The live-action adaptation of One Piece premiered its second season on Netflix on 10 March and has been a significant hit for the streaming giant.
Based on the 1997 manga by Eiichiro Oda, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of Straw Hat Pirates as they journey across the seas, searching for the ‘One Piece,’ a legendary treasure left behind by the former King of the Pirates, Gold Roger.
Since the release of the second season, the series has ranked in the Top 10 on Netflix’s charts worldwide. Within two days of its premiere, the series reached the number one spot on the worldwide list, ahead of releases such as The Dinosaurs and the fourth season of Bridgerton.
The success of the series is significant not only for Netflix but also for the South African film industry. One Piece films most of its scenes at Cape Town Film Studios, which opened in May 2010.
The studio has been involved in many international productions, including 2012’s Chronicle, Mad Max: Fury Road, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, and series such as Black Sails and Good Omens.
The second season saw the return of its principal cast, including:
- Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy
- Emily Rudd as Nami
- Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro
- Jacob Romero as Usopp
- Taz Skylar as Sanji
The second season added a few new names to the cast, including Bridgerton actress Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday, and Magic Mike’s Joe Manganiello as Mr. 0. Other new castmates include:
- Mikaea Hoover as Tony Tony Chopper
- Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday
- Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra
- Callum Kerr as Smoker
- Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace.
With Cape Town Film Studios serving as the primary filming location for the series, One Piece has been described as one of the largest productions filmed in Africa. This is quite the accomplishment for the local film industry, with many South African actors getting international exposure through their work on the series.
While the main cast features international actors, several secondary and supporting characters were brought to life by local talent, including stunt performers and extras.
South African talent featured in the series includes:
- Aidan Scott as Helmeppo
- Albert Pretorius as Bogard
- Alexander Manjatis as Klahadore/Kuro
- Bianca Oosthuizen as Sham
- Celeste Loots as Kaya
- Chioma Antoinette Umeala as Nojiko
- Grant Ross as Genzo
- Jandre le Roux as Kuroobi
- Langley Kirkwood as Captain Morgan
- Steven John Ward as Dracule Mihawk
In terms of production crew, the series has granted some big opportunities to local film industry talent. This includes the key makeup artist, Sarah Blatcher, and costume designer, Kerry Barnard.
Barnard recently did an in-depth interview with InStyle, where she went into great detail explaining how she and her team brought the epic fantastical costumes from the manga and anime to life. This is a great bit of exposure for the South African film industry, highlighting our local talent both in front of the camera and behind.
Cape Town held a premiere for the series at The Ostrich Ranch on 8 March, two days before the series dropped on Netflix, with local talent, as well as fans, getting the chance to celebrate this amazing achievement.
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Picture: Screenshot from video
