Tomorrow Studios is developing a live-action adaptation of the cult anime "Samurai Champloo," with original series creator Shinichirō Watanabe attached to the project, the studio's executive producers told Variety exclusively.
The adaptation would mark the next major swing from producers Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements, who built Tomorrow Studios into a premier destination for anime-to-live-action adaptations on the back of their Netflix hit "One Piece." The news comes as "One Piece" Season 2 premieres Tuesday on Netflix, with the first two episodes set for a special theatrical run in approximately 200 movie theaters across the U.S., Canada and Japan beginning March 10.
"We had dinner with [Watanabe] in Japan and said, if we move forward on doing 'Samurai Champloo,' we really want you to be a part of the creative," Clements told Variety. "We were thrilled that he was willing to do that."
The project is in early development, and Tomorrow Studios has not yet taken it out to networks, though Clements said the studio has received "a lot of incoming calls" about the property. The adaptation will retain the core elements fans love while updating the material for a contemporary television audience. Clements said music will be central to the process — the original anime's hip-hop-inflected score was a defining characteristic — and that the studio plans to bring in a major recording artist early to help establish the show's sound.
The production company previously adapted Watanabe's other signature work, "Cowboy Bebop," for Netflix in 2021, though that series was canceled after one season. Clements acknowledged Watanabe was less involved creatively on that project.
"We've learned," said Adelstein. "Having the creator there to bless the creative is really important."
That lesson has been central to the success of "One Piece," where manga creator Eiichiro Oda functions as an active producer across every stage of production — from scripts and casting to editorial and VFX reviews. When Season 1 debuted in 2023, Oda wrote a letter to fans expressing his emotional response to seeing his work realized on screen, which Clements credits with helping win over skeptical devotees of the source material.
"When he says, 'I was in it and it's real,' it does help," Clements said.
That goodwill paid off. Season 1 spent eight weeks on Netflix's Global Top 10, reached No. 1 in more than 75 countries and made history as the first English-language Netflix series to debut at No. 1 in Japan. It has surpassed 100 million views and ranks among Netflix's most downloaded series of all time. A second season seemed to be a foregone conclusion.
Season 2 picks up immediately where the first left off, with Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates entering the treacherous Grand Line. Clements described the scale as "unrelenting" from the opening scene, with roughly 1,500 crew members across production design, stunts, visual effects, practical effects, hair, makeup and costume all working to bring Oda's world to screen.
The new season adds a substantial roster of new cast members, including Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha, Joe Manganiello as the villainous Mr. 0, Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Sophia Anne Caruso as Miss Goldenweek and Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, among others. Locations this season include Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, Little Garden and Drum Island.
Perhaps the most anticipated addition is Tony Tony Chopper, the fan-favorite reindeer doctor, brought to life through a combination of prosthetics, VFX and performance capture from actress Mikaela Hoover, whose facial expressions were recorded and mapped onto the digital character.
"Chopper is so popular, we took extreme care in every part of it," Clements said, noting that Oda had emphasized the Japanese concept of kawaii — a specific kind of joyful, endearing quality — as the emotional target the character needed to hit. "Our VFX team's desire is to make chopper move you — you just need to watch the season."
Season 3 is currently in production. Clements confirmed she was reviewing dailies the morning of the interview and offered little else, other than to say the show continues to surprise even its own producers.
"Even you're surprised every day with what you're going to see," she said. "It's always a new idea."
Beyond "One Piece," Tomorrow Studios is in the midst of a broader expansion. The studio closed 2024 with a straight-to-series order for "So Far Gone" at Netflix, and announced "Reversal of Fortune" with writer Jack Thorne and "Funny You Should Ask" starring Regé-Jean Page, both for Apple TV+, along with a TV adaptation of Ace Atkins' New York Times bestseller "Don't Let the Devil Ride," with "Luke Cage" showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker writing. Adelstein and Clements said the studio expects to be in production on those projects in the second half of 2026.
The studio also scored a ratings win for ABC's "Shifting Gears." Previous credits include "The Better Sister" for Prime Video, "Snowpiercer" for TNT/AMC+ and "Physical" for Apple TV+. Tomorrow Studios is a partnership between Adelstein and ITV Studios, with Adelstein serving as founder and CEO and Clements as partner and president.
"One Piece" Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
