Cowboy Reeves: The Movie

December 19, 2008 11:10 AM

Keanu Reeves is looking to create a live-action Cowboy Bebop movie with Erwin Stoff, and he wants the role of Spike Spiegel. (via io9)

The flick is currently being put together by Erwin Stoff, a producer who has spent the last two decades working almost exclusively on Reeves projects, and recently set the film up at 20th Century Fox. “We’ve got the rights, we’ve got a writer,” Keanu explained. “He’s putting together a scene outline.”

Reeves revealed that this outline for the flick is currently focusing on the origins of the fictional “Bebop” drug developed by the military, which provides its users with a brief surge of superhuman reflexes and awareness. “We’re taking the Red Eye [story], the beginning part of the series,” he explained, “and then we’ll deal with the end of the series. We’re trying to figure out [the time frame]. We’re looking at the story right now.”

The series is 26 episodes plus a movie, which aren't always linear in progress, so there's quite of space for the film to fit into this universe. A lot of the mood is created by the music of Yoko Kanno, but there's no mention of music by any but the fans yet.

posted by filthy light thief (224 comments total)

OH REALLY. There's NO WAY this could fail.
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:12 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

There's not a lot about this on this yet, but this blog post, which notes: For those of you who don't know, Twentieth Century Fox has proposed the adaptation of the anime back in July, and has already hired a writer for the film. The rest of the post is fanboy rambling, and the picture is kind of spooky. You've been warned.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:13 AM on December 19, 2008

Keanu Reeves would want to make a live-action Cowboy Bebop.

But hey, it's got a cool soundtrack.
posted by dunkadunc at 11:13 AM on December 19, 2008

Oh, lord. Please, let this fall through.
posted by Class Goat at 11:14 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

SEE YOU. SPACE... COWBOY. (tilts head)
posted by Damn That Television at 11:15 AM on December 19, 2008 [7 favorites]

OK, but who plays Faye? Those anime-babe outfits never translate well to live action (cf. Aeon Flux)
posted by GuyZero at 11:17 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh will you people just FUCK OFF!! Keanu, I am especially looking at you, you affectless, wooden-faced clodhopper.
posted by Drexen at 11:18 AM on December 19, 2008 [8 favorites]

Well, it's a better fit than he was for John Constantine.

Wasn't there a Cowboy Bebop movie already? Basically a feture length episode that was a bit rubbish compared with teh actual series?
posted by Artw at 11:18 AM on December 19, 2008

Maybe he'll finally get beef and peppers with the beef this time.
posted by four panels at 11:21 AM on December 19, 2008

*sigh* Why does Keanu want to fuck up all of my favorite things? Why? Why? Why?

Hellblazer is one of my favorite comic books, and the adaptation into Constantine was a steaming pile of shit.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is my favorite 50's science fiction movie, and we see the results in the theater at the moment.

Cowboy Bebop is one of my favorite tv series of all time, not just anime, but all of tv. And now he's going to screw that up too.

Why remake it? Why redo it at all?

Keanu Reeves is made of fail.
posted by MythMaker at 11:21 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel

Angelina Jolie as Faye Valentine

Bruce Willis as Jet Black

Dakota Fanning as Ed

Some dog as Ein


Hollywood, call me. I can work this magic for other projects.
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:22 AM on December 19, 2008 [11 favorites]

Okay, what? I mean. REALLY. WHAT?
Keanu Reeves? Oh wow.

I can imagine how it will end up as a 2-hour War on Drugs advertisement, based in Cowboy Bebop, the same way it I, Robot was based in the book by Asimov. With the soundtrack made by Evanescence.
posted by Memo at 11:22 AM on December 19, 2008

Some people call me a space cowboy...some people call me....
posted by doctorschlock at 11:24 AM on December 19, 2008

Someone apprentice Seth Rogen to Yuen Wo Ping for, say, seven years, call me back when he's all wiry, lithe, and wisecracking, and then we can work on the pitch.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:24 AM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

Dr-Baa just cast it. Go.
posted by cavalier at 11:24 AM on December 19, 2008

AND IT NEEDS TANK.
posted by cavalier at 11:25 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

WALLACE SHAWN IN EVERY ROLE
posted by Sticherbeast at 11:25 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

affectless, wooden-faced clodhopper.

Hmm. Spike doesn't really have to do all that much, emoting-wise, to work.
posted by Artw at 11:26 AM on December 19, 2008 [4 favorites]

I can understand the yearning here, but I just don't think this will translate in ANY way, unless they try to do a fairly direct port of Cowboy Beebop: The Movie. Mostly for reasons made clear by Keanu in his interview. Can't leave well enough alone I guess...

I mean, Shucks Howdy! why would you try to shoehorn something like this when a lot of it's appeal is that it's episodic in nature. Some of it has arcs to it, but a lot of it is standalone vignettes that need be no longer than 30 mins. Those standalones inform the arcs, and they really lean on each other.

It'll work as well as a live version of Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex. I.e. not all that well.
posted by butterstick at 11:29 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Spike's style is all different though. He flows and flops effortlessly even when he's winning. It's like everything around him is just accidentally falling into place. That's a very different non-emoting than Mr. Plank.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 11:30 AM on December 19, 2008

> Well, it's a better fit than he was for John Constantine.

Yahoo Serious would have been a better fit for John Constantine.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:32 AM on December 19, 2008

Dr-Baa: "

Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel
Angelina Jolie as Faye Valentine
Bruce Willis as Jet Black
Dakota Fanning as Ed
Some dog as Ein

Hollywood, call me. I can work this magic for other projects."

1: No. Just no.
2: No. Faye is supposed to be artificially young. I'm not sure who would play her, but she'd have to pass for much younger than Jolie.
3: Ehh. Could work.
4: No. She never needs needs to be in a movie I want to see. Besides they'd almost certainly have to cast a no name actress as she'll have to be happy with short and incoherent lines.
5: I'm cool with using some dog.

I'm having a hard time actually casting this. I have no idea who could play Spike or Faye, Jet is a little easier. Ed can go uncast for all I care, that character annoyed me. Using a dog would be a good choice for Ein.
posted by Science! at 11:32 AM on December 19, 2008 [4 favorites]

Artw : The Cowboy Bebop movie. I think it's pretty good actually -- drags a little, and has to deliberately not advance the series' storyline at all, but there's some great set-pieces and the writing's decent enough. It is just a feature-length episode in fact, but that's no bad thing with this series.

Seriously though, having ranted above, the point still holds which is raised in all the threads about these cloth-brained adaptations of great stories-already-told by dead-eyed Hollywood assholes. Namely: the original material isn't going to change a jot, more people will see it due to the publicity of this nonsense, and it's made to look better in comparison.

It still fills me with fanboy rage though. Keanu, sir, you're no Spike Speigel, and whichever sausage-fingered writer/directors you're going to pull in will be no Shinchiro Watanabe. Go, take your ludicrous quantities of money, and get tanned and drunk and wrinkly on the beaches of California like a mediocre but successful actor should. And take those louts Will Smith and Nick Cage with you! Harumph!
posted by Drexen at 11:33 AM on December 19, 2008

OH REALLY. There's NO WAY this could fail.

Yeah, because his movies never make any money.

Hmm. Spike doesn't really have to do all that much, emoting-wise, to work.

Sure, if you only watched the shitty English dubbed version. The Japanese voice acting added waaaay more dynamics to the character.
Oh yeah, the Cowboy Bebop movie was awesome!
posted by P.o.B. at 11:34 AM on December 19, 2008

I'm cool with using some dog. Cracking up.
posted by cavalier at 11:34 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Science! That was my bizarro world casting list. A bizzaro world in which we really need superfluous live-action remakes of anime series.
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:35 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Artw:Hmm. Spike doesn't really have to do all that much, emoting-wise, to work.

I don't think that's true AT ALL. Keanu needs to be able to do charming, sexy, mysterious, dangerous but humble, and still have a subtle spirituality to him. That's a tall order for any flesh and blood actor, let alone Reeves.

This is kinda why I think adapting anime in particular is a lousy idea, because artists and writers who work in that medium leverage its strengths. They can write characters that are out of this world, and they can animate them doing some pretty crazy stuff. It's very exaggerated in many ways, ways which work uniquely in anime. Most of them don't translate to the realism of film.
posted by butterstick at 11:35 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Dr.-Baa,

Oh.

Carry on.
posted by Science! at 11:37 AM on December 19, 2008

I'd take this with a HUGE grain of salt. Right now Keanu is just attached to an idea and some rights. According to the above they don't even have a treatment yet. It sounds like it'll be awhile before they have a workable script. Then they'll have to find a studio willing to commit to what will probably be a pretty large budget given that it's a space opera with an A-lister attached. So then they'll need to find a director who can handle a big budget and lots of effects and keep an existing fan base happy. All of that is a pretty hard sell considering the last western/space opera (Serenity) only did about $25M domestic and about half that foreign.
posted by tinatiga at 11:37 AM on December 19, 2008

> Spike doesn't really have to do all that much, emoting-wise, to work.

Yeah, but the actor's got to at least be able to smirk.
posted by ardgedee at 11:38 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

SPOILER Spike Dies. SPOILER
posted by Science! at 11:38 AM on December 19, 2008

Spike doesn't really have to do all that much, emoting-wise, to work.

Yeah, but he has to do that not-much very well in a way that Keanu (who I have come to like for the things he does well) just doesn't even do. There's a fundamental wryness to Spike, and I think Keanu may be one of the least wry motherfuckers on the planet.

Ed Norton would be a better Spike, but the same stuff that would work for the dry wryness might come off a little snivelish there too.
posted by cortex at 11:39 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Hugh Jackman, maybe?
posted by cortex at 11:41 AM on December 19, 2008

GODDAMNIT FUCK YOU KEANU REEVES
posted by eyeballkid at 11:42 AM on December 19, 2008 [6 favorites]

I wonder which face he'll use.

