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Month: September 2021
Take-Two Sues Creators Of GTA Reverse-Engineering Project Re3
Take-Two Interactive has launched a lawsuit against the creators of reverse-engineering open-source software called Re3 that recently made headlines for allowing GTA III to run on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita. The lawsuit, which was filed on September 2 in the United States District Court in California and seen by GameSpot, says Re3 is acting unlawfully by copying, adapting, and distributing the source code to GTA III and GTA: Vice City without Take-Two’s consent.
Take-Two’s lawyers said the Re3 technology allows anyone to play these games on platforms the games were never released on, including Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita.
“Defendants’ conduct is knowing, willful, and deliberate. Defendants are well aware that they do not possess the right to copy, adapt, or distribute derivative GTA source code, or the audiovisual elements of the Games, and that doing so constitutes copyright infringement,” Take-Two’s lawyers said.
The lawsuit specifically calls out Re3 developer Angelo Papenhoff. He is reported to have publicly stated that he is “very much worried” about Take-Two finding out about Re3.
This lawsuit comes after Take-Two tried to remove the source code from the internet earlier this year. In response to this, the company’s lawyers say the defendants “knowingly filed bad faith counter-notifications that materially misrepresented the legality of their content, apparently claiming that because they allegedly ‘reverse-engineered’ the games’ source code, they somehow cannot be liable for copyright infringement.”
“Yet while making this claim, Defendants also have bragged that their derivative versions of the Games are functionally and visually identical to the originals, and have even suggested they be used for unauthorized ‘modding purposes,'” the suit says. “As such, defendants’ software plainly infringes Take-Two’s exclusive rights to copy, adapt, and distribute the games.”
Take-Two says the actions of the defendants has and continues to cause “irreparable harm” to the company because the Re3 software not only makes GTA III and Vice City playable to anyone on new platforms, but it also gives “countless others [the ability to] create their own unauthorized derivative versions of the games.”
Take-Two is seeking damages, along with injunctive and other “equitable” relief.
Take-Two’s legal action against the makers of Re3 comes amid reports that the publisher is preparing to announce and release remasters of GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas. GTA III celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and Rockstar has said fans can look forward to some “surprises.”
Even if those games don’t turn out to be real, 2021 is expected to be another big year for the GTA series, as Rockstar is launching Grand Theft Auto V for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in November. A standalone edition of GTA Online is also debuting this year.
Rockstar is also reportedly working on GTA 6, and here’s all the GTA 6 rumors so far.
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Take-Two Is Suing Reverse-Engineered GTA 3 and Vice City Fan Project Creators
Take-Two Interactive is suing the creators of reverse-engineered Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto Vice City fan projects.
This news comes by way of VideoGamesChronicle, which reports that the lawsuit was filed in California and names 14 programmers who were working on the project. IGN reported back in February that this project had received a DMCA takedown from Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games.
The lawsuit claims that the people on the project “are well aware that they do not possess the right to copy, adapt, or distribute derivative GTA source code, or the audiovisual elements of the games, and that doing so constitutes copyright infringement,” according to VGC.
It’s important to note that the team isn’t actually using GTA 3 or Vice City source code — they instead recreated it using newer coding languages. This project doesn’t contain any Rockstar assets, either, so players that wish to use this reverse-engineered source code will actually need to have their own copy of GTA 3 or Vice City to create a port of the games using this code.
However, as Take-Two’s lawsuit notes, the company is suing the creators behind the project for distributing “derivative GTA source code.”
Take-Two claims that the project, more formally known as Re3 or ReVC on GitHub, is causing “irreparable harm to Take-Two,” both in terms of copyright infringement and in terms of the fact that now technically anybody can create their own version of GTA 3 or Vice City using the reverse-engineered code.
VGC notes that in the lawsuit, Take-Two says it tried to remove the project from GitHub where it was being distributed. According to Take-Two, three of the project’s programmers “knowingly filed bad faith counter-notifications that materially misrepresented the legality of their content, apparently claiming that because they allegedly ‘reverse-engineered’ the games’ source code, they somehow cannot be liable for copyright infringement.”
It seems that this will be the central argument of the case: does reverse-engineering a source code count as copyright infringement? Only time will tell for now.
