One Piece showrunner reveals how far the second season has progressed
One piece was another surprise smash hit for Netflix, whose strategy of throwing everything at the wall and getting away with cultural phenomena is actually working out pretty well. Fans of the live-action adaptation of the One piece Manga/anime had to wait longer for news about season 2 as the WGA strikes prevented the showrunners from promoting it. However, the strikes are now over and writer/executive producer/co-showrunner Matt Owens is very willing to talk about the future of the series.
In a long and in-depth interview with Deadline, Owens revealed not only that he’s excited to cast Jamie Lee Curtis on the series, but also that the writers went back into action right after the strike ended in season two. The writers had already started the second season before the strike, but didn’t get much further than planning the beats that will pick up right after the end of the first season. This had an advantage: After the series came out, the writers could see what worked and what didn’t and adjust accordingly.
“Now that the show is out, there are things to consider and lessons to be learned as we move forward,” Owens said. “We have some sketches and a really solid plan that we have communicated with [One Piece creator Eiichiro] Oda about.” He later concluded, “Honestly, one of the biggest lessons I think we learn in Season 2 is to trust ourselves.” We managed to make something that really resonates with people is well received by newcomers and fans alike.”
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Just because the scripts are ready doesn’t mean the delays for Season 2 are over. The actors’ strike is still ongoing, so none of the actors will be able to start filming any time soon. This is doubly complicated because the show is filmed in South Africa, where winters are not particularly conducive to filming a TV show on the high seas with stunning backgrounds. It’s not clear when the actors’ strike will end, but Owens says they will do their best to begin filming and adjust the schedule as needed.
Once filming begins, what will happen? One piece Be season 2? Owens says it will focus on leadership. “Without saying too much and talking to all the new characters we might meet, I would say a main theme we’re working with in Season 2 is the challenge of leadership. From Luffy’s perspective, he now has his crew and they head to the Grand Line. They do their job, and with that responsibility comes many challenges. And this theme ties into some other stories and characters that I don’t want to reveal yet. But challenge and leadership are a big theme for us in Season 2.”
