Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop: More Than Half of Season 1 Has Been Filmed
Netflix's live-action Cowboy Bebop series hit an unfortunate snag last year when star John Cho was injured on set. Now executive producer Marty Adelstein (TNT's Snowpiercer) has provided an update on how many episodes were filmed before the series went on hiatus.
In an interview with Syfy Wire, Adelstein revealed the series was deep into production by the time Cho injured his knee, triggering what was expected to be a seven-to-nine-month shutdown while Cho recovers. According to Adelstein, the first three Cowboy Bebop episodes have been completed, while Episodes 4 and 5 are in post-production and filming had begun on Episode 6 before the hiatus. This contradicts earlier reports indicating production had only been underway for a week before Cho's injury.
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"So, we have finished three episodes. I think we’re into [shooting] six; then John Cho tore his ACL, unfortunately. But I have to tell you I really like the show. It’s really fun," Adelstein told Syfy Wire. "And we have gone out of our way, because of all these anime movies that have come out and been accused of being whitewashed, we have really gone out of our way. The characters are all sort of multiethnic, and it’s a great cast. And the two episodes I have seen are so much fun. It’s really fun."
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any update on when production on Cowboy Bebop will resume. Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic creates additional problems for the series on top of Cho's lengthy recovery process.
Adelstein also had new updates to share on Netflix's live-action One Piece series. While COVID-19 will likely delay the start of filming until at least September, the first season of One Piece has been written, and Adelstein is hopeful casting will begin in June (possibly as soon as next week, in fact).
"We were supposed to start filming in August in Cape Town, South Africa. We anticipate the date being able to film [now is] September, at the latest," Adelstein said. "We have basically all 10 scripts written. We will start casting when we go back. My suspicion is June 1, but we will start doing our casting. We have a lot of names that we’re talking about, and we should be in production in September. We have been working very closely with Sensei Oda. So, we’re going to get started, and this one is very big. I mean, Snowpiercer was a big production; this is even bigger."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/07/john-cho-talks-upcoming-cowboy-bebop-netflix-series"]
Speaking to IGN in January 2020, Cho said he hasn't yet been in contact with original Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe, and noted one of the main challenges with the series has been maintaining the "unique" and "weird" tone of the anime. "I think that was the big thing I was focusing on all the time was...we got to keep it strange and that's hard to do, but I watched some of the stuff and I'm really happy with it," Cho said.
While we wait for more news on both shows, check out our breakdown of all the live-action anime remakes currently in development.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Pattinson Was Cast as Batman on His First Day of Filming Tenet
Robert Pattinson had just started working on Christopher Nolan's time-bending espionage thriller Tenet when he learned he had been cast as The Batman.
In a new interview with Total Film (via Batman-News), Pattinson recalls the "insane" and "very, very intense weekend" when he won the role of Batman just as he was starting a new movie from the director of the Dark Knight trilogy.
Pattinson said he learned he'd been cast as Batman on "(the) morning of the first day" of filming Tenet. "That was a crazy way to start Chris’ film," Pattinson said. "I think I was doing the screen test, as well, on the Saturday before I started."
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Pattinson then went straight from shooting Tenet to working on The Batman, a transition the actor says left him feeling "loopy." But then just seven weeks into filming, production on The Batman was shut down indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’d really gotten into a really good rhythm as well, so it’s kind of strange to be pausing," Pattinson said. "But, again, it’s a hard movie. I mean, obviously it’s Batman, so it’s kind of nice.”
Pattinson said "having some time off is not the worst thing in the world" given the whirlwind of going straight from one major production into another. "But hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later that everything is hopefully in a better place.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/tenet-official-trailer-2"]
For more on The Batman, learn what Jeffrey Wright had to say about Jim Gordon and the "badass" new Batmobile, what Robert Pattinson had to say about his Bat-fitness regiment and Andy Serkis' revelations about Alfred and the film's tone.