{via monkeyfilter}
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 11:42 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

I just remembered the disaster that the Dragon Ball movie is proving to be; I don't even want to think how horrible a Cowboy Bebop movie could be.
posted by Memo at 11:45 AM on December 19, 2008

Cortex, I think "fundamental wryness" is an excellent nutshell for Spike's character.

And that realization makes it nearly impossible for me to cast, no matter how imaginary this discussion is.
posted by butterstick at 11:45 AM on December 19, 2008

*breathe*

*breathe*

Okay. I'm calm now. I'm.... I'm...

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK YOU KEANU REEVES. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. AFTER YOU FUCKED UP MY FAVORITE COMIC HELLBLAZER YOU WANT TO FUCK UP MY FAVORITE ANIME TOO. goddamnit just stop already. just...

/me weeps.
posted by eyeballkid at 11:46 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Some popular good looking actor as Spike Spiegel
Some popular good looking actress (with ample breasts) as Faye Valentine
Some popular (bald) good looking actor as Jet Black
Some cute young (androgynous) actress as Ed
Some dog as Ein
posted by P.o.B. at 11:46 AM on December 19, 2008

Anyway, the real new in potential SF movies today is that DNA Films may be making a Judge Dredd movie! Possibly even one that doesn't suck! I'm pretty skeptical, but if is means rumours of Alex Garland writing it are correct it might have a fair shot.
posted by Artw at 11:46 AM on December 19, 2008

Hugh Jackman, maybe?

Honestly, I think Spike and Wolverine are very similar... they just live in opposite ends of the civility spectrum. Wolvie/Logan is very feral and western, where Spike is quite cool (jazzy?) and sophisticated. Both are charming mysterious rogues, but Wolvie is more blunt and lacks subtext and subtlety.
posted by butterstick at 11:48 AM on December 19, 2008

This reminds me: isn't someone making excreting a western-based, live-action Neon Genesis Evangelion? Or maybe it was Akira? And I remember an atrocious live-action Fist of the North Star with David Carradine in it from years ago.
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:54 AM on December 19, 2008

The problem with Keanu Reeves is that no matter what movie he's in he's always playing the part of Keanu Reeves. Isn't it sad to say that his turn as Ted Logan might be his biggest stretch as an actor?
posted by Alison at 11:54 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

OKAY IF THEY GET OWEN WILSON TO PLAY COWBOY ANDY I WILL TAKE BACK EVERYTHING HARSH I SAID IN THIS THREAD PLUS I WILL EAT MY HAT
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:56 AM on December 19, 2008 [8 favorites]

OK, but who plays Faye? Those anime-babe outfits never translate well to live action

Damon Evans, obviously. And I disagree that the outfit doesn't translate well.
posted by dammitjim at 11:56 AM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

IIRC it was an Akira movie with Leonardo DeCaprio. Not heard anything about it lately.
posted by Artw at 11:57 AM on December 19, 2008

Fayes outfit is fucking hideous in cartoon form anyway.
posted by Artw at 11:57 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Zombie Benji as Ein
posted by Dr-Baa at 12:00 PM on December 19, 2008

I just saw The Day the Earth Stood Still yesterday. While the movie as a whole was a sad and lonely waste of time, Keanu makes an excellent retarded alien.
posted by Caduceus at 12:00 PM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

I'd laugh at the "some dog" playing Ein thing BUT I can totally see movie studio execs thinking that a Corgi isn't "cool action hero Hollywood" enough and decide to make Ein a German Shepherd or maybe even a mechanized robo dog that Ed uses to hack stuff and say crap like "OK, I'm in" in some weak Oceans 11 meets Johnny Mnemonic set in space type of adventure. I'd almost bet soup to nuts one of the treatments is going to have Ed no longer as a silly absentminded computer genius androgynous kid, but a psychic precocious nymphet computer genius (Hollywood LOVES creepily adult-like kids) who acts more like Mathilda from The Professional to Spike's Leon, creating a love triangle with Faye Valentine, whose memory loss will now be attributed to the fact that she's actually a priestess from a lost race of Shaolin-like female warriors. And the whole reason the group gets together is because Spike's protecting Ed because she's The Key to some alien technology that'll bring water to a waterless earth or some bullshit. And my money is on them trying to get Samuel L. Jackson for Jet Black.

I just imagined Keanu doing the last memorable (SPOILER if you haven't seen this series before) "bang" scene and some things cannot be unimagined. No longer is that a scene that'll have me sniffling like a ten-year-old with a scraped knee, but instead bursting out laughing because I imagine him playing it like Neo's "Whoa."

Ugh, I guess I'm just feeling ranty after seeing the casting choice for the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.
posted by kkokkodalk at 12:01 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

The problem with Keanu Reeves is that no matter what movie he's in he's always playing the part of Keanu Reeves.

Just as Christopher Walken does, and Samuel Jackson does, and a host of other actors in Hollywood. This is what you are paying for these days, not acting, but to see these actors.

Fayes outfit will be changed. Just as the X-Men's outfits were changed so we didn't get another spandex superhero movie.
posted by P.o.B. at 12:01 PM on December 19, 2008

This will suck if it happens, but you know what would work? Keanu as Hyatt in an Excel saga movie. I would pay a lot to see him in drag and vomiting blood for two hours.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 12:02 PM on December 19, 2008 [6 favorites]

Ugh, I guess I'm just feeling ranty after seeing the casting choice for the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

I thought all anime characters were white?
posted by Artw at 12:03 PM on December 19, 2008

I thought all anime characters were white?

Nope, they're mostly Asian.
posted by Dr-Baa at 12:05 PM on December 19, 2008

I'm already using my Christmas wish to make sure the Eddie Murphy Riddler and Shia LeBeouf Robin rumours don't actually happen. Someone else will have to cover this one.
posted by Gary at 12:05 PM on December 19, 2008

Some dog as Ein

Some dog could be my dog! Here he is learning Japanese. I'm willing to dye him.
posted by spec80 at 12:05 PM on December 19, 2008 [12 favorites]

Ugh, I guess I'm just feeling ranty after seeing the casting choice for the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

I'm planning on being willfully ignorant of anything related to this future piece of crap. I mean JESSE MCCARTNEY. WHAT.
posted by spec80 at 12:07 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ed Norton would be a better Spike

Ron Perlman?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:07 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I always thought they should make a Heat Guy and J movie with Ron Perlman as Heat Guy.
posted by P.o.B. at 12:09 PM on December 19, 2008

And I'm sure you meant he should play Jet?
posted by P.o.B. at 12:10 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

There have been rumors about live action versions of both Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion for years. I think I first heard the Eva rumor in 2002, and the Akira rumor in 2004. I've yet to see credible evidence that either is actually going to happen.
posted by Caduceus at 12:11 PM on December 19, 2008

Sometimes it's really fascinating when all the stars align perfectly and you realize you are a minority of one in this strange, winding world we live in.

I love and have always obsessed over the sheer genius that is Cowboy Bebop.

I also think Keanu Reeves is fascinating on screen and all of his movies are awesome and eminently watchable. He's probably one of my favorite actors of all time.

It's like Santa Claus was like, "This year, we're going to do something extra-special for little baby balrog. Something that only he will love and cherish. But what could it be?"

This is the best news I've received all day. YAY! i lurve you keanu. i am your biggest fan.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 12:12 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Dr-Baa: Live-action Akira made by Warner-Brothers (blah).

Live-action Evangelion. Made by Hideaki Anno, who's also remaking the animated series I think. So, kind of a bizzarre move, and honestly, I don't think even he could make a live-action Evangelion work. It's fair enough if he wants to give it a go though, I guess!
posted by Drexen at 12:12 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Heat Guy and J movie with Ron Perlman as Heat Guy.

I would buy a movie poster for this.
posted by Dr-Baa at 12:14 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

In his next tour de force, Kanunu will play both Gendo "Sam" Ikari and Shinji "Li'l Bobby" Ikari in the upcoming family heartwarmer Evangelion. Meg Ryan will play Keanu's love interest Misato "Betty" Katsuragi.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:14 PM on December 19, 2008

Shia LeBeouf Robin rumours

Heh, No No Nooo!
posted by P.o.B. at 12:15 PM on December 19, 2008

And I'm sure you meant he should play Jet?

Yes, I mean that Ron Perlman could play Jet. I replied to a comment about Spike because I am a Grade A moron.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:15 PM on December 19, 2008

I could see a Bebop live action film working, if you started with someone like Wim Wenders who shares Wantanabe's love of urban space, get Yoko Kano in a room with T-Bone Burnett's record collection, find a way to work a Toots Thielemans cameo into a background scene, and keep Reeves as far away from this project as possible, preferably on another continent.

I'll also add that one problem with adapting SciFi settings to live action is that they often just don't work dramatically. Fifth Element for example was slavishly faithful to the humor, color saturation, and style of Heavy Metal. It's practically a Besson-Mobeius-Mezieres love-in, but the same garish campy fetish-future that works in print just isn't convincing on the screen. Wantanabe's multicultural Mars or dynamic casinos need to be treated with care or they'll violate suspension of disbelief.

Re casting: Well, a problem with this is that while, yes, you can fake quite a bit with fight choreography, wires, and camera tricks, Spike is role that demands the same kind of physicality that you see in old Gene Kelly flicks. Digital editing only goes so far, and there are sadly very few really good double-threat actors these days. Jet Li sticks out on my mind as someone who could deliver on Spike's martial arts style, but he doesn't have the box-office clout.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 12:15 PM on December 19, 2008

Eauy aminEff Bee Eye Asian! (Johnny Utah)

I like using dogs in movies because dogs don’t know they’re in a movie.
posted by Smedleyman at 12:17 PM on December 19, 2008

OKAY IF THEY GET OWEN WILSON TO PLAY COWBOY ANDY

No way. Owen Wilson and Scarlett Johansson* as Punch and Judy.

*She can totally do comedy. Who lives here, the pope?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:22 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I still can't cast Spike, but I see Perlman as a decent Jet. Grumbly, gruff and paternal, but still a bruiser.

