LOS ANGELES — The "Cowboy Bebop" live-action series at Netflix has found the lion's share of its main cast, Variety has learned.
John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Daniella Pineda, and Alex Hassell have all been cast in lead roles in the series, which is based on the anime series of the same name.
Cho will star as Spike Spiegel, described as an impossibly cool 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.
Cho is known for his roles in the rebooted "Star Trek" film franchise as well as the "Harold and Kumar" films. He will also appear in an upcoming episode of the "Twilight Zone" reboot at CBS All Access. He is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Morris Yorn.
Shakir will play Jet Black, one of the few honest cops in the solar system before an ultimate betrayal robbed him of all that he loved, forcing him into a vagabond life of hunting bounties to put food on the table. Jet is an inveterate jazz enthusiast and Captain of the Bebop.
Shakir recently starred in Season 2 of the Marvel-Netflix series "Luke Cage" as well as the HBO series "The Deuce." He is repped by Gersh, Robyn Bluestone Management, and Schreck Rose.
Pineda will play Faye Valentine, described as a bold, brash and unpredictable bounty hunter. Suffering from amnesia after years of being cryogenically frozen, Faye does whatever it takes to survive. Whether she's lying, stealing, or just being a thorn in Spike and Jet's side.
Pineda's previous credits include "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," "The Detour," and "Inside Amy Schumer." She is repped by UTA, Kirsten Ames Management, and Schreck Rose.
Hassell will play Vicious. Described as a man who thoroughly enjoys a good kill, Vicious is the Syndicate's most notorious hitman. He's also Spike Spiegel's ex-partner and arch-enemy.
Hassell will appear in the upcoming Amazon series "The Boys." His previous credits include "The Bisexual" and "Genius" Season 2. He is repped by Gersh, United Agents in the U.K., and Magnolia Entertainment.
Radical Ed will also appear in the series, but the casting process for that character is ongoing.
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Netflix picked up "Cowboy Bebop" for 10 episodes back in November. The series is described as the jazz-inspired, genre-bending story of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine and Radical Ed, a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters on the run from their pasts as they hunt down the solar system's most dangerous criminals. They'll even save the world for the right price.
Shinichiro Watanabe, director of the original anime, will serve as a consultant on the project. Christopher Yost, who previously penned "Thor: The Dark World" and "Thor: Ragnarok", will write the first episode and executive produce. Andre Nemec, Josh Appelbaum, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio will serve as executive producers. Yasuo Miyakawa, Masayuki Ozaki, and Shin Sasaki of Sunrise Inc.- the studio behind the original series-will also executive produce along with Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios, Tetsu Fujimura, and Matthew Weinberg. The series is a co-production between Netflix and Tomorrow Studios, with Netflix handling physical production.
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