One Piece live-action show gets new co-showrunner; season 2 starts filming in June
Steve Maeda, who served as co-showrunner on the first season of One Piece, is being replaced by Joe Tracz. Netflix likes to shuffle the deck chairs like this.
By Dan Selcke
The first season of One Piece, Netflix's live-action adaptation of the iconic pirate manga by Eiichiro Oda, was a smashing success when it dropped last year. The streamer quickly renewed the show for a second season, which according to Deadline is due to start filming this June. Netflix is also making some changing behind the scenes, replacing co-showrunner Steve Maeda with Joe Tracz, who looks like this:
Tracz will serve as co-showrunner alongside Matt Owens, who was also in that role in season 1. Here's Owens:
Even though he won't be showrunner anymore, Steve Maeda will stay on as an executive producer. Here's what he looks like, just so you have visuals on all the characters in this little drama:
As dramas go, this is quite mild, although I can't help but notice that Netflix seems to rearrange the deck chairs like this on major shows more than your average streamer. Just recently, we learned that Albert Kim — who served as showrunner on the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender — would be replaced by Christine Boylan and Jabbar Raisani for seasons 2 and 3. And The Last Airbender is another live-action remake of a famous animated property. Is that the common denominator? If so, why?
Whatever, it's probably not that big of a deal. And Tracz sounds excited about his new role. “I’ve been lucky to work on big adaptations of several beloved series, and they don’t come bigger or more beloved than One Piece,” he said, referencing his work on Netflix's adaptation of A Series Of Unfortunate Events. “I’m a huge fan of Oda-san’s incredible imagination and I was blown away by what the live-action team created in Season One. So it’s a dream and a joy to come aboard the Going Merry as it enters the Grand Line for an even more giant Season Two.”
Matt Owens sounded off as well: “Joe has brought a wealth of enthusiasm and experience into our second season that will help take One Piece to new heights. We’re incredibly lucky to have him as a co-captain of this ship. The best crew on the seas grows larger!” Please notice the nautical theme.
The second season of One Piece is on track to release sometime in 2025.
Every episode of Netflix’s One Piece, ranked worst to best. dark. Next. Every episode of Netflix’s One Piece, ranked worst to best
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