One of the most highly anticipated Netflix projects of all time, the One Piece live-action series, just got its first trailer at TUDUM 2023. Not only that, but the One Piece Netflix series now also has a release date.
Unveiled as one of the biggest announcements of the night, the One Piece live-action trailer gives audiences their first proper look at Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, alongside the rest of the sea-faring Straw Hats as they begin their search for the titular treasure. The trailer, which you can watch below, shows the One Piece live-action cast embracing the sense of fun which can be found in the long-running anime series.
Additionally, the One Piece live-action release date was confirmed for August 31 which is about what was expected as it had previously been confirmed that the show would arrive before the end of the year. But now, the countdown begins in earnest as fans only have two months months left before the adventure begins.
As for the plot details of that adventure, we now know the new Netflix series will begin with the East Blue arc, adapted straight from the pages of Eiichiro Oda’s manga series. Oda has worked closely with the team at one of the best streaming services to ensure the series matches his vision, making the upcoming show a must-watch for established One Piece fans.
Netflix will also be hoping that the live-action adaptation will be able to capture new audiences too, as well as already enthused One Piece devotees. While regarded as one of the best anime series of all time, the number of One Piece episodes has now swollen past 1,000, with a further 15 One Piece movies to boot.
Next to this staggering amount of content, the one One Piece live-action series will act as a new starting point aiming to draw in huge viewing numbers. Netflix has reportedly poured huge resource into the creation of the series, which features enormously large ship sets. If successful, the live-action One Piece series will more than justify this expenditure with the potential to continue for countless seasons, and it could become one of Netflix’s new flagship shows.
However, the One Piece live-action is also a gamble. One of the best TV series of all time, Cowboy Bebop, was also recently adapted into live-action by Netflix. It was panned by audiences and critics alike who found the jump to live-action unnecessary and underwhelming; a precursor to its eventual cancellation.
To avoid this, the live-action One Piece will need to strike a fine balance. It will need to be fresh enough to entice fans of the anime, and faithful enough to the source material to avoid alienating them too.
The presence of Oda as an executive producer could help One Piece to find this balance, and chart a course forward as one of the most ambitious streaming series around.
For more on One Piece, check out our guides to the best One Piece characters and read our One Piece Film: Red review. If you want to binge the anime series, take a look at our explainer on all the One Piece filler episodes you can skip, before finding our what’s new on Netflix.