Read about how the team behind the reverse-engineered source code had their project taken down back in February and then read about how Rockstar might be working on a Grand Theft Auto remastered trilogy after that.
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Razer Blade Advanced Price Slashed By $1,000 At Amazon
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
You can grab the high-end Razer Blade 15 Advance for only $1,600 right now.
If you’re in the market for a gaming laptop, Amazon has one of the best deals we’ve seen all year. The Razer Blade 15 Advanced is on sale for only $1,600, down from $2,600. This beats the best deal we’ve seen on this particular model by $200. The Razer Blade 15 Advanced is one of the company’s best gaming laptops. To sweeten the deal, you’ll also get digital copies of Humankind and Crysis Remastered Trilogy–and yes, Crysis will run just fine on this laptop.
$1,600 (was $2,600)
The Razer Blade 15 Advanced features an Intel Core i7 processor. This is a 10th generation Intel CPU with eight cores. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q GPU is more than capable of handling modern AAA titles at solid settings. You get 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The 15.6-inch full-HD display has a 300Hz refresh rate. As this is a Razer product, the keyboard boasts Chroma RGB lighting. Razer’s gaming laptops are both sleek and powerful, and the Blade 15 Advanced is no exception.
Best Gaming & Tech Deals This Week
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Marvel’s Shang-Chi Scores Big Opening Night At US Box Office
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings scored $8.8 million at the US box office in its opening night. The latest Marvel movie can only be seen in theaters, unlike July’s Black Widow, which was also available on Disney+ Premier Access.
As reported by Variety, Shang-Chi’s Thursday preview gross is the second-highest of the pandemic era, second only to Black Widow, which opened to $13.2 million. The other highest opening night numbers are F9’s $7.1 million and A Quiet Place Part II’s 4.8 million.
Shang-Chi is predicted to make between $45-$50 million in the US and Canada over the long Labor Day weekend. This would set a new record for the weekend–and not just during the pandemic but of all time–easily eclipsing the previous record-holder, 2007’s Halloween remake, which made $30.6 million.
The movie stars Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Fala Chen, Tony Leung, and Michelle Yeoh. It’s directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously helmed Short Term 12 and Just Mercy.
In his Shang-Chi review, GameSpot’s Mason Downey said the movie “skews more closely to an epic Chinese Xianxia or Wuxia fantasy film like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (which it doesn’t shy away from nodding to) than a western superhero movie. There are sweeping, beautifully choreographed fight scenes that are absolute joys to watch, especially when they pit actors like Tony Leung and Fala Chen against one another.”
There are still two more MCU set to arrive before the end of 2021. Eternals arrives in November, and the full trailer was recently released. Beyond that, the third MCU Spider-Man movie–Spider-Man: No Way Home–releases in December. Check out the first trailer for that here.
The Best Documentaries on Netflix Right Now (September 2021)
There are more streaming networks than ever before, so if you have questions about the future of streaming, then you’ve come to the right place. All week long, IGN’s State of Streaming 3.0 initiative is featuring reviews and in-depth analysis about current streaming providers like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and more!
It’s the best time ever for documentary fans as the streaming wars have opened up the proverbial floodgates, ushering in a new era of documentaries and docu-series. Whether you’re looking for a deep dive into a decades-old cold case, an exploration of a different culture, a dissection of a dangerous cult, or — you know — just kind of want to know a little more about He-Man, there’s a documentary out there for you!
Netflix currently offers hundreds of docs, but we’ve done some of the heavy lifting by taking that ample catalog and narrowing it down to a cool two dozen for you to check out. Here you’ll find everything under the sun, from true crime murder mysteries to scintillating scandals to pop-culture portraits. So check out the full list below, or click through the slideshow to see the very best documentaries Netflix has to offer.
Best Movies on Netflix by Genre:
- Best sci-fi movies on Netflix
- Best comedy movies on Netflix
- Best horror movies on Netflix
- Best drama movies on Netflix
- Best horror TV shows on Netflix
- Best anime series on Netflix
- Best superhero movies and TV shows on Netflix
- Best Netflix original movies
Please note: This list pertains to U.S. Netflix subscribers. Some titles may not currently be available on international platforms. This article is frequently amended to remove films no longer on Netflix and to include more action films that are now available on the service.