Ed is such a freaking cartoon that I can't really imagine her in reality. Shit, the only reason anyone even tolerates her, is they think "well, shit, this is an anime after all".
posted by butterstick at 12:22 PM on December 19, 2008

Keanu Reeves is in his mid-40s. Spike Spiegel is late-20s. Maybe he could play Spike's dad instead?
posted by grounded at 12:26 PM on December 19, 2008

live action versions of both Akira

They'll probably anglicize all the names, which will take all the fun out of KANEDA! TETSUO!

Though I'd probably pay a few bucks to see Shia LeBeouf trying to pack his guts back into himself, even if it's just a hallucination.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:27 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Please no, not him. Please, God, if you exist you will do me this one tiny thing. If you do this, I promise to build several churches in your honour.
posted by LunaticFringe at 12:27 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I nominate Rose McGowan for the role of Faye.

Doesn't matter if that's a bad call, though. There is no way this atrocity would ever work out.

I hope.
posted by mervin_shnegwood at 12:32 PM on December 19, 2008

by luck the smoking gun may have captured a nascent valentine
posted by doobiedoo at 12:34 PM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

Yeah, but the actor's got to at least be able to smirk.

Oh. My. God. You just figured out George W. Bush's post-presidential career!
posted by inigo2 at 12:36 PM on December 19, 2008

and for a ten volume saga on unspeakable disaffection folded into a wrinkle of the brow, cut with a distant smile sketching irresolvable anguish interned for half a life time, waiting for a mid segment balletic gun play, slunk through and grazed only by the wake of bullets and falling peons? benicio del tores
posted by doobiedoo at 12:40 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Ted is too old to play Spike. And his body type and general acting demeanor is all wrong.

On the other hand, I'm the right age, demeanor, and body type. Teach me some karate, and let's get this bitch going.
posted by dgaicun at 12:40 PM on December 19, 2008

What an American Akira would look like.
posted by amuseDetachment at 12:41 PM on December 19, 2008 [4 favorites]

God this idiot wants to play every adolescent fictional hero he ever had. Fought hard to play Aragorn (THANK YOU GOD FOR NOT LETTING THAT HAPPEN), totally destroyed Bob Arctor in A Scanner Darkly, now this.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:44 PM on December 19, 2008

and for a ten volume saga on unspeakable disaffection folded into a wrinkle of the brow, cut with a distant smile sketching irresolvable anguish interned for half a life time, waiting for a mid segment balletic gun play, slunk through and grazed only by the wake of bullets and falling peons? benicio del tores

Holy shit doobiedoo...you've restored my faith in humanity. I could see this working actually...
posted by kkokkodalk at 12:45 PM on December 19, 2008

Frank Millers still going to direct, right?
posted by Artw at 12:46 PM on December 19, 2008

Also, I don't have time to scroll back to the original "Constantine" mention, but I've always maintained Billy Idol should've been given that role. I've come to peace with the fact that I firmly believe and the weird looks I get when I mention it.
posted by kkokkodalk at 12:48 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

in the absence of a girthful clint eastwood, i could go for a jay reno or tommy lee jones to do jet
posted by doobiedoo at 12:52 PM on December 19, 2008

Billy Idol is no Sting.
posted by Artw at 12:53 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Also, I don't have time to scroll back to the original "Constantine" mention, but I've always maintained Billy Idol should've been given that role. I've come to peace with the fact that I firmly believe and the weird looks I get when I mention it.

Billy Idol is good, but I've always had my heart set on Eddie Izzard myself, because I can imagine Izzard plucking a bunch of greenery from Swamp Thing's shoulder to roll a cigarette.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 12:55 PM on December 19, 2008 [6 favorites]

Weird that the fans here are reacting more violently than they did to the Star Trek reboot. While I think that Reeves is awful in, say, a romantic comedy, is does a dry, floppy demeaner (c'mon guys, have you seen Bill and Ted? Cross Theodore Logan with Neo and you have Spike, anyway) fine. And if he's a fan of the series, he might even be willing to defend it against, say, having a robotic dog added in in place of the corgi.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:55 PM on December 19, 2008

thanks kk, i think i am actually going to spend the next week working out this casting, christmas is going to have to be put on hold, see you guys in two thousand and TANK!
posted by doobiedoo at 12:55 PM on December 19, 2008

Please forgive me for bringing this (un) story to light. The fanboy in me figured I could vent some concerns with other fans. The only reason I could see this being brought up now is because Fox (vaguely) recently spoke of their own interest in the movie being made. And I'm sorry I provided a forum for Drexen and kkokkodalk to bring up further news of awkward/ painful live-action renditions. I shudder at them all, but some part of me find's the notion of M. Night Shyamalan's movie version Avatar: The Last Airbender a mental clash. And the cast makes it look like some High School Musical group. Pfft. But I'm not a huge fan of the series. It's just a kids show. Yeah.

--fanboy--
If you have only seen the dub, PLEASE watch the subbed version. This goes above my general dislike of dubs, but to another level for the really, really annoying Ed voice-casting, and Steve Blum has a good voice, but he has NO INFLECTION. Spike is great because he's mostly emotionless.

I'm happy it's not a remake, but a new side-story, because that would avoid all the nitpicking of movie mistakes. But I will nit-pick the film (if it's made) if they turn the Data Dog into some action hero or purely comic side-kick, or Spike becomes some debonair James Bond-like lady's man.
--/fanboy--
posted by filthy light thief at 12:57 PM on December 19, 2008

Constantine should have gone to Tim Roth.
posted by mandal at 1:02 PM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

PhoBWanKenobi: Weird that the fans here are reacting more violently than they did to the Star Trek reboot.

I suspect that it's because there has been so much badness in the Star Trek franchise that fans have fairly low expectations.

filthy light thief: Or, if they establish more than the extremely understated and one-sided sexual tension between Faye and Spike.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:03 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel

Angelina Jolie as Faye Valentine...

I can see it. But really, there are some Japanese girls that are anime -- I can't explain it -- giant dark eyes, crazy perfect (though not usually magenta) hair, impossible figures, etc.. How strange/awesome would it be to cast an actual raving Japanese girl in one of these Hollywood adaptations? (if you're going to do it at all)
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 1:04 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Much like everyone else, this makes me wish to weep and then curl up and die.

If Yoko Kanno does the soundtrack, though, you can bet yer ass I'm buying it. (While hopefully never setting eyes on the film itself.)
posted by WidgetAlley at 1:05 PM on December 19, 2008

Spike is great because he's mostly emotionless.


I think Spike is great because he conserves his emotions for the right instances.
Thank you for re-iterating what I said above. There really is quite a difference between the subbed and dubbed version. I will say if you haven't watched the show with the original voice actors then you're missing out.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:06 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

So basically whaty we're establishing here is that Cowboy Bebop is to MeFites as Twilight is to pre-teen girls?
posted by Artw at 1:08 PM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

HEY EVERYONE

HERE ARE MY OPINIONS ON ANIMES
posted by Damn That Television at 1:12 PM on December 19, 2008

Only more so.
posted by Science! at 1:14 PM on December 19, 2008

the new film by rian johnson who did brick, which is itself a fantastic interpretation of noir, also has some promising avenues

adrien brody for spike (although he's not dispossessed enough really)

rinko kikuchi for valentine (may be a little too quirky, but she's got range if babylon's any indication)

in fact if brick is anything to go by i'd just give the bebop keys to rian johnson and let him handle it all

man i can't stop, ok i'm stopping, that's gabrielbyrneforjet it, finito
posted by doobiedoo at 1:15 PM on December 19, 2008

Could be worse.
posted by Upton O'Good at 1:17 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Cowboy Bebop : MeFites
Twilight : pre-teen girls

Except, MeFites hold CB as something you shouldn't f*ck with. I'm not sure if there are many pre-teens nit-picking the differences between the books and the movie. I can't imagine them getting up at arms when Edward Cullen delivers their mutant half vampire baby by performing an improvised C-section with a pocketknife instead of with his teeth (this was the point where I refused to ever watch the movie, read the books, or buy a soda that would come in a Twilight-themed cup, because this concept creeks the f*ck out of me).

Actually, I imagine that enough MeFites have seen and enjoyed the series (and possibly the movie), that they hold it in that class of item which should not try to reproduce in a more common form. Cowboy Bebop is one of those shows I'd show to someone who claims that all anime is simply cartoons from Japan, and I'd expect them to enjoy it. It's a well-made, dramatic show, with great characters and outstanding music. It just happens to be animated.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:21 PM on December 19, 2008

WITTY BUT USELESS COMMENT!
posted by P.o.B. at 1:21 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

One of my great amibitions in life is to create a comic which rips off both Cowboy Bebop AND Firefly.
posted by Artw at 1:23 PM on December 19, 2008

benecio del tores

Close, but Spike actually has a sense of humor. And he's happy a lot of the time, usually before a big fight. And it's a sincere (yet wry) happiness, not a fired up mania.

Perhaps I'm missing something he's done? I like the guy, I'm just missing the fit.
posted by butterstick at 1:25 PM on December 19, 2008

I love all the hatred of Keanu. I'm sorry his acting isn't dynamic enough to deliver a realistic, multifaceted portrayal of a space cowboy flying on a ship called Bebop.

Jesus Christ. BEBOP?! The last appearance of the word Bebop in popular culture was as a giant oafish lizard fighting mutated teenage turtles named after Renaissance artists. Before that, the term Bebop featured prominently in a song by Cyndi Lauper.

Would you prefer an actor to play the role with more depth? Like a Sean Penn or an Ed Norton? I'm sure they'd make a your space cowboy come to life. I mean, what does a space faring bounty hunter think about all day on his spaceship? I think a true method actor, one who lives his role, would invariably conclude that the space cowboy turns to look out the window ata passing nebula, squints his eyes, and asks "Goddamit, why does this ship smell like sweatsocks?!"

