Netflix officially cancels anime of the same name from Sunrise Inc. team Hajime Yatate, the series revolves around a group of bounty hunters traveling through the galaxy on the titular starship in the future hunting down targets while dealing with the demons of their past. The live-action series hails from The Mandalorian alum Christopher Yost and showrunner André Nemec.
John Cho, Mustafa Shakir and Daniella Pineda lead the cast of Cowboy Bebop as bounty hunters Spike Spiegel, Jet Black and Faye Valentine alongside Elena Satine as femme fatale Julia and Alex Hassell as primary antagonist Vicious. Development on the adaptation got underway in 2017 when Tomorrow Studios and Sunrise Inc. partnered for an American series, with Netflix quickly acquiring the rights to the project in 2018. Following a troubled production, Cowboy Bebop would finally debut on the streaming platform in November 2021, though the wait appears to have not been worth it.
Just three weeks after the series arrived on the streamer, The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that Cowboy Bebop has been canceled after just one season by Netflix. Reports indicate that the 10-episode series had racked up nearly 74 million viewing hours since premiering on November 19, though saw a large decline of 59 percent from November 29 to December 5. Inside sources point towards the plummeting ratings, negative reception and cost towards the decision to cancel Cowboy Bebop.
News of Cowboy Bebop's cancellation will likely come as a mixed bag of emotions for audiences. Upon its debut on Netflix, the series received generally mixed-to-negative reviews from critics and audiences alike, with the cast being showered with praise while the special effects and the attempt to recreate the energy and tone of the original anime largely divided. Many viewers found the live-action Cowboy Bebop's to be faithful in its story while others felt it to be a soulless mess of an adaptation.
Regardless of the critical reception, Netflix's decision to cancel Cowboy Bebop after just one season may still come as a surprise given the groundwork its debut season clearly laid for a season 2. Between saving fan-favorite character Radical Ed for a cliffhanger finale to both André Nemec and Christopher Yost confirming a second season was being planned ahead of the show's premiere, Netflix seemed to have some confidence in the project to continue. With news of the Cowboy Bebop cancellation, only time will tell whether the show will see an influx to change the streamer's mind or indeed remain dead.
Source: THR