Netflix’s One Piece Shares Update on Production as Filming Locale Reopens

South Africa is one of many film hubs that had to shut productions down this year due to COVID-19, but it seems things are starting to get back underway at last. After restrictions were lifted partially in October, South Africa is back open for business, and a new report from Variety is updating fans on how the comeback will impact the live-action adaptation of One Piece.

Recently, the trade did a breakdown of the reopening. Variety did a spotlight on Moonlighting Films, a production studio that has hosted a number of hit projects from Avengers: Age of Ultron to The Crown. It seems One Piece will film there soon, but for right now, the project still hasn’t gotten a start date.

According to the report, One Piece has yet to secure a start date, and the same goes for Around the World in 80 Days. These two titles have yet to back up enough pre-production to nail down a start date, but fans hope filming will happen before long. After all, Moonlighting Studios recently housed other major series such as Good Omens, Resident Evil, and Monster Hunter.

“Starting production has given us a great opportunity to test, refine and adapt our COVID-19 protocols, and so far so good,” Genevieve Hofmeyr, a spokesperson of the studio, shared.

“From a production perspective, working in a pandemic adds multiple layers of complexity to the production process and there is much to learn,” says Hofmeyr. “It is very encouraging to see how supportive the film community has been in terms of compliance and co-operation in the interest of protecting each other and the productions.”

As for One Piece, fans are keeping a close eye on the live-action adaptation as filming hopefully gets underway next year. A lead cast has yet to be made public for the project, so fans are hoping to learn those picks sooner rather than later.

What do you think about this One Piece update? Do you think this project will ever get off the ground? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.