Enough already. There are no space cowboys because there are no space cows what needs a-rustlin' or a-wranglin'. Cowboy Bebop is a stupid name. For anything. Keanu could do the franchise a favor by simply reprising his role from My Private Idaho and merging it with the film Midnight Cowboy.

Star Wars was about a war among the stars. Star Trek was about a journey among those same stars. Hell, even The Shining was about a kid who had the shining, and they even bother to explain to us what that was.

But not in the Anime world. The titles of those shows and movies sound like brands of disposable razors and antiperspirant. Neon Genesis Evangelion. What in the hentai fuck is a genesis evangelion? Will it give me a closer shave down there? And if it's neon, can I use it in the dark? It's like some japanese guys read some western books and came across some cool sounding words that they never bothered to look up. These shows are impossible to watch, because they keep using terms and conceits of massive cultural import but never properly contextualizing them.

Now, its true that in Neon Genesis Evangelion, there are Angels, but the angels are the monsters. But the term Evangelion doesn't refer to them. It refers to the machines that the people fighting the angels use. Get it? No? That's because you know how to read.

And the bit about the angels being the monsters isn't even a twist. They tell you that at the outset. There are some monsters called Angels. Why call them that? Why not call them, oh I don't know, demons? You only make the Angel the monster as an ironic twist, becasue no one expects it, because angels are the good guys by fucking definition.

And it gets better. Remember the angels are the bad guys, right? Guess what the first angel's name is. You'll never guess.

Adam. I shit you not. They named the father of all demon angels Adam.

ADAM WAS THE FIRST MAN, HE WASNT A FUCKING ANGEL ITS RIGHT ON PAGE 7 OF THE BIBLE WHAT HTE FISUJASKJDFM!!!!@#$

The second angel is named Lilith.

Exactly.

If Keanu wants to make a movie out of Cowboy Bebop, if he wants to play the role of Boss Bebop, if he wants to play it wooden or dead or gay or whatever, more power to him. I hope the mandatory uniform aboard the Neon Bebop is a NASA space with an aluminum ten-gallon hat. I hope his catch phrase is "Put a tiger in your tank," and I hope he makes a sequel called Maison Bebop: Private School Panties, and I hope he makes it with muppets.

You can't just change words around like that. You can't take the symbols If you want to cast flying evil monsters in a biblical context, you have to call them demons
posted by Pastabagel at 1:26 PM on December 19, 2008 [10 favorites]

Cowboy Bebop AND Firefly.

My ambition is to convince people to stop comparing these because they are not related in the least, except that they both have spaceships.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:27 PM on December 19, 2008

Cowboy Bebop is one of those shows I'd show to someone who claims that all anime is simply cartoons from Japan

Eh, I like some anime, and I'll readily throw C.B. into the "cartoons from Japan" group. When someone wants to suggest there's no art in anime, I show them Paprika.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 1:27 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I, for one, am dubious but excited. While there is absolutely no way to top Cowboy Bebop--a show I have generally regarded as the best thing to ever grace a television screen--a sucky live-action movie won't ruin anything for me. And, there is the (extremely) small chance that it will rule which, of course, would rule.
posted by seanbickford at 1:27 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Man-Faye: SO WRONG

But I can see why someone would do it. BECAUSE THEY LOVE WRONG.
posted by GuyZero at 1:27 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

PhoBWanKenobi: Weird that the fans here are reacting more violently than they did to the Star Trek reboot.

star trek has become so bloated with half assed syndications and lack lustre revitalisations, not to mention formal 'canon' pedantry, that it's lost that inviolate aura of inarticulable compulsion in which fictive worlds hold captive fanboys. it's just too sprawling, too many people invested in it for different reasons, for me to care anymore (unless they somehow fuck with DS9 *shakes fist*). cowboy bebop on the other hand is still small enough to be a compact gem, you imagine when people like it they will like it for reasons same as yours, even if neither of you can pin down what those are. the fact that it's now going to be "translated" through the beast of hollywood should make any good fanboy shiver a little.
posted by doobiedoo at 1:31 PM on December 19, 2008

Jesus Christ. BEBOP?! The last appearance of the word Bebop in popular culture was as a giant oafish lizard fighting mutated teenage turtles named after Renaissance artists. Before that, the term Bebop featured prominently in a song by Cyndi Lauper.

And before that, it was a term for a particular form of jazz. Which is what the ship is named after. Jesus.
posted by Dr-Baa at 1:33 PM on December 19, 2008 [6 favorites]

(As was the oafish lizard. His partner was Rocksteady, remember?)
posted by Dr-Baa at 1:35 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

My ambition is to convince people to stop comparing these because they are not related in the least, except that they both have spaceships.

Well obviously after my comic people would only ever comapre them to "that awesome comic".
posted by Artw at 1:36 PM on December 19, 2008

Keanu

Spike



I don't have a problem with this, really. Reportedly, KR is an anime fan and likes this series, so there's reason to hope.
posted by magstheaxe at 1:38 PM on December 19, 2008

Well obviously after my comic people would only ever comapre them to "that awesome comic".

Only if you hire Frank Miller to do it. But then again he'll just make Faye into a hooker.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:41 PM on December 19, 2008

Keanu Reeves... *changes channel*
posted by 2sheets at 1:41 PM on December 19, 2008

Neon Genesis Evangelion. What in the hentai fuck is a genesis evangelion?

"Story of the new beginning."

Though I like to call it Xenon Second Corinthians Apostleopard.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:43 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

But then again he'll just make Faye into a hooker.

So no costume changes there then.
posted by Artw at 1:44 PM on December 19, 2008

Wait a sec...Didn't Firefly have a traveling prostitute?
posted by P.o.B. at 1:45 PM on December 19, 2008

That sound you just heard was a million anime fans crying out in horror...

I was going to see The Day The Earth Stood Still just because John Cleese played the scientist. After reading the reviews, I think I'll just wait 'till it comes out on DVD.

...which I will get from Netfilx.

Should be about two weeks.
posted by lordrunningclam at 1:45 PM on December 19, 2008

Pastabagel, is your problem really with the titles of these things? I mean you sound pretty fired up about something I usually chalk up to "well, it is anime after all".

Also, I think Bebop was a warthog.
posted by butterstick at 1:49 PM on December 19, 2008

So basically whaty we're establishing here is that Cowboy Bebop is to MeFites as Twilight is to pre-teen girls?

I can't speak for other MeFites but I for one find Spike Siegel to be hot. As hot as a sparkly vampire to a twelve year old girl? I'm not sure.
posted by overglow at 1:50 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'd like to paraphrase Chuck Palahniuk and say movie rights are optioned every day but that doesn't mean the movie will ever see the light of day. He's had pretty much every one of his books optioned at some point (some books more than once!) but only two movies based on his works have ever been made. Yeah, that's Hollywood.
posted by fiercekitten at 1:50 PM on December 19, 2008

i don't think p-bag could bust his gut over a show with any less cultural transference either domestically or abroad than evangelion. that shit was a torrent of silliness, except no one was told until after they made their bucks. cowboy bebop is about some cool and funky bounty hunters, would you rather they call it TELEVISUAL CEL ANIMATION OF IMPROBABLE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL SCENARIO?
posted by doobiedoo at 1:51 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Sadly for him there's no way of making that count go down.
posted by Artw at 1:51 PM on December 19, 2008

Resevoir Dogs? WTF? There are no dogs in it!
posted by Artw at 1:52 PM on December 19, 2008 [4 favorites]

Fuck all of you. Steve Buscemi as Spike. I want to see him make with the moves.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 1:59 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

butterstick: Close, but Spike actually has a sense of humor. And he's happy a lot of the time, usually before a big fight. And it's a sincere (yet wry) happiness, not a fired up mania.

yeah i can see what you're saying, but i think he's done a bit of tough tenderness in che, and he's got sincerity to spare in things we lost in the fire. i just can't think of anyone else with similar reserves of abjection.
posted by doobiedoo at 2:01 PM on December 19, 2008

Keanu Reeves actually kind of has the look. And it's not like the role would be that tough, almost everything of import that Spike ever does is conveyed physically, with glances and whatnot.

But I have no desire to see the show made into a movie, any more than I wanted to see Firefly in movie form. The show was good, but most of what was good about it couldn't be translated into a movie, I think. Time will tell.
posted by voltairemodern at 2:20 PM on December 19, 2008

Steve Buscemi would play one of the three old guys.
posted by voltairemodern at 2:20 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

You can't just change words around like that.
posted by Pastabagel at 9:26 PM on December 19 [+] [!]

What I can't believe is that they gave a perfectly good MeFi account to a bagel with pasta in it.
posted by Drexen at 2:21 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

Cowboy Bebop AND Firefly.

My ambition is to convince people to stop comparing these because they are not related in the least, except that they both have spaceships.

...and except for both being western/sci-fi hybrid genre entries, about a ship of good-hearted outlaws who take jobs by contract even if it sometimes means holding their noses on their morality. Except for the charismatic but occasionally bumbling leader (Spike/Mal). Except for the sensual, enigmatic woman who's part of the crew in a way, but with her own shuttle that she uses as a boundary for her independence (Faye/Inara). Except for the prodigious young girl, brilliant but disconnected from normal human interaction including having no apparent sexual interest (Ed/River). Except for the stoic "muscle" of the ship who keeps their head when everyone else wants to go off half-cocked (Jet/Zoe). Other than the job-of-the-week format which usually illuminates some mysterious part of the main characters' pasts. Except for the fact that they both enjoyed a devoted following that inspired the creators to make a feature film, which is widely acknowledged to be passable but unsatisfying to fans who were used to the serial format.

Other than that, you're right... not related at all.
posted by Riki tiki at 2:27 PM on December 19, 2008 [16 favorites]

Which is the one where the spaceship has a flying thing with a crane that comes out of it?
posted by Artw at 2:29 PM on December 19, 2008

NO
posted by krilli at 2:30 PM on December 19, 2008

Vincent Gallo as Vincent Volaju
posted by cazoo at 2:36 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Hold on. As in so many things in life, we should take a lesson from the '80's.

