One Piece has been renewed at Netflix, and Emily Rudd, who portrays Nami in the series, has shared her first online reaction to the series' second season announcement!
Following a successful first season on the streamer that earned rave reviews and stellar viewership numbers, it seemed like only a matter of time before a second batch of episodes was greenlit for the hit anime adaptation.
The creatives behind the pirating adventure even revealed they have had "thorough conversations about what [the series] would do with Season 2" should it be given the green light with hopes for upwards of "12 seasons," if possible.
That is why it was no surprise that Netflix gave One Piece Season 2 the thumbs-up, announcing it through an online video featuring One Piece anime and manga creator Eiichiro Oda.
One Piece's Live-Action Nami Ready for More
One Piece star Emily Rudd took to social media following the official announcement the live-action Netflix series would be getting a second season.
Sharing her first public reaction to the news, Rudd posted on her personal Instagram story with the caption, "I'm so happy. Thank y'all we love you so so so much."
This post came accompanied by a photo of the live-action Nami actress visibly emotional, sporting a giddy child-like grin and possible tears in her eyes.
Rudd has been outspoken in her support for the series, having been a fan of the source material since she was young.
Upon Season 1's release, Rudd posted on X (formerly Twitter) that playing Nami was "[her] dream" and she could not "put it into words" how much it meant to get to play this iconic character:
"Said it once before but right now i gotta say it again.. Can’t put it into words. Thank you thank you thank you. This is my dream. I love y’all. I hope it’s your dream now too."
Both Iñaki Godoy and Taz Skylar, who play Luffy and Sanji respectively in the live-action series, have also reacted to the season 2 announcement. Godoy stated that there are "new adventures on the horizon" for the Straw hat crew and Skylar posted a video of himself and Godoy singing Karaoke together in celebration of the news.
When Will One Piece Season 2 Release?
As excited as Emily Rudd and the rest of One Piece's stellar cast seem to be about getting to do Season 2, it will still be some time before the second batch of episodes hits the service.
One of the biggest hurdles the series has to overcome is something nearly every production in Hollywood is currently facing: the ongoing actors' strikes.
According to Tomorrow Studios (the studio that distributes One Piece) President Becky Clements, Season 2 could be ready in "somewhere between a year and 18 months" once the strikes end (via Variety).
The producing team has made it clear the Season 2 scripts have been written and are ready to go whenever the actors and writers can get back to work.
Iñaki Godoy has released a video of himself training for the second season of the show, indicating he expects the series to begin shooting as soon as it's possible for them to do so.
The Direct exclusively spoke with One Piece cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, where she revealed that the series' showrunners had already started writing the second season before the writer's strike. With the writer's strike now over, the showrunners can finish writing the series while the acting guild and the AMPTP can come to a deal.
So as for when exactly One Piece returns, the ball is in Netflix's court.
When Netflix/the other major studios and actors' guilds can come to an agreement, the One Piece Season 2 train can truly get rolling.
Netflix's live-action One Piece series is streaming now on Netflix.
