Keanu Reeves to star in Cowboy Bebop movie?

20th Century Fox has yet to outright confirm the news, but it looks like a live-action version of Japanese animation opus and jazz spectacular Cowboy Bebop is on its way.

Keanu Reeves is rumored to be attached to the project as leading man Spike Spiegel. Apparently, the project has generated so much buzz in the nexus of Rupert Murdoch's empire that it's been fast-tracked for a 2010 release.

The show debuted in Japan in 1998 and was brought over to America in 2001 for a wildly popular run on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block. Set in the year 2071, the show chronicles the exploits of Spike and a motley crew of bounty hunters who explore the solar system in their spaceship, The Bebop.

Japanese animation seems to be making major inroads in American cinema, Speed Racer notwithstanding. First a live-action version of Akira was announced, and then Steven Spielberg said he'll be doing his own adaptation of anime cult classic Ghost in the Shell. You can toss all of these "artistic" cartoons at us, but let's be real. We're not going to be happy until we get exactly what we want: a Jerry Bruckheimer-directed live action and CGI extravaganza with 20-story tall robots. Make. It. Happen.

Related links:
Adult Swim: Cowboy Bebop
The Jazz Messengers' viewers guide to Cowboy Bebop
YouTube: Cowboy Bebop opening

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3 Comments

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By Mark! on August 1, 2008

Here's the problem with Keanu Reeves as Spike. Well. The problems really are too long to list. But in the end, he just, doesn't have the 'edge' needed to play this character.

He didn't have the edge needed to play John Constantine correctly either.

The movie will be entertaining enough (hopefully a bit more than Constantine was) but it's just not going to be 'right' with him as the lead. He is a poor choice as Spike.

There are so many other actors that would do a much better job.

Oh this is gonna suck.

By Mark! on August 1, 2008

AND another thing.

Spielberg doing GITS is yet another waste of a great comic/story.

GITS deserves a director who can sufficiently deliver the concrete, the grit, and cold metal of futuristic Japan WHILE also tackling existential concepts and philosophies.

Spielberg can't even make a movie with without a happy full circle ending.

I vote for David Fincher directing GITS in a sort of... elevated Fight Club mode. THAT'd Be F'in cool.

Or even the Wachowski brothers - if they could lose the polish that they had acquired by the final Matrix movie and got a little dirty - since the Matrix ripped everything off from GITS anyways.

By Rob on August 1, 2008

Keanu can't act smooth. He can act rough (Street Kings), but Spike doesn't take a single quick huff out of a cigarette, throw it on the ground, and stomp on it while looking like a crack addict. Spike savours every breath and takes it easy. You can say "Oh, Keanu can learn", but he can't, because he's a terrible actor.

I agree on Spielberg directing GiTS. It'll simply be...way to commercial. It's kind of ridiculous.