Based on the newly printed script, it appears so.
Talkin with MTV News, Keanu Reeves has shined a bit brighter of a light on the upcoming live-action adaptation of the classic anime series, Cowboy Bebop. Reeves is slated to play the lead of Spike Spiegel, and in the interview that is burning up the web, Reeves states that there is indee a draft of the script that is floatng around, by Peter Craig, but it is far to expensive in concept to film. Reports are that the film would require a budget busting the bank right around Avatar propotions, at an alleged 500$ million mark, according to Fox Studios.
That said, the numbers are alwas speculative, so who honestly knows. I don't have the script in front of me, but honestly, this culd be done for right around 1 to 200$ million, if the right director got behind it. Actually, /Film has a few good options in their heads.
Unlike many fans of the series, I think Reeves could make for a decent Spike Spiegel if he loosens up a bit (though there are certainly better choices out there). The fate of this project will rest not so much in Reeves, but in whoever they get to direct. My current dream scenario is that Brick and The Brother’s Bloom director Rian Johnson gets involved. With his previous work, he’s proven that he can tackle noir and crime-caper stories— and the fact that he’s also an anime fan certainly doesn’t hurt. Francis Lawrence, who managed to turn Constantine into a fairly fun romp (and did a great job with a good chunk of I Am Legend), is another possibility.
If they got Rachel Weisz signed on as Faye Valentine, and perhaps Terrence Howard as Jet Black, I think they’d be well on their way to a decent adaptation. A Yoko Kanno score couldn’t hurt either. Unlike Akira, Bebop is a series that could work well as a live-action English film, so I’m hoping for the best with this project.
I could not have said that better, and honestly, I whole-heartedly agree, on all accounts. Reeves is a bad actor, but if he were to loosen up a little bit, this could be a great role for the much maligned thespian. Rian Johnson is my number one choice for film maker as well, as he is with any upcoming project.
Here's the clip from MTV News
What about you? What do YOU think?
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I really hope they do Bebop justice. I think with a good director, it won't be a fuckup like so many other live action ventures have been.
ReplyDeleteNO KEANU CANNOT BE SPIKE NO NO NO NO NO NO NONNONONONONONONO!
ReplyDeletei'm sorry even if he loosens up a bit, i just don't see the playful nature of spike...at all.
and i should be cast as Ed. Just saying.
I really hope that they do it justice as well. This was one of the first anime series that I ever really watched or got into, and the film is one of the best anime films ever made, at least top 10. However, I have more faith in this than I do the Akira live action remake.
ReplyDeleteKeanu should do fine, just if he loosens up a bit. Really, come on, BILL AND TEDS! He can be loose and playful. Just give him a shot. Not my first choice, but whatever.