And for more on Tenet, discover why Christopher Nolan broke his big tradition for the film, find out why Nolan decided to blow up a real 747 rather than use visual effects, and learn what John David Washington said about the plot.
Pattinson Was Cast as Batman on His First Day of Filming Tenet
Robert Pattinson had just started working on Christopher Nolan's time-bending espionage thriller Tenet when he learned he had been cast as The Batman.
In a new interview with Total Film (via Batman-News), Pattinson recalls the "insane" and "very, very intense weekend" when he won the role of Batman just as he was starting a new movie from the director of the Dark Knight trilogy.
Pattinson said he learned he'd been cast as Batman on "(the) morning of the first day" of filming Tenet. "That was a crazy way to start Chris’ film," Pattinson said. "I think I was doing the screen test, as well, on the Saturday before I started."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-batman-how-robert-pattinsons-batsuit-draws-from-the-past&captions=true"]
Pattinson then went straight from shooting Tenet to working on The Batman, a transition the actor says left him feeling "loopy." But then just seven weeks into filming, production on The Batman was shut down indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’d really gotten into a really good rhythm as well, so it’s kind of strange to be pausing," Pattinson said. "But, again, it’s a hard movie. I mean, obviously it’s Batman, so it’s kind of nice.”
Pattinson said "having some time off is not the worst thing in the world" given the whirlwind of going straight from one major production into another. "But hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later that everything is hopefully in a better place.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/tenet-official-trailer-2"]
For more on The Batman, learn what Jeffrey Wright had to say about Jim Gordon and the "badass" new Batmobile, what Robert Pattinson had to say about his Bat-fitness regiment and Andy Serkis' revelations about Alfred and the film's tone.
And for more on Tenet, discover why Christopher Nolan broke his big tradition for the film, find out why Nolan decided to blow up a real 747 rather than use visual effects, and learn what John David Washington said about the plot.
Hideo Kojima: ‘Big Project’ Scrapped, in Planning Stages for Next Game
Hideo Kojima was at work on a big project following Death Stranding, but he has since said it was recently scrapped.
An interview published by Livedoor News and translated by Gematsu with Kojima revealed some interesting details about what Kojima has been up to in his post-Death Stranding days. He was at work on this unknown "big project," but his team has now entered the planning stages for what could be Kojima Productions' next big game.
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"I can't say anything since it's still in the planning stages, but we're doing various work behind the scenes," Kojima told Livedoor News. "Just recently, a big project fell apart, so I'm a bit upset about that."
Don't sweat it too much though, Kojima Productions fans — Kojima laughed it off and said it happens often in the video game industry. As for what Kojima is working on now, it's not anything related to Metal Gear Solid or P.T. (Silent Hills). He told Livedoor News that those rumors about acquiring the rights to those franchises are "completely false," or that he "hasn't heard anything about it at least."
Elsewhere in the interview, Kojima said Death Stranding is making a profit and has earned enough to make up for the development costs.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/09/death-stranding-pc-ultrawide-support-showcase-2-trailer"]
"We surpassed the amount we needed to make a profit, so I think it sold well enough to be called a 'success,' recoupment of development costs included," Kojima said. "We'll release the PC version soon and have already secured enough profit to prepare for what's next, so there's no need to worry."
As for what exactly is next, only Kojima and his team likely know. In the meantime, read up on the Half-Life content coming to the PC version of Death Stranding. If you need more Death Stranding in your life, check out this $2000 jacket based on the game. The PC release of Death Stranding is expected to come in July after a recent delay.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Hideo Kojima: ‘Big Project’ Scrapped, in Planning Stages for Next Game
Hideo Kojima was at work on a big project following Death Stranding, but he has since said it was recently scrapped.
An interview published by Livedoor News and translated by Gematsu with Kojima revealed some interesting details about what Kojima has been up to in his post-Death Stranding days. He was at work on this unknown "big project," but his team has now entered the planning stages for what could be Kojima Productions' next big game.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=death-stranding-timefall-jacket-replica&captions=true"]
"I can't say anything since it's still in the planning stages, but we're doing various work behind the scenes," Kojima told Livedoor News. "Just recently, a big project fell apart, so I'm a bit upset about that."