My Octopus Teacher
Recent Oscar nominee My Octopus Teacher documents a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster as he forges a relationship with a wild octopus. As a truly unique and offbeat experience, all about transcendent emotional bonds, My Octopus Teacher will leave you surprised, raw, and full of good cheer.
The Social Dilemma
How good is a warning if it comes too late? When we’re past the point of putting the genie back in the bottle? The Social Dilemma is a tough, but necessary, watch about the effects of social media on mental health and how its ultimate design is to nurture an addiction, manipulate people and governments, and spread conspiracy theories and disinformation.
Murder Among the Mormons
This three-part docu-series, executive produced by Paradise Lost’s Joe Berlinger, chronicles Mark Hofmann, one of the most notable forgers in history, who created forgeries related to the Latter Day Saint movement and crafted bombs that resulted in two deaths. Murder Among the Mormons, co-directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), is a captivating look into the mind of a true sociopath and must-see for true crime buffs.
13th
13th, from Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVerna, documents all the heinous systemic ways that racism and inequality didn’t stop with the end of slavery, exploring the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States. From lynchings to Jim Crow to the war on drugs, 13th explores the painful history and exposes mass modern failures in society.
High Score
As a history of video games in six parts, High Score checks in with innovators, creators, designers, and gamers throughout the past 40 years for a sweet, breezy look at this engrossing, addictive storytelling medium. From arcades to console wars to the invention of gory fighting games, High Score is a warm nostalgic blanket for Gen X and Millennials.
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
A true runaway hit for Netflix — the first possibly since Stranger Things — Tiger King took the world by storm, even spurring a few scripted Tiger King biopic series into development. This seven-part series (plus one “after show” hosted by Joel McHale) brought us into the wild world of zookeeper and convicted felon Joe Exotic and big cat conservationist Carole Baskin and a bitter years-long feud that led to Exotic hiring a hitman to kill Baskin. A compelling carnival sideshow that showcases the craziest ways truth can out-strange fiction.
Crip Camp
Executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, as part of their Netflix development deal, Crip Camp is a heartfelt look at Camp Jened, a summer camp for disabled people that became a springboard for the disability rights movement in the United States. Shining a spotlight on a lesser-known part of American civil rights history, as campers and counselors from Camp Jened wound up becoming activists, Crip Camp is an empowering feel-good watch.
The Great Hack
As a startling, unnerving tech-based expose, The Great Hack offers an alarming glimpse into the way data is being weaponized for political gain and how Facebook was, and still is, used for voter surveillance. Centering in on the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, this is a timely and scary revelation.
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana
Following global sensation and immense talent Taylor Swift over the course of several years, chronicling her life and career, Miss Americana is an emotional and intriguing dive into the singer-songwriter’s balancing of art, commerce, influence, and personality. An imperative for die-hard fans, but also a fun exploration for non-Swifters as a look at a true cultural phenomenon, Miss Americana is intimate without being sensational.
American Factory
High-tech China clashes with working-class America in American Factory, a tense examination of a Chinese billionaire’s glass factory in rural Ohio, and the troubling dynamic between workers and employers in today’s globalized economy. Using a fly-on-the-wall style, American Factory presents both sides of this divide, providing an eye-opening focus on exploitation.
Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
One thing you’ll find in this new surplus era of docu-properties is niche offerings that hone in on a specific fandom or IP, like Power of Grayskull, which unspools the history of Mattel’s Masters of the Universe toy line and its subsequent growth into a hugely-popular film and TV entity. Also worth checking out is The Toys That Made Us series, which, three seasons deep now, not only has an episode about He-Man but also Barbie, Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, and many more.
Five Came Back
Based on the book Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris, this three-parter focuses on five directors — John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens — whose war-related works are then dissected by modern directors Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass, and Lawrence Kasdan. It’s a spectacular and special look at propaganda, myth, art, and how World War II affected film and culture for decades.
Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado
A loving and magical look at the life and career of Walter Mercado, one of the most influential and important astrologists in Latin America, Mucho Mucho Amor features interviews with Mercado himself, before his death in 2019, and provides a blissful, open-hearted profile of a one-in-a-million person who meant the world to multiple generations.
The Keepers
Still one of Netflix’s best-unsolved mystery menageries, The Keepers digs into the murder of nun Catherine Cesnik in 1969 in Baltimore and the long-standing belief that there was a cover-up by authorities after Cesnik suspected that a priest was guilty of sexually abusing students. It’s a phenomenal and riveting rabbit hole that lands you in the middle of real-life terror.
Wild Wild Country
Don’t think for a second that we’ve left fanatical, crazy cults off this list. The six-part series Wild Wild Country tells the story of controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his religious cult in Oregon who were responsible for bioterror/food poisoning attacks in 1984 along with a foiled-assassination plot that targeted then-United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, Charles Turner. Executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass, Wild Wild Country is a stunning and provocative piece of investigative work.
Amanda Knox
In the headlines recently because of the movie Stillwater, and her specific reactions to it being a “ripped from the headlines” (her headlines, in fact) story, Amanda Knox is famous for being acquitted (after being convicted twice by corrupt and/or inept Italian authorities) of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, Knox’s overseas roommate. The victim of a dirty, pressured police department, and guilty in the public eye thanks to tabloid journalism, Knox spent four years in prison before being freed. This documentary asks us all to question why we ditch our empathy in favor of sensationalism.
Tell Me Who I Am
A gripping, heart-wrenching tale of twin brothers Alex and Marcus, Tell Me Who I Am is a devastating study of healing and catharsis. Marcus helps Alex, who lost his memory in a motorcycle accident at age 18, recreate lost memories from his childhood. However, Marcus omitted for a long time that the twins were sexually abused by both their mother and also a pedophile ring until the age of 14. Tell Me Who I Am is about dark secrets, reconciliation, and trauma.
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
English broadcaster, natural historian, and iconic nature documentary narrator David Attenborough shares first-hand his concern for the current state of the planet due to humanity’s impact on nature and his hopes for the future. Differing from most of Attenborough’s previous work, A Life on Our Planet is a condemnation of humans and an inspirational call to addressing climate change.
Song Exploder
Based on Hrishikesh Hirway’s music podcast, Song Exploder features Hirway sitting down with musical icons like Michael Stipe, Trent Reznor, Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more to deconstruct their most famous songs and dig into the nitty-gritty songwriting process. From inspiration to production to the nuts and bolts of music theory, Song Exploder is a joyous, necessary binge for music lovers.
The Staircase
One of Netflix’s pioneering, and best, true crime exploration series is The Staircase, which was a French miniseries acquisition from 2004 documenting the trial of Michael Peterson, who had been convicted of murdering his wife, Kathleen Peterson. Netflix aired the original series, the follow-up episodes, and then added three more update episodes to the catalog, bringing the episode count to 13 for the streamer’s new expanded presentation. The Staircase is a piercing puzzle that presents the messy shortcomings of the American legal system.
The Last Dance
From Netflix and ESPN Films, The Last Dance is a ten-part series revolving around the career of Michael Jordan, with a big focus on his final championship season with the Chicago Bulls. Made for sports fanatics and non-fans alike, The Last Dance’s storytelling is top-tier, documenting a larger-than-life legend rounding out a never-repeated run. Blending archival footage with candid interviews, this series is a true winner.
HOMECOMING: A film by Beyoncé
A concert film that goes behind the scenes with Beyoncé ahead of her lauded performance at Coachella in 2018 when she became the first black woman to headline, Homecoming was written, executive produced, and directed by Beyoncé herself, offering up a candid look inside her world, work ethic, and artistry. It’s a glittering masterpiece of self-realization and accomplishment.
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
Directed by Chris Smith (Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened), Jim & Andy uses 100 hours of footage to paint an obsessed portrait of Jim Carrey as he remained in character as comedian Andy Kaufman during the production of 1999’s Man on the Moon. It’s insightful, agonizing, and utterly revelatory to watch Carrey transform into Kaufman and then just remain in his skin.
