowboy Bebop production team was that Shinichiro Watanabe, who directed the original anime, had been brought on as a consultant for the series.
COWBOY BEBOP’S LIVE-ACTION RELEASE DATE
As stated, the live-action Cowboy Bebop released on Netflix in November of 2021. Production on the live-action series had been officially suspended due to an accident with series star John Cho. This accident was described as a freak one that took place on the Cowboy Bebop set during the last take of a routine that had been well-rehearsed by the star. The injury forced Cho to have surgery and then extensive rehabilitation before they could resume filming.
Cho posted his thanks on Instagram to his fans and told them he was on the mend.
Given the commitment Netflix had made to bringing original content to the streaming service, a live-action Cowboy Bebop seemed like a wise investment. The series already has a strong fan base and seemed to be quirky enough to bring in new fans. But there just wasn’t enough there and it was ultimately canceled.
