The Writers Are Back on Deck
After a 148-day Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the iconic Eiichiro Oda manga series, One Piece, is finally seeing some movement. The first season, starring Iñaki Godoy as the ambitious pirate Monkey D. Luffy, was a hit, scoring an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and securing a season 2 renewal just two weeks after its premiere. Matt Owens, the show’s co-showrunner, recently broke the silence on what’s next for the series.
“The writers room is up and running, yes, getting scripts done so that we can get into design work, scheduling and pre-production, all of that kind of stuff… We did start our Season 2 writers room for a little bit before the strike. We didn’t get much further than starting to plan out what the season is going to be and got a couple of outlines done. But that’s as far as we got. So there are not actually any scripts for the season that are done. It’s still going to take some time,” Owens told Deadline.
The SAG-AFTRA Strike: Another Hurdle to Cross
But it’s not all smooth sailing for the One Piece crew. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strike, which kicked off in July, is still in effect. This labor action has put a damper on promotional activities and could further delay the show’s return.
“While actors continue to fight for fair pay from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), they will refrain from performing on or promoting struck projects until a new deal is made,” the report states.
A Stormy Forecast for Production
If the SAG-AFTRA deal isn’t finalized by year’s end, the production could face another obstacle: the weather. One Piece is filmed in various locations in South Africa, and unfavorable weather conditions could push production to the end of winter in August 2024.
When Can Fans Set Sail with Season 2?
Taking into account the various strikes and potential weather delays, the earliest we could see One Piece Season 2 might be sometime in 2025. Given Netflix’s penchant for dropping an entire season at once and the lengthy post-production process for such an effects-heavy show, fans might have to wait until the latter part of 2025.
“Although it remains to be seen how this situation plays out, this worst-case scenario would lead to a gap of two years or more between seasons,” Owens added.
The Voyage Continues, Albeit Slowly
Despite these setbacks, the One Piece team seems committed to delivering a season that lives up to the first. While the journey to season 2 may be longer than expected, the anticipation only adds to the excitement. After all, what’s a pirate’s life without a few obstacles to navigate?
