John Cho is getting ready to jam on Netflix.
Cho is set to star as the central character, Spike Spiegel, in Netflix's live-action Cowboy Bebop series, The Hollywood Reporter reported on Thursday. Netflix described the protagonist of the series, an adaptation of the beloved anime, as an "impossibly cool 'cowboy' (bounty hunter) with a deadly smile, a wry wit and style to spare." In addition to his movie roles in the Star Trek and Harold & Kumar films, some of Cho's recent television projects have included The Exorcist, Go On, and Selfie, and he will star in an upcoming episode of CBS All Access' The Twilight Zone.
Cho's casting in Cowboy Bebop comes three years after the hashtag #StarringJohnCho became an internet sensation, used by those advocating for more diversity in film and television by imagining projects where Cho could be the lead. Cho last year starred in Searching, which earned him a nomination for Best Male Lead at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
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Also joining the show's cast as Jet Black, Spike's partner, is Mustafa Shakir, who previously portrayed Bushmaster in Netflix's Luke Cage. Daniella Pineda, who played Zia Rodriguez in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, will star as con artist Faye Valentine, and Alex Hassell will play Vicious, an ex-partner of Spike's who he is at odds with in the show.
Cowboy Bebop, which revolves around a group of bounty hunters and their adventures in space, made its television debut in 1998 and has continued to attract new fans in the years since. Netflix originally announced the live-action remake last November, though no release date has been set. Original series director Shinichiro Watanabe will consult on the new show.
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