Concept art for a live-action version of one of the most important tools in the One Piece world has leaked online.
Uploaded to Twitter, the image shows what Den Den Mushi (aka the Message Snail) could look like in Netflix’s upcoming One Piece adaptation. This particular snail resembles Captain Morgan a lot; The ax-wielding villain is one of the first bad guys that protagonist Monkey D. Luffy meets and defeats in his quest for a hidden treasure.
Netflix has invested a fortune in its latest anime adaptation, with each episode of their One Piece series having a hefty budget of $18 million per episode. The company has also heavily advertised the upcoming film, releasing numerous trailers that give viewers a glimpse of what live-action based on Eiichiro Oda’s best-selling manga is available in store. The most recent trailer, shown at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, actually offers a look at Gol D. Roger, the first Pirate King.
One Piece Netflix Animation Won’t Include Entire Manga or Anime
The One Piece live-action is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in late August, starring Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji. Oda’s ongoing manga has more than 1,000 individual chapters, and some fans have wondered how many parts of the story Netflix actually plans to adapt. It seems that some members of the cast were hoping the series would be shorter than the manga. “I don’t want it to end in the short term and I don’t want it to last. That’s my ideal,” Skylar said in a promotional interview, and Godoy agreed.
While some of the actors involved in bringing One Piece into the live-action world may not be committed to adapting the entire plot, many dedicated Oda fans continue to honor the mangaka’s work by creating their own content, especially cosplay. Recent examples of how to create dramatic costumes include Sir Crocodile’s gender-bending interpretation and Nico Robin’s excellent portrayal of her Hana Hana no Mi devil fruit.
The One Piece manga first appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1997. Oda revealed late last year that although the story entered its final story with the beginning of the “Egghead” part, the series would not come to an end anytime soon.
Oda’s manga is distributed in North America by VIZ Media, and the anime adaptation by Toei Animation can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
Source: Twitter