Producers confirm scripts for 'One Piece' Season 2 are 'ready,' episodes could air in 2024
Those who are excited for more episodes of Netflix's One Piece live-action adaptation may not have to wait long as the show's producers confirmed that scripts for a second season have been completed.
Marty Adelstein, CEO of Tomorrow Studios, the production company behind the live-action One Piece, said in an interview with Variety that they have "got scripts ready" for the continuation of the eight-episode series. Once production is able to set sail, the next season could be "ready to air" in a year.
"Realistically, hopefully, a year away, if we move very quickly, and that is a possibility. Somewhere between a year and 18 months, we could be ready for air," Tomorrow Studios president Becky Clements said.
One big hurdle to this, however, is the SAG-AFTRA's (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The strike resulted from failed talks with studios over dwindling pay and the threat posed by artificial intelligence.
With the shutdown of nearly all productions and film sets, popular television series are facing lengthy delays, including the future of the One Piece live-action version.
While the series has already given Netflix much success after it placed at the top spot of the English-language TV series with 18.5 million views, the streaming service has yet to greenlight a Season 2 renewal. However, Adelstein and Clements are hopeful that this is only a matter of time now.
"With Netflix’s support of the title, we expected it to be number one and we sensed their research and algorithms probably saw the possibility for that. But in our subsequent calls post-launch, we have been told that we have exceeded expectations, which is also fantastic," Clements highlighted.
"I suspect we’ll hear from them in the next week to two weeks. There seems to be a big impetus to keep this going and to come up with a long-term strategy. So we’re just waiting for that," Adelstein said, adding that they are determined to reel in those who aren't even fans of One Piece.
Created by Eiichiro Oda, the beloved Japanese series follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, an enthusiastic pirate who gathers a crew to find the legendary fabled treasure, "One Piece," and become King of the Pirates.
But the journey to find it is no easy feat, as the Straw Hat Pirates must now search every inch of the vast blue seas, outpace the Marines hunting them down, and outwit dangerous rivals at every turn.
Starring Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Romero Gibson, and Taz Skylar, the live-action adaptation premiered on Netflix on Aug. 31.