Live-action Spike, alongside animated Faye. Those never suck.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 2:38 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Bullshit! The way you're making comparisons I could do the same with other shows.

and except for both being western/sci-fi hybrid genre entries(Cowboy Bebop isn't a literal western as Firefly was and that is pretty weak comparison), about a ship of good-hearted outlaws (Spike and Jet weren't outlaws) who take jobs by contract even if it sometimes means holding their noses on their morality(What space show isn't this true for?). Except for the charismatic but occasionally bumbling leader (Spike/Mal/Han Solo?). Except for the sensual, enigmatic woman who's part of the crew in a way, but with her own shuttle that she uses as a boundary for her independence (Faye/Inara / Yeah exactly the same dynamic there...riiiiight). Except for the prodigious young girl, brilliant but disconnected from normal human interaction including having no apparent sexual interest (Ed/River/ young prepubescent girl and young woman are two very different things). Except for the stoic "muscle" of the ship who keeps their head when everyone else wants to go off half-cocked (Jet/Zoe/ Like I said before what sci-fi show doesn't have this?). Other than the job-of-the-week format which usually illuminates some mysterious part of the main characters' pasts (yeah not quite, Cowboy didn't have a job of the week format). Except for the fact that they both enjoyed a devoted following that inspired the creators to make a feature film, which is widely acknowledged to be passable but unsatisfying to fans who were used to the serial format(I'm not sure what you're talking abou here, neither of the the two shows fits in with this assertion).

You're right, totally the same.

Should I go through my Andromeda/Firefly comparisons now?
posted by P.o.B. at 2:42 PM on December 19, 2008

P.o.B.'s favourite show is a special snowflake.
posted by Artw at 2:45 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Riki tiki - you forgot the shows multicultural affectations.
posted by Artw at 2:47 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

> a space cowboy flying on a ship called Bebop.

Bounty hunters are about as cowboy as cowboys get without the presence of real cows. And it's got a slammin' soundtrack.

Otherwise, obsessing about the title should naturally lead into wondering why they recorded all the dialogue in Japanese.
posted by ardgedee at 2:51 PM on December 19, 2008

I don't think Keanu would make a terrible Spike, it might even be good. Not good like the series, but good for a Hollywood version.

(And the Angels in Evangelion were called Angels because they were messengers. It's one of the few things in that show that did make sense.)
posted by betweenthebars at 2:52 PM on December 19, 2008

Cowboy Bebop isn't a literal western as Firefly was and that is pretty weak comparison

wiki: As the Gates make it possible to cross the System in a manner of weeks, it became unfeasible for law enforcement to pursue criminals away from a given world. Criminal activity increased at every level of society; small-time criminals could act with relative impunity, and ruthless crime syndicates became as powerful as multinational corporations. In response, the bounty system of the Old West was reinstated throughout the System. Bounty hunters are encouraged to capture criminals and return them (alive and relatively unharmed) to the authorities for monetary rewards, in part through a regular television broadcast of "Big Shot", a bounty-hunter news program featuring Punch and Judy. This TV show is broadcast with a western motif and in the slang of the era, the term "Cowboys" refers to bounty hunters.

Seriously, P.o.B.: Worst. Refutation. Ever.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 2:54 PM on December 19, 2008

Your favorite new thing is not new at all.

Your favorite thing has a name which is not tied to the plot of the story.

Your favorite story is impossible and thus meaningless.

MeFi: Your favorite x is (not) y.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:54 PM on December 19, 2008

Artw - you're comments are like special snowflakes to me. Light, fluffy, and I always want to lay down and make angels in them.

Seriously, P.o.B.: Worst. Refutation. Ever.

Yeah, it sure was, wasn't it? Silly me.
posted by P.o.B. at 2:56 PM on December 19, 2008

TBH I think theres probably a strong negative correlation between Firefly episode quality and the degree of literalmindedness the script has taken to the who western thing, with the formal dance in the Ol' Space South and the big fight at the Space Whorehouse being the worst.
posted by Artw at 2:58 PM on December 19, 2008

I don't know Pastabagel. No offense, but tastes and dislikes are fine, but the title for Cowboy Bebop is fine to me quite honestly. I never took it as bebop like Cyndi Lauper or Bebop and Rocksteady but Bebop as in the music style. In fact, it keyed me into what kind of series it was going to be considering it's a mix of genres. And music plays a huge part in the series. Which is why some people commenting are mentioning that Yoko Kanno needs to play a part, because the music's kind of inextricable with the series for some people. Just look at the title of each episode. Now maybe it does sound weird to Americans or something, but I'm American and it doesn't. Who knows, maybe my scale of "Sounds weird to Americans" is off because I didn't grow up here, but I mean yea, these were made in Japan, so your complaint that it sounds weird because it sounds like Western culture filtered through Japanese isn't really something you can hold against the series. It didn't stop people from enjoying the Earthbound/Mother series. In fact, that's why some people liked it. You can find it weird and not enjoy it but really, I just don't find it as dumb and offensively ridiculous as you seem to. They weren't making it thinking, "Gee, I wonder if this sounds really weird to people in a western country?"

And Evangelion? I'm honestly not that big of a fan of the series because sometimes the plot can be a bit much. I'm also not a fan of all the permutations it's gone through (comic series, ok. Animated series is a little different, fine, it's a different medium, oops, series with different ending, oops movie...wait nevermind movie again re-editing the series, how about video games with totally different versions of the universe?). I can't keep up with all that. Some people love that and I can appreciate the idea of experimenting, just not my slice of pie. I honestly just don't find the whole angels and Adam thing as stupid as you seem to find it. A bit much or too "everything and the kitchen sink" or "2nd grader showing off the fact that he knows the times tables"? Maybe. In fact, when the series' plot would get boring or unbearable, the only redeeming feature it had was to see how they use Judeo Christian (it also referenced the sephirot in some places) influences. And it's kind of chock full of it so it's fun to pick things out. Like the fact that Nerv computer system is called Magi with three components. Or that they have weapons like the Spear of Longinus.

I mean, just talking about the Adam and Evangelion thing you take such offense with? The robots are yes, called Evangelion, but they're also referred to as "Eva" throughout the series too. Why? They were made using Adam, the first "monster." Oh, and these monsters came from some alien thing from the sky so I guess why not call them Angels? It really didn't take me out of it too much to see that hey some humans were inspired to using Biblical naming conventions. Especially if you find out at the end about the whole story/origin of Adam etc., the Creation thing actually fits. But you're more than within your right to never read/watch the series far enough to figure that out if it bothers you that much. Just saying, it's not as weird as you're trying to make it sound. And yea, I can read, which is why the whole biblical myth references were interesting..
posted by kkokkodalk at 2:58 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

cowboy bebop on the other hand is still small enough to be a compact gem, you imagine when people like it they will like it for reasons same as yours, even if neither of you can pin down what those are. the fact that it's now going to be "translated" through the beast of hollywood should make any good fanboy shiver a little.

Sorry, but this happens all the time to anime--I mean, there were what, four versions of Tenchi Muyo? Then again, I like uncool girlie anime, and am used to seeing these things go through many iterations. I've find the attempts to Americanize, say, CLAMP series, hilarious and provincial, but they don't make me angry. It's not like the source material is anything more than fluff, even if it's redeemable fluff--and I think this is true for most shonen anime too, no matter how seriously the fanbase wants to take it.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:03 PM on December 19, 2008

TBH I think theres probably a strong negative correlation between Firefly episode quality and the degree of literalmindedness the script has taken to the who western thing, with the formal dance in the Ol' Space South and the big fight at the Space Whorehouse being the worst.

Don't forget the "first" episode is about a train robbery, and is considered one of the worst of the series. There is also a show about rustling cattle.

Like I said Firefly was literal western in that sense. Cowboy Bebop it was used allegorical. So like I said, silly me for thinking they're vastly different.
posted by P.o.B. at 3:05 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh, Pastabagel, so much earnest wrongness in such a single post.

Enough already. There are no space cowboys because there are no space cows what needs a-rustlin' or a-wranglin'.

Well, "cowboy movies" are rarely about cowboys. If we are lucky, we might get a few lines of dialogue from a hired hand who actually works with cows. Instead, the standard plot of the cowboy movie deals with how people struggle to maintain law and order when formal and official means of law enforcement are stretched thinly among settlements. The nameless mercenary of Fistful of Dollars and the lone lawman of High Noon are as central to the genre as the cowpoke of The Searchers.

Star Wars was about a war among the stars. Star Trek was about a journey among those same stars. Hell, even The Shining was about a kid who had the shining, and they even bother to explain to us what that was.

Certainly and Cowboy Bebop is about genre-blending, not that dissimilar from Star Wars which remixed samurai, cowboy and WWII aviation movies (frame for frame in some cases) into a science fantasy, or Star Trek which kept its Lone Ranger archetypes well into the movie revivals. I mean, really Star Wars? It's a gumbo of plot devices ripped off textually and visually from other sources. At least the costumers held back from giving Solo a black hat.

"Cowboy" because our characters are mercenary bounty hunters living by their wits on a new frontier where human civilization is stretched thin. See Sergio Leone, and early Eastwood films for the direct inspiration. It's also a reference to the way in which law enforcement within the narrative appropriates the cowboy mythology to promote bounty hunters. Just as "cowboy movies" often make the case that the romantic West was fleeting, the bounty hunter system of Cowboy Bebop becomes a thing of the past.

And "bebop" because music was an inspiration for the theme, tone, and structure of many episodes. It is also a metaphor in that the syncretic nature of jazz paralleled the syncretic nature of Bebop scripts. Within the structure of the narrative, their ship is named The Bebop because Jet Black is a fan of 20th century jazz, even choosing to gamble their minimal savings on the advice of an apparition of Charlie Parker.

