Summary
WhileOne Piecemade a big splash on Netflix with its live-action adaptation in no small part due to its stellar casting choices and strong performances, one equally fitting casting choice will unfortunately not be making it to the show’s second season.
One Piecehas been a prominent feature of the Japanese anime and manga scene since its inception, breaking records and becoming the most prolific of the legendary big three of shounen manga of the 2000s. However, unlike its two contemporaries,One Pieceis still consistently ranked asone of the best shonen manga/anime properties of all timeby several metrics in the current year, giving it longevity that many other properties could only dream of. Despite this, the IP didn’t get a live-action adaptation until Netflix stepped up, releasing the One Piece adaptation in August 2023.
It was well known to fans thatJamie Lee Curtis expressed interest in signing on as Doctor Kureha, a character from the series’ Drum Island arc, well in advance of the show’s actual premiere. While the showrunners expressed interest in casting the star for the role, in no small part due to the universal agreement that the casting would be a great fit, there’s bad news for fans expecting to see Curtis in the show’s upcoming second season. In an interview conducted byDeadlinewith Marty Adelstein, CEO of Tomorrow Studios, and the company’s President Becky Clements, the duo would discuss a lot pertaining to the show, including Curtis’ inability to join the cast. Clements would deliver the bad news, along with reassurance that Curtis’ interest was indeed genuine.
She loves the show. She has too many films and TV shows that she’s going into production on, so our production dates aren’t going to work. She definitely wanted to do it, but she’s got deals in first position, and it just became complicated.
Jamie Lee Curtis Won’t Appear As Doctor Kureha In Netflix’s One Piece Season 2
Despitethe One Piece showrunners giving fans some hope earlier in the production process, this latest update seems to spell the end for her chances of making it onto the cast. When asked whether the character of Doctor Kureha would potentially be withheld from the second season to allow Curtis more time to be involved, the executives revealed that wouldn’t be the case, confirming the role was already cast by saying, “We have found an amazing person.” The pair also reiterated the desire to take the show on for at least six seasons, based on the wealth of source material they have at their disposal, as the manga for One Piece has long exceeded 1,000 chapters of content.
The casting is easily one of the live-actionOne Piece’s greatest strengths, with the selection of stars for the first few arcseven getting some unique praise from series creator Oda Eiichiroduring the lead-up to the first season. While there was certainly a great case to be made for Curtis fitting into this mould in the role of Doctor Kureha, a character that fits her demographics and acting range just fine, scheduling conflicts and prior commitments are an ironclad reality for big-budget projects like One Piece. Judging by previous performance, whoever does get the role of Kureha is likely to fit the bill and be overshadowed by the depiction of Chopper, which should make its debut within the same arc.
While there are still a fewwaysOne Piececan improve ahead of its second season, the show has an air of positivity and optimism around it that most live-action adaptations don’t have the luxury of achieving. With the second season being greenlit just 2 weeks after its season premiere, its clear that the vibe behind the scenes is just as good. With any luck, fans just might get the full six season treatment yet.
One Pieceis available to stream on Netflix, with a second season on the way.
