Since I'm here early I'll make my goddamn statement.

This movie has a 99% chance of sucking, Anime was NEVER meant to be turned into live action and the fact that they have cast an unpopular actor in the key role (there are FAR worse choices for Spike than Keanu, they could have cast Dane Cook, for example) doesn't mean he will ruin the movie. No, this movie will probably suck for reasons entirely independant of Keanu's casting, and hey, at least he likes the goddamn material, but that didn't save Billy Zane in "The Phantom" and Alec Baldwin in "The Shadow" so it probably won't save Keanu either. Since it's Fox they will likely lowball the budget as much as they can, make it as hip as possible and probably hire that asshat Tim Story to direct it.

It will be the same shit as the Dragon Ball movie. Hollywood, I realize that a large part of you was inspired by anime, but don't go fucking up a animes good name to make a few bucks.

it's like, Anime is a car owned by originality and the car is Carjacked by Hollywood for a little joy ride.

It might be good but I don't see a reason for it to be. Anime has a distinctive style that is hard to replicate on screen, and the characters will probably change. I think Yahtzee said it best when he described "beloved characters and themes boiled down to tired, easily marketable stereotypes"I highly doubt this is really a fan service, but an attempt to make more money. It should be in the hands of an independent director who tries to replicate the actual style and tone of the show.

This could work - but only if Yoko Kanno is online, and they find something to do with Ed. Speed Racer was pretty much ruined by bad child acting and bad script writing to find something for said actor to do; I can see Cowboy Bebop ending up the same way.

(-1 hope for live action films)

Welp, I don't think I need to say anything other than that. It isnt going to be anything that all of you aren't already thinking.

Turn an anime into an live action movie. Yeah really great choice you idiots.

Thank you for ruining my day.

Oh dear God no...

Hes good but no ones as good as Spike.......

Watch them redesign the ships and cast Ein as a fucking golden retriever.

Keanu may have had more life in him when he was playing in Bill and Ted, but somewhere along the way, a facehugger must've sucked out the wild wigging out and replaced it with uhhh...Neo. Because unfortunately, Keanu Reeves hasn't been much of an actor lately. He was fine in The Matrix, playing a guy who didn't have a clue, but could fight like hell, but let's analyze Spike Spiegel for a moment.

Spike is deep and even broody at times, but you can't tell on the surface because he's known for funny stories, witty comment, and sleight-of-hand trickery. Spike can light-finger something off of you and put it in his mouth or something with an easy-gesture that is none in the least suspicious. He has style and technique. Also, in another thread about this - yes, there was one - I said that Spike fights with Jeet Kune Do, following the ways of Bruce Lee to a fault, even.

Hollywood may try, but I don't think Keanu Reeves can fill the shoes of that intense-but-funny poofy-haired lunkhead space cowboy.

Ironically, anyone here think Chuck Norris has the right build for Jet Black?

Common guys, Spike is a moody character with a relatively monotone delivery on most lines. Reeves has proven he can pull off that kind of character, and considering his efforts with the matrix I do not think he will short change learning Jeet Kun Do. Based on his comments, I actually think he'll go out of the way to do so since he is a fan.

No, this movie will be made or broken by it's what story it chooses and other casting choices that play off of Spike. I'm thinking Viscious, Fae, and Ed are going to be far more difficult to cast properly.

My biggest fear in this movie is that they will enlarge Fae's role as a love interest (as Hollywood has proven it is not above doing) and not play off of the source material.

Did anyone see that Death Note movie?

..I have nothing else to say. lol :3
I never understood the appeal to cowboy bebop anyway tbh. movie will be terrible >>

Okay, I have to agree that casting the others is also gonna be a toughy. Faye Valentine, probably not so hard. Jet Black, also not that tough. Or Ein, or a number of other people. Vicious? Yeah, that's not an easy call. You need an albino who can stare like he's dead inside, talks with very little variation in tone, and wields a katana like a master.

I say we find him and beat him copies of Bill and Ted's most Excellent Adventure until he apologizes for... well, most of the movies he's been in. I personally have some rage about Constantine to get off my mind :)

If they actually make this movie, that will undoubtedly be horrible, I think Ed will be cut altogether. Actually, I hope they cut her because that character is too japanese to surreal (I'd say too japanese, but there's more than that to it) to be actually played by a real person.

I wonder where this impossibly bad idea came from.

Oh God, please don't! Making movies from anime, is like making movies from video games. EPIC FAIL! Guaranteed! There is no adaptation of anime that was EVER good on the silver screen, why force it?

Idiots...

Yeah, Keanu, while not the greatest actor, looks almost exactly like spike, and acts like him too. There's no problem there, no matter how much you hate him and/or love Cowboy Bebop. The problem is whether or not they create a good story with writing that was written by competent writers.

Well I think its going to suck so I'm not going to see it and laugh at the people who do.

Ohhh man.... this sucks.... I want ROOOM SERVICEE!!!

I'd laugh so hard if this actually turned out great.

yeah this kinda ruined my day, i don't believe they cast him as spike, as emotive as spike wasn't there was a lot of emotion behind it, he was more serene than emotional. really i think they could have done better with an unknown or someone taller and lankier than robo actor 5000

The sad truth is that this film is almost certainly doomed to fail, whatever the reason. It's hard to tell whether the pro-Keanu crowd is more or less than the anti-Keanu crowd - they'll probably just cancel each other out.

Something will go wrong - the writing, directing, acting or even the budget (low budget can be good, but a big company cost-cutting never ends well). It'd be great to say that this film has a chance, and it does, but it's not a very big one, given the history of western anime-adaptations. There are dozens of other anime/manga titles waiting for adaptation, most of which are on hold to see how others will do, so this film will end up having an impact on the film industry, whether it turns out to be good or bad.

I'd still have preferred Hugh Jackman. He doesn't have the right build though, so I'm still wondering why I thought of him first...

It'll be crap, but it'll sell, and isn't that what our much vaunted capitalism is all about in the end.

Fuck right off Reeves, don't go any where near Bebop!

And Fox! Not content to kill Firefly, you want to dump on Bebop from on high!? Christ, nothing is sacred.

I dunno, this could be good... maybe? I mean, I read the article and Reeves sounds like he loves the show. I could see him as Spike. As for who else they should get on board, I've got a few ideas. Namely Alfred Molina as Jet, and Megan Fox as Faye.

Dear lord, why can't Hollywood stick to just ripping off anime, instead of trying to adapt it and fucking everything up?

j-e-f-f-e-r-s:
I dunno, this could be good... maybe? I mean, I read the article and Reeves sounds like he loves the show. I could see him as Spike. As for who else they should get on board, I've got a few ideas. Namely Alfred Molina as Jet, and Megan Fox as Faye.

Come ON! They always say that, and then they go ahead and rape it. Take Daredevil for example ~~

Hey, Keanu Reeves could play an anime character really well. His acting fits the part perfectly; a part that was originally two-dimensional.