One Piece Showrunner Reveals How Far Along Season 2 Is

One Piece has been yet another surprise massive hit for Netflix, whose strategy of throwing everything at the wall and coming away with cultural phenomena is actually working out pretty well. Fans of the live-action adaptation of the One Piece manga/anime have had to wait longer for news about season 2 because the WGA strikes kept the showrunners from promoting it. However, the strikes are now over, and writer/executive producer/co-showrunner Matt Owens is very ready to talk about the future of the series.

In a long and sprawling interview with Deadline, Owens not only revealed he’s gung-ho to cast Jamie Lee Curtis in the series but that the writers room jumped right back into action on season 2 the moment the strike ended. The writers had already started on the second season before the strike but didn’t get much further than planning out the beats, which will pick up directly after the first season’s ending. There was one benefit to that: the writers can see what worked and what didn’t now that the series is out and adjust accordingly.

“Now that the show has come out, there are things to look at and lessons to learn as we move forward,” said Owens. “We’ve got some outlines, and we have a really solid plan that we had communication with [One Piece creator Eiichiro] Oda about.” He later concluded, “Honestly, one of the biggest lessons that I think we’re taking into Season 2 is to trust ourselves. We managed to make something that really resonated with people, with newcomers and fans alike.”

RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Has Introduced the World to the Anime Zaddy

Now, just because screenplays are getting done doesn’t mean the delays for season 2 are coming to an end. The actors’ strike is still ongoing, meaning none of the cast can begin shooting any time soon. This is doubly complicated because the show is filmed in South Africa where the winters aren’t too conducive to filming a TV show set on the high seas with stunning backgrounds. It’s not clear when the actors’ strike will end, but Owens says they’re going to do their best to start filming and adjust the schedule as needed.

Once filming starts, what will One Piece season 2 be about? Owens says it will focus on leadership. “Without saying too much, and speaking to any new characters that we might meet, I would say a major theme that we’re working with in Season 2 is the challenge of leadership. From Luffy’s perspective, he’s got his crew now, and they are setting out to the Grand Line. They’re doing the thing, and there are a lot of challenges that come with that responsibility. And that theme ties into some other stories and characters that I won’t give away just yet. But the challenge and leadership is a big theme for us in Season 2.”