Certainly there is a strong case to be made that Neon Genesis Evangelion is pretty bad in its appropriation of kabalism and eschatology. Although the counter-argument can be made that American cinema has been just as bad when it reaches outside of Christian narratives. Temple of Doom and Live and Let Die come to mind. But I don't think that is the case with Cowboy Bebop, which treats its sources of inspiration with a bit more respect than Lucas did with Star Wars. I mean, heck, if you dislike the cultural appropriation of Cowboy Bebop that much, you probably despise Tampopo and Yojimbo, two name two other Japanese works that appropriate/pay homage to cowboy movie motifs.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 3:05 PM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

Like I said Firefly was literal western in that sense. Cowboy Bebop it was used allegorical. So like I said, silly me for thinking they're vastly different.

Except I'd say the Western themes in Firefly worked much better when they were a little more restrained with them and not overly literal, and so more like Cowboy bebop, which takes us back to square one.
posted by Artw at 3:11 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

@tinatiga:they'll have to find a studio willing to commit to what will probably be a pretty large budget given that it's a space opera with an A-lister attached.

Didn't they say that Fox was already behind it? If so, that'll be the FIRST problem as Fox chief Tom Rothman claims to be in the business of 'building audiences', which has only resulted in atrocities like 2001's 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen', 'Elektra', the 3rd Bryan Singer-less X-Men movie and both 'Fantastic Four' movies.

At this point, Fox just doesn't have a good feel for genre-stuff, especially when much of their output seems to be market-driven. That and Keanu is the wrong person to play Spike.

Bebop, the way that it works in the anime is an ensemble piece. The economics of hiring an A-List star to participate in such a production would just steer the story in ways that contradict the show. Besides, didn't Fox already try and fail with the space-western premise when they did 'Firefly'?

If Fox wants to finance a sleeper hit, they should just connect with the Jim Henson Co. and produce a proper feature-length adaptation/continuation of 'Farscape', with Scorpius, Sikozu and Chiana. Raelee Hill and Gigi Edgely alone should be able to provice enough quirky-gurl vibe to keep the fetishists everywhere preoccupied.

Buy low, sell high. Keanu's project is, by definition, both too expensive and problematic to pursue.
posted by vhsiv at 3:13 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

OK, while I stand by my Seth Rogen moment earlier, I would also accept John Cusack, maybe a couple-three years before Grosse Pointe Blank. He's got martial arts training from Benny "The Jet" Urquidez already, after all, and he's got that "who, me?" thing going that Spike so often displays mid-fight.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 3:14 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Except I'd say the Western themes in Firefly worked much better when they were a little more restrained with them and not overly literal, and so more like Cowboy bebop, which takes us back to square one.

Restrained as in "not doing cowboy-western-things"? Sure, I would agree.

Cowboy Bebop never had and old west place setting. They weren't dressed in old west gear or use items from old west. There's a cowboy themed tv show, as comedy, and there is a cowboy character but he is used as a foil for Spike.

So I would again state you would be reaching to make a connection based on cowboy-western theme.
posted by P.o.B. at 3:20 PM on December 19, 2008

Uh guys? Your geek rage is at 11, and I need down to about a 6, OK? Thanks.
posted by happyroach at 3:20 PM on December 19, 2008 [4 favorites]

happyroach - you utter liar. It's at around 10.7, which is a completely different number.
posted by Artw at 3:23 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I had mine dialed up to 15ish.
posted by P.o.B. at 3:24 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Cowboy Bebop never had and old west place setting.

Whoops! I take that back.
posted by P.o.B. at 3:25 PM on December 19, 2008

Is Keanu still "A-list" after Matrix: Revolutions proved to be disappointing?

I actually think a live-action version of Cowboy Bebop could be a fairly low-budget affair while remaining true to the setting. The actual Bebop spacecraft can be done with a handful of sets, and perhaps not even the kind of mega-set used for Firefly and Alien. Since Watanabe's city designs are largely 20th century transplanted into the future, you can probably find a street set on a Bollywood back lot, or scout out locations in Hong Kong. Ship effects can be done convincingly using CGI, and you have very few tricky gravity effects involving human actors. You have your props department use a mix of 20th century furniture designs and then add in a handful of custom-built or custom-skinned items that look like they might come from the future.

But I'm weird. I'd much rather see very well-written, directed, and provocative science fiction on a lean budget than glossy, vacuous, and trivial science fiction that wastes a ton of money on "wow" effects. I think that Jim Henson realized something revolutionary 30 years ago. If everyone on stage treats Big Bird, Kermit and Grover as real people, the audience will voluntarily suspend disbelief and join them.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 3:42 PM on December 19, 2008 [2 favorites]

How about Kenau as Mal Reynolds in a Firefly remake?
posted by Balisong at 3:54 PM on December 19, 2008

If everyone on stage treats Big Bird, Kermit and Grover as real people, the audience will voluntarily suspend disbelief and join them.

No. I know there are a lot of Farscape fans, but I just can't take seriously those space muppets.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 3:58 PM on December 19, 2008

Pfft, why "dial back" who you are or what you're feeling? Yeah, this is a lot of discussion over a very vague possibility, as fiercekitten noted, but why not rage a little? And isn't that the fantastic quality of MeFi? Anything goes - if the discussion bores you, find another, or make your own new post.

I haven't made any petitions to get this movie "done right," and I'm not writing anyone letters to recommend such and such actor for that role. For me, Cowboy Bebop is a bit nostalgic. And I find Keanu Reeves to be mostly annoying. And now I've made an overly lengthy reply to a one-line comment. Yeah, my geek dial is set a bit high.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:05 PM on December 19, 2008

No. I know there are a lot of Farscape fans, but I just can't take seriously those space muppets.

Funny, I always found space muppets more believable than forehead-bump aliens.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 4:09 PM on December 19, 2008

Because the idea of trying to be facetious and culling favorites is more enticing to people than actually adding something of worth to a conversation. Observe...
posted by P.o.B. at 4:11 PM on December 19, 2008

Yeah, people I trust recomend Farscape to me but the muppet factor means I'm unable to watch it. I think it's a bit like my wifes inability to watch old Doctor Whos just because the sets are cardboard and it has the odd bit of hammy acting.
posted by Artw at 4:13 PM on December 19, 2008

Funny, I always found space muppets more believable than forehead-bump aliens.

I can certainly undestand that, and I was trying to identify what exactly about the muppets makes them so hard for me to take seriously. I think it's the fur.

P.o.B.: if you're looking for a serious conversation, you might try not prefacing your observations by calling the opposing pov bullshit. Just a suggestion. Not that the snark didn't pervade your entire dense block of "argument" (Yeah exactly the same dynamic there...riiiiight)
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:15 PM on December 19, 2008

I love love LOVE Cowboy Bebop (I am a shameless fangirl, our living room contains no less than five different oil paintings of stills from the title sequence thereof, including a huge one of this Spike), and, like Baby_Balrog, I don't think this is a terrible idea (although maybe Christian Bale would be better). I love the idea of Ron Perlman as Jet.
posted by biscotti at 4:16 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'm not entirely un-bugged by foreheadbumpaliens either, TBH.
posted by Artw at 4:22 PM on December 19, 2008

I can certainly undestand that, and I was trying to identify what exactly about the muppets makes them so hard for me to take seriously. I think it's the fur.

Fur?!

But, yeah, I understand the knee-jerk reaction to muppety things--I think it's a shame that Henson's creature shop creations are seen as one in the same as muppets (and therefore for kids), because I think puppetry has more potential for imaginative fantasy or sci-fi creatures than CGI or human actors in makeup, but it's just hard to lose the muppet stigma.

So this isn't a total derail, how 'bout an animatronic muppety Ein? It would be totally unnecessary, of course, but at least Keanu Reeves wouldn't get corgi fur on his clothes.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 4:24 PM on December 19, 2008

I would also accept John Cusack, maybe a couple-three years before Grosse Pointe Blank

That could work. If we want to go time-traveling like that, I could also see Clint Eastwood thirty years ago, or possibly David Bowie, ditto.

Nathan Fillion wouldn't actually be a bad Spike, but he'd have to cut his charming-bumble output by about 90% to make it work.

Hell, if Alan Tudyk has a believable dark side he could almost do the job.

Alan Cumming? Could Alan Cumming keep a straight face well enough to manage Spike?

Constantine should have gone to Tim Roth.

Truth. For some reason, spot-on fantasy casting after the fact hurts even more than ahead of time. Constantine was a pretty fun flick in its own right, but man was that ever not John Constantine.
posted by cortex at 4:24 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Tilda Swinton was great in that, there was some awesome casting. I'm not really sure I remeber anything much about the movie apart from her and Peter Stormare. (And it generally sucking)
posted by Artw at 4:28 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Fur?!

Wow. You do not want to run the Google Image Search I just ran.

You're right, though. Even looking at some of the other aliens on that show. I'm trying to remember what seemed so incredibly muppet-y, but I couldn't get past it. I suspect it was body and possibly eye movement. I don't know if muppet-aliens have an uncanny valley (or necessarily how that would work -- too close to the "real" thing?!) but it just didn't work for me. It was like watching Punch and Judy in space. Actually, that sounds mildly entertaining.

I get the cardboard Dr. Who thing (though that I mind less) and the "slick" (cgi) thing, too. For me it's muppets.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:31 PM on December 19, 2008

I'm trying to run through everybody I can recall as being a talented, under-cast charming psychotic young male supporting character in the last few years. A slow, easy, growing-a-millimeter-at-a-time ear-to-ear sinister grin that says "I know this is going to hurt, but I can't help myself".

Christian Slater can do the grin. He'd be a lousy choice for other reasons, but he can do that grin just about perfectly.
posted by cortex at 4:31 PM on December 19, 2008

Also, Artw: Tilda Swinton was SO great in that that I've been disappointed in everything else I've seen her in.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:32 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I don't think Spike played as a piss poor Jack Nicholson would work well.
posted by Artw at 4:33 PM on December 19, 2008

P.o.B.: if you're looking for a serious conversation, you might try not prefacing your observations by calling the opposing pov bullshit. Just a suggestion. Not that the snark didn't pervade your entire dense block of "argument" (Yeah exactly the same dynamic there...riiiiight)

Well maybe you should read what I wrote again. I never said I need a serious conversation, and I enjoy quite a bit of the witticism that comes out of the conversations here. BUT I do think there seem to be a certain amount of people here who only drop (or a majority of their comments are) jokey little one liners and that they are actually doing more harm then good. That's my personal opinion though. Enough with the meta.