Don't sweat it too much though, Kojima Productions fans — Kojima laughed it off and said it happens often in the video game industry. As for what Kojima is working on now, it's not anything related to Metal Gear Solid or P.T. (Silent Hills). He told Livedoor News that those rumors about acquiring the rights to those franchises are "completely false," or that he "hasn't heard anything about it at least."
Elsewhere in the interview, Kojima said Death Stranding is making a profit and has earned enough to make up for the development costs.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/09/death-stranding-pc-ultrawide-support-showcase-2-trailer"]
"We surpassed the amount we needed to make a profit, so I think it sold well enough to be called a 'success,' recoupment of development costs included," Kojima said. "We'll release the PC version soon and have already secured enough profit to prepare for what's next, so there's no need to worry."
As for what exactly is next, only Kojima and his team likely know. In the meantime, read up on the Half-Life content coming to the PC version of Death Stranding. If you need more Death Stranding in your life, check out this $2000 jacket based on the game. The PC release of Death Stranding is expected to come in July after a recent delay.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Attack on Titan’s Final Season Gets New Art, First Teaser Trailer
Attack on Titan's fourth and final season has received its first teaser trailer and new key art, hinting at things to come.
The teaser reveals the first footage of Attack of Titan's final season, as well as the show's staff and new animation studio MAPPA, the same studio behind Yuri!!! on Ice.
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As reported by AnimeNewsNetwork, Dorohedoro's Yuichiro Hayashi will be directing the final season while Mob Psycho 100's Hiroshi Seko will take the lead on the scripts.
Alongside the keyart, which you can see below, it was also announced that a compilation film titled Shingeki no Kyojin: Chronicle will be released in Japan on July 17, 2020 and will summarize the show's first three seasons.
No date was given at the end of the teaser, possibly meaning that Attack on Titan's final season may be delayed from its original Fall 2020 release window.
Attack on Titan's first season premiered in 2013, and it took until 2018 and 2019 for fans to receive seasons 2 and 3.
At the Fourth Annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Attack on Titan's third season took home Best Director, while Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba took home the prize for Anime of the Year.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/03/top-10-most-anticipated-anime-of-2020"]
Attack on Titan, which made our list of Best Anime of the Decade (2010-2019), may also be getting another live action adaptation, and it has been reported that director Andy Muschietti had signed on to the film in 2018, but it's been mostly quiet since then.
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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Attack on Titan’s Final Season Gets New Art, First Teaser Trailer
Attack on Titan's fourth and final season has received its first teaser trailer and new key art, hinting at things to come.
The teaser reveals the first footage of Attack of Titan's final season, as well as the show's staff and new animation studio MAPPA, the same studio behind Yuri!!! on Ice.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=attack-on-titan-final-season-teaser-trailer-screenshots&captions=true"]
As reported by AnimeNewsNetwork, Dorohedoro's Yuichiro Hayashi will be directing the final season while Mob Psycho 100's Hiroshi Seko will take the lead on the scripts.
Alongside the keyart, which you can see below, it was also announced that a compilation film titled Shingeki no Kyojin: Chronicle will be released in Japan on July 17, 2020 and will summarize the show's first three seasons.
No date was given at the end of the teaser, possibly meaning that Attack on Titan's final season may be delayed from its original Fall 2020 release window.
Attack on Titan's first season premiered in 2013, and it took until 2018 and 2019 for fans to receive seasons 2 and 3.
At the Fourth Annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Attack on Titan's third season took home Best Director, while Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba took home the prize for Anime of the Year.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/03/top-10-most-anticipated-anime-of-2020"]
Attack on Titan, which made our list of Best Anime of the Decade (2010-2019), may also be getting another live action adaptation, and it has been reported that director Andy Muschietti had signed on to the film in 2018, but it's been mostly quiet since then.