Making a Murderer
Netflix’s “granddaddy of them all” when it comes to the true-crime docu-series, Making a Murderer had the nation in its galvanizing grip, telling the story of Steven Avery, a man who was wrongfully convicted and served 18 years in prison for sexual assault and attempted murder. With this, Netflix would strike gold and thusly make true crime deep dives a huge part of its menu. It’s a twisting mystery that hooks you deep for an immersive ride.
Tales Of Arise Gets Preorder Discount For Xbox And PC
We’re only a week away from the next Tales game. Tales of Arise, the latest entry in Bandai Namco’s hit action-RPG series, releases September 10 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. If you’re looking forward to Tales of Arise and haven’t secured your preorder yet, Newegg has a great deal right now. You can snag a digital preorder for Tales of Arise for Xbox or PC (Steam) for $50 with promo code EMC2AZ9Z326.
The Xbox version grants access to both the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One versions of the game.
For those who have checked out the Tales of Arise demo, you probably know that Bandai Namco gave the art style a serious makeover. Tales of Arise looks significantly better in terms of visuals than any other entry in the series thus far. The action-RPG has familiar Tales combat, though Bandai Namco has made some changes that haven’t fully been detailed ahead of its release. Tales of Arise splits time between two distinct worlds: a medieval setting and a technologically advanced world. You’ll start out with a party of four on your grand adventure and steadily recruit new members along the way.
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Roblox Adds Ambitious Voice Chat System That Aims To Replicate Real Life And Go Beyond It
Like many technology companies these days, Roblox Corp. is attempting to create a metaverse with Roblox, and communication will play a big role in that vision. To that end, the company has announced that a new voice chat system called “Spatial Voice” is rolling out now in the game by invitation only as part of a beta program.
The idea of Spatial Voice is to have a voice chat system that allows players to have conversations that “happen in a realistic way, mirroring how we listen and respond to the world around us each day.” The overarching goal is to make Spatial Voice a “realistic, safe, and easy” tool for players to use “across all Roblox experiences,” Roblox chief product officer Manuel Bronstein said in a blog post.
“As the metaverse continues to grow and bring people together in new, unexpected, and exciting ways, Roblox anticipates that communication will have an increasingly integral role,” Bronstein said. “We are embarking on this long-term vision for the future of communication because it allows us to be measured and thoughtful in our approach. This will enable us to introduce capabilities that serve the needs of the Roblox community, uphold our standards for digital civility, and contain the necessary safeguards to protect users of all ages. We believe that a mix of the right communication features and safety measures will further elevate the shared experiences of the metaverse, and we are eager to partner with our community to bring these features to life.”
Bronstein said Roblox’s belief is that the metaverse should be for everyone, and as such, it should offer communication capabilities that everyone can use.
“Different users will have different communication needs based on their context. Our vision for communication has the potential to transcend digital boundaries; therefore we are being thoughtful and deliberate about making communication safe as we realize this vision,” Bronstein said.
There are three principles that Roblox is looking to follow with respect to voice communication through Roblox, the first being that communication should be “rooted in the ways we communicate in the real world.” As an example, Bronstein said people yell when someone is far away, whisper when they’re trying to be quiet, and use gestures and facial expressions to add further nuance. The second principle Roblox is following is that communication in the metaverse should not be limited to what’s possible in physical reality.
“When you’re in an experience on Roblox, we envision that you will be able to communicate with others in the experience in the same way you speak with someone at the park,” Bronstein said. “Simultaneously, you will be able to have conversations with friends elsewhere on the platform. For instance, you may have a three-way conversation with someone next to you in an experience and with another friend on the bus on their way home in the real world. Those dialogues will be able to continue uninterrupted as you move from experience to experience or as your conversation partners come and go from the experience you are in. You will also be able to seamlessly shift between modes of communication, from text, to voice, to video, to immersive. In fact, different participants in the conversation may choose the most convenient mode of communication depending on their context.”
And third, Bronstein said Roblox is spending time and attention on ensuring communication in the game is civil and safe.
“Virtual communication should be governed by the same restraint we exercise in the real world. Context is critical here: in reality, you may be less filtered in a private conversation with your friend–whether it be a text, phone conversation, or in-person–than a group conversation at a public venue such as a restaurant,” Bronstein said. “The same will hold true on Roblox, which will offer 1:1 communication, communication with small groups and close friends, and public communication.”