My reply to Riki tiki did include snark. Yeah exactly the same dynamic there...riiiiight was in response to comparing two very different characters in a very vague way. An experienced/older prostitue that hires a captain to ferry her around for specific jobs and a young woman with amnesia that likes gambling who is unwillingy taken on as a partner are a little bit different, don't you think? Or do you think making an arguement based on "Except for the sensual, enigmatic woman who's part of the crew in a way, but with her own shuttle that she uses as a boundary for her independence " is truly an apt comparison? Because it was obvious to me making really vague assertions isn't really cogent as far as arguments go.
posted by P.o.B. at 4:39 PM on December 19, 2008

And by the way, Durn Bronzefist, your response to what I wrote wasn't that great of an "argument" either.
posted by P.o.B. at 4:41 PM on December 19, 2008

Let's get this back to who, other than porn stars, has the boobs to fill out Faye's whatever-that-outfit-is outfit. I mean, casting a porn star would be OK. But everyone seems so obsessed with all of Spike's little nuances - let's focus on the less subtle elements of the cast.
posted by GuyZero at 4:44 PM on December 19, 2008

I responded to the "western" (apparently entirely trope-based) observation only, P.o.B., and I have no trouble going snark for snark, but let's not confuse cause with effect.

I was quite happy to dig through your answer looking for ways you demonstrated that Firefly and C.B. were so completely dissimilar, and much of what I found was "yeah right" and "so what we see that elsewhere" argumentation. If you look at the two series and the only similarity you see is "a devoted following" I don't know what to tell you. But apparently "cowboy" to you means hats and boots and a western theme song.

I was mostly reacting to a level of snark I didn't see backed up in your assertions. You start out by saying you could make the same comparisons to other shows, throw Han Solo into one, and then (strangely, preserving the second "/") fail to mention any others.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:49 PM on December 19, 2008

Ryan Gosling as Spike
posted by spatula at 4:53 PM on December 19, 2008

please... no more keanu reeves
posted by jalvini at 5:01 PM on December 19, 2008

Frankly, I'm not interested in a pissing contest with you, P.o.B..
I was happy discussing the finer points of extraterrestrial muppetry, tyvm.

Though I agree that the shuttle portion of the Faye/Inara comparison wasn't really apt. Rather, I think their free-spirited sexuality is what makes them similar. Though Spike was never into Faye, was he?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:03 PM on December 19, 2008

oh god oh god oh god please god no

yes, keanu also has black hair, but THERE THE COMPARISON STOPS
posted by astroworm at 5:03 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Well I've went back and forth with Artw on the western theme idea already. I'll go with what I've already said unless you have something specific you would like to say about that.
So you want me to prove a dissimalarity? Hmmm...Okay. An attempt at proving a negative. This will be long

It's been a few years since I've watched either. I'll just cut and paste info.

The characters of Bebop:

Spike Spiegel is a former member of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate who is haunted by the memory of his time in the organization.

Jet Black, a former Inter-Solar System Police (ISSP) officer and the owner of the Bebop. Once called "The Black Dog" by his fellow officers for his relentless nature, he bears a cybernetic arm as constant reminder of what happened when he rushed into trouble without looking first.

Faye Valentine, an amnesiac awakened from a 54-year cryogenic slumber after being injured. She is tricked into assuming the debt of the man that woke her, and constantly attempts to gamble on quick cash as a solution to her debt. Her past and her real name are a mystery as the name "Valentine" was given to her by a doctor.

Edward, a young, eccentric computer genius and master hacker. Though she is a girl, there is a popular confusion as to Ed's gender due to her name and androgynous appearance. She gave herself the long and fanciful name "Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV" after running away to an orphanage, but after her father is found it is revealed later on that her real name is Françoise Appledelhi.

Ein, a Welsh Corgi and former lab animal identified as a "data dog" by the scientists who created him.

Firefly characters:

Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds, played by Nathan Fillion, is the owner of Serenity and former Independent sergeant in the pivotal Battle of Serenity Valley. Very little is known about the enigmatic Captain; the little he reveals about his past life betrays nothing of his character (a mystery of its own). Malcolm reveals that he grew up on a ranch, and was raised by his mother and the ranch hands.

Zoe Alleyne Washburne, played by Gina Torres, is second-in-command onboard Serenity, a loyal wartime friend of Captain Reynolds, and the wife of Wash. Described by her husband as a "warrior woman", she has great knowledge of combat.

Hoban "Wash" Washburne, played by Alan Tudyk, is Serenity's pilot and Zoe's husband. he joined pilot training just to see the stars, which were invisible from the surface of his polluted homeworld, and he joined Serenity despite being highly sought after by other ships. He is very light-hearted and tends to make amusing comments, despite the severity of any situation.

Inara Serra, played by Morena Baccarin, is a Companion, which is the 26th century equivalent of a courtesan or oiran. Like her Renaissance counterparts, Inara enjoys high social standing. Her presence confers a degree of legitimacy and social acceptance the crew of Serenity would not enjoy without her on board.

Jayne Cobb, played by Adam Baldwin, is hired muscle. He and Mal met on opposite sides of a rivalry; Mal, while held at gunpoint, offered Jayne his own bunk and a higher cut than his current employer, so he turned coat and shot his then-partners. Even though he is a macho character, he has shown a particularly intense fear of Reavers, moreso than the rest of the crew. Despite his amoral mercenary persona, he sends a significant portion of his income to his mother.

Kaywinnit Lee "Kaylee" Frye,played by Jewel Staite, is the ship's mechanic. In the episode "Out of Gas", it is established that she has no formal training, but keeps Serenity running with an intuitive gift for the workings of mechanical equipment. Jewel Staite explains Kaylee's character as being wholesome, sweet, and "completely genuine in that sweetness", adding "She loves being on that ship. She loves all of those people. And she's the only one who loves all of them incredibly genuinely

Dr. Simon Tam, played by Sean Maher, is a medical researcher and trauma surgeon of the first caliber (top 3% in his class at a top core planet institution), who is on the run after breaking his sister River out of a government research facility.

River Tam, played by Summer Glau, was smuggled onto the ship by her brother. River was a child prodigy of unparalleled genius, but she was experimented upon at the hands of Alliance doctors, leaving her delusional, erratic, and at times violent. She sees and hears things that others do not, and experiences waking dreams of her memories of the Alliance "academy" experiments. Opinions of her vary among the crew: some value her, Jayne fears her, and the rest just want her to stay out of trouble.

Derrial Book, played by Ron Glass, is a Shepherd (equivalent to a priest, minister, or pastor). Although presented as a devout Christian man, Book demonstrates a depth of knowledge about the activities of criminals (in "Our Mrs. Reynolds") and corrupt police (in "The Message"). He is also proficient in hand-to-hand combat and the use of firearms. Book replies somewhat ironically that while the Bible is quite specific about killing, it's "somewhat fuzzier on the subject of kneecaps."

In my opinion none of those characters are the same.
So yeah you could say "It's a western like show and the characters are mysterious.", but I don't think that really cuts it as far saying they're basically the same show.
posted by P.o.B. at 5:15 PM on December 19, 2008

Frankly, I'm not interested in a pissing contest with you, P.o.B..

Same here. They are usually trite and waste other peoples time.
posted by P.o.B. at 5:17 PM on December 19, 2008

“WITTY BUT USELESS COMMENT!”

Pointlessly favorited.

“It's like some japanese guys read some western books and came across some cool sounding words that they never bothered to look up...Adam. I shit you not. They named the father of all demon angels Adam.”

Ever seen what they do with Christmas?
posted by Smedleyman at 5:20 PM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

I want to live in an alternate universe where Keanu Reeves gets all the acting roles he's suited for, like commercials selling hemorrhoid cream.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:45 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I fully support you guys avoiding a protracted pissing match too.

You know who could play Jet? Mitch "Walter Skinner" Pileggi.
posted by cortex at 5:50 PM on December 19, 2008

Attention Mr Stoff: I am available to write the script. I think Mr Reeves will be perfect for the role of Spike. I have lots of good ideas for the move and one really great idea how to continue the series right where it left off. Please contact me. My email is in my profile.
posted by wobh at 6:31 PM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

I can't believe that any discussion of a hypothetical Cowboy Bebop movie has gone this long and nobody has:

1) suggested that the great Clancy Brown should play Jet. (although Ron Perlman would do nicely, I'd give the nod to the Kurgan.)

2) brought up Quentin Tarantino or or John Woo or Robert Rodriguez and how they should direct the thing, since they also make movies with people aiming guns and yelling at each other.

3) pointed out that Cowboy Bebop : Lupin the 3rd:: The Jetsons : The Flintstones.
posted by Strange Interlude at 7:20 PM on December 19, 2008

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
posted by Severian at 8:56 PM on December 19, 2008

This seems as good a place as any to say that I have hated Keanu Reeves's acting in every thing I've ever seen him in, with the weird exception of A Scanner Darkly. In a way I felt like his wooden, paralytic acting choices in that particular movie actually added to the atmosphere; the audience largely experiences the plot and characters through the filter of Bob Arctor/Fred, and Keanu's performance was like the acting equivalent of the unreliable narrator technique.