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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

PlayStation Boss Not Interested in Making PS4 Versions of PS5 Games
PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan is uninterested in making PS5 games run on PS4 hardware, stating that developers working on next-generation games should “make the most” of the new console’s advanced features.
Talking to GamesIndustry, Ryan said “We believe that when you go to all the trouble of creating a next-gen console, that it should include features and benefits that the previous generation does not include. And that, in our view, people should make games that can make the most of those features.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/playstation-5-specs-detailed-ign-now"]
The PS5 features a variety of new tech that is bespoke to the console, such as a controller that provides haptic feedback to simulate surfaces, and an SSD that offers 100x higher data transfer speeds, allowing for game data to be allocated in different ways compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. Simply put, these things can’t be translated to the PS4 hardware because the older console is not capable of doing so. It appears Ryan would much rather developers take full advantage of the new technology instead of worrying about cross-generation support.
“We do believe in generations, and whether it's the DualSense controller, whether it's the 3D audio, whether it's the multiple ways that the SSD can be used,” he said. “We are thinking that it is time to give the PlayStation community something new, something different, that can really only be enjoyed on PS5."
This approach is different from that being employed by Microsoft. The plan there is for Xbox Series X games to also work on the older Xbox One hardware, albeit running at lower quality. The approach means developers must consider the limitations of older technology while developing for what is technically the most powerful of the two next-generation consoles.
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We’re set to see more from Sony at the next PlayStation 5 conference, which will take place in June. The console is still set for release this year, and Ryan has said that COVID-19 will not impact the PS5’s price.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
PlayStation Boss Not Interested in Making PS4 Versions of PS5 Games
PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan is uninterested in making PS5 games run on PS4 hardware, stating that developers working on next-generation games should “make the most” of the new console’s advanced features.
Talking to GamesIndustry, Ryan said “We believe that when you go to all the trouble of creating a next-gen console, that it should include features and benefits that the previous generation does not include. And that, in our view, people should make games that can make the most of those features.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/playstation-5-specs-detailed-ign-now"]
The PS5 features a variety of new tech that is bespoke to the console, such as a controller that provides haptic feedback to simulate surfaces, and an SSD that offers 100x higher data transfer speeds, allowing for game data to be allocated in different ways compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. Simply put, these things can’t be translated to the PS4 hardware because the older console is not capable of doing so. It appears Ryan would much rather developers take full advantage of the new technology instead of worrying about cross-generation support.
“We do believe in generations, and whether it's the DualSense controller, whether it's the 3D audio, whether it's the multiple ways that the SSD can be used,” he said. “We are thinking that it is time to give the PlayStation community something new, something different, that can really only be enjoyed on PS5."
This approach is different from that being employed by Microsoft. The plan there is for Xbox Series X games to also work on the older Xbox One hardware, albeit running at lower quality. The approach means developers must consider the limitations of older technology while developing for what is technically the most powerful of the two next-generation consoles.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"]
We’re set to see more from Sony at the next PlayStation 5 conference, which will take place in June. The console is still set for release this year, and Ryan has said that COVID-19 will not impact the PS5’s price.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
PS5 Price Has Not Been Affected by COVID-19
PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has said that the coronavirus pandemic has not changed Sony’s price plan for the PS5.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/27/ps5-no-delay-because-of-covid-19-says-sony-ign-news"]
Talking to BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, Ryan would not confirm a price, but did state that the pandemic had not changed PlayStation’s pricing plans. He also believes COVID-19 will not impact distribution of the console.
“It's obviously introducing a level of complexity any business would prefer not to have to deal with,” he said. “But we're feeling really good about the supply chain, we're going to launch this year and we'll be global."
While he notes that hardware engineers have been unable to get to China to complete their work on finalising prototypes, Ryan states that “everybody's just rolled their sleeves up and got on with it”.
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Sony has been quiet about the PS5 for some time, but will finally show more from its next-generation console on June 4.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.