Netflix’s One Piece has become a global hit among viewers. For the past 5 weeks, the series maintained being the streamer’s weekly Top 10, receiving 57.8M views to date. Not only did One Piece garner fans from the popular anime/manga series but also those who fell in love with the live-action adaptation. The series was renewed quickly after release but due to the WGA strike, the writer’s room was closed in support.
The series writer/executive producer/co-showrunner Matt Owens spoke to Deadline about what the main theme will be for the second season and interesting Season 2 clues for fans of Eiichiro Oda’s best-selling manga that the series is based on.
THE SETUP FOR ONE PIECE SEASON 2
At the end of season one, Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) gains notoriety. He wants to be taken seriously as a pirate, especially when he has come a long way from the beginning of the series. Nami and Zoro warn Luffy that with notoriety means that he will always have a target on his back. Many will know his name and face. According to Owens, the ending of season one is important moving to the next season.
RELATED: One Piece Renewed For Season 2 With Hilarious Announcement By Oda-san!
“That character in the end is a very important character moving into our next season, and as Garp says to [Luffy] as well, you’re on your own. While Garp may have been the marine who was testing Luffy, not every Marine is going to give him any leeway because of who his grandfather might be. And so we’re goign to see this very powerful, very driven marine as a major antagonist moving forward in the story.”
-Matt Owens-
JAMIE LEE CURTIS AND HER INTEREST IN DOCTOR KUREHA
Jamie Lee Curtis declared her intent in wanting to be part of One Piece season 2 as Dr. Kureha. In an Instagram post last month, Curtis posted a series of photos of wanting to play the character. She captioned the photo: “ONCE the STRIKE against the greed of the AMPTPT is SETTLED with a FAIR CONTRACT, I will lobby along with the growing fan frenzy to become Doctor Kureha.” Owens spoke more about that interaction and how the writers’ room is manifesting to have her join the team after the SAG-AFTRA strikes conclude.
“Yes, as of right now, SAG is still striking so there have not been real conversations. But as soon as there can be, I’m ready. I will take her out to dinner, we’ll talk about it. We’ll do all of it because at this point we’re writing for her – we really, really want her to come and play with us in Season 2.”
-Matt Owens-
Owens even spoke about how when Curtis won her Oscar, the writers’ room sent her a figure of Doctor Kureha with a note that read “Congratulations on your statue, here’s another one to put next to it. Hope to speak to you soon.”
THE THEME FOR ONE PIECE SEASON 2
RELATED: ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 Brings Gear 5 Luffy in the Battle of Onigashima Pack
When it comes to the theme that will be set in place for Season 2, Owens says that without saying too much about the characters that might be introduced in the next season, what they are aiming at is the challenge of leadership.
“From Luffy’s perspective, he’s got his crew now, and they are setting out to the Grand Line. They’re doing the thing, and there are a lot of challenges that come with that responsibility.”
-Matt Owens-
As of this week, Owens confirmed that the writers’ room is up and running. Before the strike, some ideas and scriptwriting began but had to be paused due to the strikes. Their goal is to finish those scripts so they can begin the design work, scheduling, and pre-production. Season 1 of One Piece is available now on Netflix.
What do you guys think? Are you excited for One Piece Season 2? Are you a fan of the series and if you are, who’s your favorite character? Let us know and don’t forget to check out our socials! If you what you read, make sure to follow us to see more content. We’re always watching!
KEEP READING: One Piece: The Remarkable 2023 Live-Action Adaptation Cleared “A Very High Bar” According to Netflix Co-Chief Greg Peters
Source: Deadline | Jamie Lee Curtis’ Instagram
