• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Original Cowboy Bebop director stopped watching Netflix live action remake after one scene

Home> Film & TV

Updated 17:21 28 Jan 2023 GMTPublished 17:19 28 Jan 2023 GMT

Original Cowboy Bebop director stopped watching Netflix live action remake after one scene

The director of the original Cowboy Bebop said he stopped watching the remake after one scene

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

The director of the original Cowboy Bebop has admitted that he stopped watching Netflix's live action adaptation of the series after just one scene.

The remake of the late 1990s anime was cancelled by Netflix after just one season and ten episodes in late 2021.

That was despite the first season's ending perfectly teeing up to a second, but fan and critic response seemingly crashed all prospects of another ten episodes.

It represented a risk well and truly not paying off for Netflix, as the first season was supposed to be the launch of a blockbuster new series for the streaming giant.

Advert

Netflix cancelled the Cowboy Bebop remake after just one season.
Netflix

Shinichirō Watanabe was certainly one of those who was not impressed by the remake of Cowboy Bebop as he turned off the live-action show after the first scene because he thought it didn't feel like the original anime that he helped create.

In a new interview with Forbes, Watanabe said: "For the new Netflix live-action adaptation, they sent me a video to review and check.

"It started with a scene in a casino, which made it very tough for me to continue.

Advert

"I stopped there and so only saw that opening scene.

"It was clearly not ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and I realized at that point that if I wasn’t involved, it would not be ‘Cowboy Bebop.’

"I felt that maybe I should have done this.

"Although the value of the original anime is somehow far higher now."

Advert

The remake of Cowboy Bebop was developed by Thor: Ragnarok screenwriter Christopher Yost, with the likes of Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements and Jeff Pinker as executive producers.

Columbus' John Cho starred in the live action adaption, alongside Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, Alex Hassell, Elena Satine and Geoff Stults.

The original anime show aired in the late 1990s.
Photo 12 / Alamy Stock Photo

But critics were not a fan of the series as it received just 47 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Advert

Despite that, Cho was shocked to discover that Netflix decided to cut the remake after just one season.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter last year, he said: "I was very warmed by the response [to the show].

"I wish I could have contacted everybody and gotten hugs.

"I’m mystified a little bit about how you can connect with people that you don’t know doing your work, but I won’t question it.

Advert

"I will value it and treasure it. I’m just really deeply appreciative that anyone would care.

"It’s stunning to me… It was very shocking and I was bummed."

Featured Image Credit: Sunrise Entertainment / Netflix

Topics: Film and TV

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

23 hours ago
a day ago
2 days ago
  • 23 hours ago

    Netflix crime drama streamed for 38,900,000 hours fans are binge-watching ‘in one day’

    'A sweetly satisfying binge'

    Film & TV
  • a day ago

    People think The Simpsons predicted Labubus as disturbing theory has owners burning viral toy

    The much-loved Chinese soft toys have been linked with a dark conspiracy theory that has started a trend of owners burning their toys

    Film & TV
  • a day ago

    Netflix fans are binge-watching 'perfectly paced' mystery mini-series in one weekend

    'Stream it...binge it. So worth it.'

    Film & TV
  • 2 days ago

    Stephen King's new Amazon Prime Video series might just plug that Stranger Things gap in your life

    A fan-favorite King book gets the streaming treatment - but does it pay off?

    Film & TV
  • Original director of The Crow has savage response after remake 'flopped' at the box office
  • Live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon drops explosive first trailer
  • Secret Netflix code reveals ultimate 'Watch in One Weekend' collection including 'amazing' show people are 'surprised is allowed'
  • Netflix just added a 'masterpiece' movie praised as 'hands down one of the most accurate' films of its kind