For example. Have you ever experienced this: you're watching a scene in a movie where somebody is, say, concealing something. They are being followed, maybe, but in order to allay suspicions they (the character) have to act like they don't know anything is happening. But the actor, in order to communicate "I am being followed but I'm acting like I don't know it", acts all obvious about how they're hiding something. And all the other actors have to just agree to act like, yeah, this person is acting normal, while it couldn't possibly be more obvious to the audience that something is seriously up. Watch spy movies to see a lot of this. The whole Bourne experience seems to be Jason Bourne Acts Extremely Weird in Full View of Everybody but Everyone Pretends He is an Undetectable Genius of Deception. It's an accepted trope. It's almost like pantomime. We accept that "acting sneaky" equals "being sneaky", when "acting sneaky" is what would blow your cover faster than just about anything.

Keanu in A Scanner Darkly was kind of like the solution to that problem. There was hardly ever even a wink to the audience about his difficulty with the multiple dissolving identities thing until nearly the end. Which is, of course, exactly how Bob would have acted. But I got the strong feeling Keanu was acting that way because he was constitutionally unable to do otherwise. It was almost like they shot in sequence and nobody told him the ending. It threw all the other actors into amazing manic twitchy relief. His flat blank persona-less-ness was actually exactly what that role called for, and he handled it marvelously. If unintentionally. He's a scramble suit of a person, a grayed-out cipher. He can't cohesively hold on to any image at all.

That said I think he would be a horrendous Spike, because he is bad actor and he should feel bad.
posted by penduluum at 10:53 PM on December 19, 2008 [3 favorites]

Be-Bop and Lula written and drawn by Steve Dillon, who illustrated Hellblazer, from which Constantine was adapted.

Ithankyew...
posted by inpHilltr8r at 12:16 AM on December 20, 2008

Faye - Christina Ricci? (Like this).

Spike - Jake Gyllenhaal maybe? He's the only one I can think of who doesn't make me immediately flinch, at least. At the very least, he can definitely smirk.
posted by gignomai at 1:01 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Also, if we're going to force connections between Bebop and Firefly -- whoever you get to play Jet should be built basically like Adam Baldwin, except not actually be Adam Baldwin.
posted by gignomai at 1:07 AM on December 20, 2008

No, were done comparing Firefly to other shows...I thought that all sounded familiar...

GG
posted by P.o.B. at 1:17 AM on December 20, 2008

As long as Keanu doesn't try for an accent...
posted by Iridic at 1:19 AM on December 20, 2008

Why do we repeat actors so often anyway? Do we really need Keanu Reeves playing Keanu Reeves in 637 movies over the span of 35 years?

I say we need to swing over to the opposite extreme for awhile: every movie needs an entirely new cast.

Put me in charge of Hollywood and I'll Shahryār their asses. You get one movie, big shot -- that's right, soak it all in. The whole world loves you! -- and then I take you behind the woodshed with Old Yeller.
posted by dgaicun at 1:33 AM on December 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Cowboy Bebop: Andy² Edition

Spike Spiegel: Andy Samberg
Vincent Volaju: Andy Dick
posted by zippy at 2:09 AM on December 20, 2008

Pastabagel: There's a lot of sucky anime out there. A lot. I fully count Neon Genesis Evangelion in that. Watching it mangle archetypes makes me want to hit things.

Cowboy Bebop is not Evangelion. The characters are uniquely grounded and realistic for anime. At times, it is stunningly beautiful; at others, hilarious. The psychedelic mushroom episode? The Aliens parody in which food Spike kept in the fridge for over a year escapes and attacks everyone? Anything having to do with Ein? It is amazing.
posted by JHarris at 3:55 AM on December 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

Which is the one where the spaceship has a flying thing with a crane that comes out of it?

Sounds like Outlaw Star.

And just for the sake of bringing up the third space western that came out around the same time as CB and OS, if Ted "Theodore" Logan's going to be Spike, then I think Bill S. Preston Esquire ought to come back to acting and take on Vash the Stampede from Trigun.
posted by vaghjar at 7:34 AM on December 20, 2008

Like any other adaptation, you're free to not see it. It won't damage the originals. Don't worry about it.

And just for the record, kids, Trigun>Bebop. Animation isn't as good, but better protagonist, better story arc, better conclusion.
posted by Cantdosleepy at 7:48 AM on December 20, 2008

Keanu: NO!

Honestly...




Plus, you're too old for the part now. Leave it alone.
posted by droplet at 7:52 AM on December 20, 2008

Like any other adaptation, you're free to not see it. It won't damage the originals. Don't worry about it.

Yes, yes. But insofar as there's a certain joy in taking umbrage, and insofar as there's a difference between a mere bad idea and a good idea approached badly, I think this is a case of the latter and so despite my agreement with your general principle have no reservations about gallivanting merrily in this umbra.

Making a live action Cowboy Bebop film isn't a bad idea. It's not a perfect idea, but it's not a bad idea. Casting Keanu Reeves as Spike is a bad approach to the idea, and Keanu should feel bad.
posted by cortex at 8:17 AM on December 20, 2008

Making any anime into live action has thus far been a tragedy but surely this cannot be as bad as the Death Note live action films.
posted by juiceCake at 9:19 AM on December 20, 2008

And just for the record, kids, Trigun>Bebop.

Hey, thanks, Dad! I'll be sure to give you a call when I need some more deluded parental advice!

Maybe you wouldn't have such wildly skewed views had you not taken so much acid in the 70's
posted by solipsophistocracy at 9:33 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Anyway, everyone knows that Firefly is most similar to Blakes Seven.
posted by Artw at 12:34 PM on December 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

You know what I don't understand about this?

Keanu Reeves is apparently a big fan of Cowboy Bebop. And yet he doesn't realize he's a bad choice for the character? Is it because he's too close to the project, or is it just pure Hollywood narcissism? Why is is that almost all Hollywood pet projects involve the pusher as the star?
posted by graventy at 1:07 PM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

And just for the record, kids, Trigun>Bebop. Animation isn't as good, but better protagonist, better story arc, better conclusion.

I'm gonna have to stop you from spreading this madness.

HE WAS A FUCKING PLANT.


WHAT.
posted by Dr-Baa at 1:40 PM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

WHAT.

NO.

NO.

I SAID NO DAMNIT.
posted by Auguris at 2:04 PM on December 20, 2008

"And just for the record, kids, Trigun>Bebop."

Damn you, that show is total crap.
And because you had to say that I downloaded the series and now have to finish watching it.
Why can't I just stop...?
posted by kolophon at 3:54 PM on December 20, 2008

Trigun+Bebop
posted by Tenuki at 4:14 PM on December 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

The more I think about it, the more I'd genuinely like to see Bruce Willis as Jet Black. In fact, can somebody whip up a quick Photoshop of that? A makeup test sort of thing?
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:52 PM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ehh, in regards to the Bebop vs. Firefly pissing match, the fact that they both use stock character archetypes (which are also present in TOS Star Trek, Star Wars, and Aliens) and Western motifs (again, also present in TOS Star Trek & Star Wars) is only a superficial resemblance. For one thing, the role of the American West is pretty different in both series. In Firefly, the mythology of the American West during Reconstruction is the pervasive socio-political context, and just about every episode we are reminded that there was a civil war, the good guys lost, and the Serenity crew live on the frontier between civilization and savagery. In contrast, the old West for Bebop is a form of appropriation by different aspects of an unrooted culture. The "cowboys" of Bebop are obvious fakes, and Western cinema is only one of multiple sources of inspiration.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 5:18 PM on December 20, 2008 [2 favorites]

KirkJobSluder: An interesting and relevant point. To me, "Cowboy Bebop" to me was a reference to early rock and roll, and while the music plays an integral role in story telling, it's the setting and not the plot. As supporting evidence: the the CB episodes are named after songs by Bob Dylan and others.

I've always though Firefly owed far more to Outlaw Star than Bebop though.
posted by pwnguin at 6:00 PM on December 20, 2008

I'm OK with Keanu as "Spike the wry kungfudude" but he's going to fail big as "Spike the quiet guy that can't figure out how to live on a ship with Jet, Faye, Ed", which is what most people in this thread are complaining about. I suspect Keanu probably likes the series mostly for the slick action, and will portray the character in a way that emphasizes Spike's badassery. This will produce an entertaining but fluffy/unsubtle version of an entertaining and nuanced show. I don't think that's such a bad thing - suboptimal, but not terrible.

Since we're playing casting agent.. this guy's probably too handsome to play Spike, but maybe Kaneshiro Takeshi if his English is any good? He's done some B action in his day
posted by thedaniel at 7:04 PM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think this guy wants the part.
posted by Tenuki at 9:28 PM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Christopher Plumber as Keanu Reeves as Spike Spiegel
posted by newdaddy at 12:46 AM on December 21, 2008

Keanu Reeves is apparently a big fan of Cowboy Bebop. And yet he doesn't realize he's a bad choice for the character? Is it because he's too close to the project, or is it just pure Hollywood narcissism? Why is is that almost all Hollywood pet projects involve the pusher as the star?

So it can be made and funded basically.
posted by juiceCake at 6:33 AM on December 21, 2008

Possibly Keanu Reeves has an estimation of his own talents that differs from MeFites?
posted by Artw at 9:33 AM on December 21, 2008

...
posted by LinusMines at 12:37 PM on December 22, 2008

Possibly Keanu Reeves has an estimation of his own talents that differs from MeFites?

Given that he hasn't commited suicide or switched careers, that is probably the case.
posted by BrotherCaine at 7:11 PM on December 22, 2008

Spike - Keanu
Pierrot - Tank Abbot

Opening scene remains the same as "Pierrot le Fou," but Pierrot beats up Spike irl.
posted by ryoshu at 2:05 PM on December 23, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ok, i'm doubling back here just to post this.

Also, ryoshu Pierrot le Fou is my favorite episode. I put it on every Halloween, since it's got such a spooky vibe.
posted by butterstick at 9:35 AM on January 16, 2009

butterstick - I just saw that, too. Seems it's more real than before. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Sunrise president Kenji Uchida, the TV series' director of animation, Shinichiro Watanabe, and series writer Keiko Nobumoto will serve as associate producers. Series producer Masahiko Minami will serve as production consultant." It could be a good thing.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:15 PM on January 16, 2009