Netflix's Live-Action Cowboy Bebop Adds New Cast Members

Production on Netflix's live-action adaptation of the hugely popular anime series Cowboy Bebop had already been suspended prior to the COVID pandemic, following an injury sustained by star John Cho late last year. But the series has finally resumed shooting, and several new actors have joined the cast.

As reported by Deadline, the show has added six new cast members. They are Geoff Stults (12 Strong) as Chalmers, Tamara Tunie (Better Call Saul) as Ana, Mason Alexander Park (Acting for a Cause) as Gren, Rachel House (Thor Ragnarok) as Mao, Ann Truong (Romper Stomper) as Shin, and Hoa Xuande (Top of the Lake) as Lin.

Cowboy Bebop stars Cho as bounty hunter Spike Spiegel, who leads a team on various intergalactic adventures in the ship of the title. The other previously-announced cast members include Alex Hassell as Vicious, Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine, and Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black. The showrunners are André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner, while Thor: The Dark World writer Christopher Yost is executively producing and has written the first episodes of the 10-episode first season.

The Cowboy Bebop series was first announced in November 2018 and started shooting in September 2019. A behind-the-scenes video was released in December, shortly before Cho's on-set knee injury shut down production entirely. At the time, it was reported that the production shutdown would last "seven to nine months," so it's possible it might not have started until now in any case.

The anime series Cowboy Bebop was released in Japan in 1998 and ran for 26 episodes. It was followed by an animated movie in 2003, as well as a manga series and a video game. It became one of the key anime properties to break through to a western audience and was screened on Adult Swim in the US.