Another example that Bronstein mentioned was how Roblox’s communication tools should have “natural moderation” built into them. As an example, if you were to scream at someone when eating dinner in a public restaurant, other people might ask you to quiet down, or the owners might kick you out of the establishment.
“There will be similar consequences on Roblox: our community will be able to self-regulate and flag a user that is not adhering to community standards, and that user may be removed from an experience or lose speaking privileges,” Bronstein said. “The metaverse is an extension and augmentation of reality and the standards for civility that we hold ourselves to in the real world must carry over to the digital.”
Roblox is one of the most popular games on Earth, boasting a massive 42 million daily players. Roblox Corp. became a publicly traded company earlier this year, and it’s now valued at more than $47 billion, which is bigger than Electronic Arts.
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Adult Swim Teases Live-Action Rick And Morty With Burping Christopher Lloyd
In advance of Rick & Morty’s Season 5 finale airing on September 5, Adult Swim has released a quick live-action video on Twitter featuring a belching Christopher Lloyd as the burping mad scientist. The video’s only 14 seconds, but seeing as how the finale will be a full hour, it’s reasonable to expect Lloyd will be in the episode for a sizable chunk.
The episode has recently been promoted as one that will ask the question, “Who is Rick without Morty?” And, apparently, Rick will take on a new companion–or likely, companions. The only other clue the tweet offers is the text “C-132,” which refers to that dimension in the show’s world. But until the episode airs, it’s anyone’s guess what it really means.
Even after Season 5 draws to a close, there is plenty more Rick and Morty coming–for example, the characters also coming to Fortnite. On the main flagship show, Adult Swim ordered 70 more episodes of the series in 2018, and co-creator Dan Harmon stated earlier this year that the writing team was already working on Season 7.
And of course, any mention of Harmon also merits an update on the long-discussed Community movie. Both Harmon and star Joel McHale have recently, separately, come clean on different podcasts about the movie’s status–long story short, everyone involved really wants to make it, but it’s really down to Harmon coming up with an idea that feels worthwhile. Harmon has said the “gears are turning” to make it a reality.
Netflix Reveals Episode 1 Title of Live-Action One Piece Series
Netflix has revealed the title for the first episode of its live-action One Piece series, and longtime fans of the anime and manga will likely recognize it.
That’s because the episode title, Romance Dawn, seems to be hinting at the origin of One Piece.
Published as a one-shot written by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda in the Shonen Jump 1996 Summer Special, Romance Dawn is about a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy, who, to make things short and spoiler-free, does some very pirate-y things. Romance Dawn is also the first arc in the anime, told over the first few episodes.
IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!! #OnePiece pic.twitter.com/Xmp9eHAK9G
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) September 3, 2021
While the Romance Dawn one-shot wasn’t called One Piece at the time of its original publishing, it was essentially adopted as the origin of One Piece. In fact, it was eventually reprinted in One Piece Red: Grand Characters.
Now, it’s unclear if the first episode of Netflix’s One Piece series will be a retelling of the Romance Dawn arc or if the episode title is simply an homage to the series’ start.
Netflix announced the series back in 2020 as a partnership with Tomorrow Studios and Shueisha “to bring [One Piece’s] pirate adventure story from Japan to audiences around the world.” Netflix released this note from Oda, the author of the manga series, at the time of the announcement:
The story of One Piece centers around the Straw Hat Pirates and their captain, Monkey D. Luffy who, after eating the cursed Gum-Gum Devil Fruit, is turned into what is essentially a rubber man. This gives Luffy the power to stretch his body to great lengths. Luffy and his crew are after the legendary One Piece treasure, as whomever discovers it becomes the King of Pirates.
There’s no official casting or release date at this moment, but Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) will serve as showrunner with Oda set to executive produce the series alongside Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios (Cowboy Bebop, Snowpiercer, Hanna). The picture of the first episode’s script reveals that the teleplay was written by Matt Owens and Maeda.
For more about Netflix’s live-action ventures, check out the first images from its upcoming Cowboy Bebop series and then check out the cast and creative team for its Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.