At the end of August 2023, the live-action adaptation of One Piece arrived to Netflix subscription holders, and it didn’t take long for the series to become a huge hit for one of the best streaming services. Unfortunately, One Piece’s premiere happened as both the writers and actors strikes were still going, meaning that the actors couldn’t do press or attend special events tied to the show. So instead, Taz Skylar, who plays Sanji, organized a different way he and his four main co-stars could celebrate One Piece becoming available to the masses: traveling to Japan, the franchise’s birthplace.
Skylar discussed this topic while being interviewed by Movieweb about his new movie, Cleaner, which opened on the 2025 release schedule this past weekend and co-stars Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen. While he understandably couldn’t share any specific details about what’s ahead in One Piece Season 2, he did have this to say when he was asked if he was surprised by Season 1’s success at the time:
One Piece certainly didn’t need any press or premieres to drum up interest, ranking as one of the best shows to binge watch on Netflix in a matter of days. Nevertheless, Taz Skylar was faced with two options about what to do in the absence of not being able to promote the show, and he chose the one that let him reunite with Iñaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy), Mackenyu (Roronoa Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami) and Jacob Romero Gibson (Usopp) on their terms. He continued:
So Taz Skylar got together with the other actors who comprise this iteration of the Straw Hat Pirates and viewed One Piece Season 1 to cap off their vacation in Japan. They also kept a close eye on how the show was being critically received, with Skylar recalling:
Yes, One Piece was renewed pretty quickly, a sharp contrast from Netflix’s last major live-action anime adaptation, Cowboy Bebop, being cancelled after just one season in roughly the same amount of time. Season 2 began filming in South Africa in June 2024, and it was announced earlier this month that production had concluded. Among the new characters Sanji and his cohorts will meet include Joe Manganiello’s Crocodile, Katey Sagal’s Dr. Kureha, Lera Abova’s Mr. 0 and David Dastmalchian’s Mr. 3, among many others.
While not official, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that One Piece Season 2 will be among the offerings on the 2025 TV schedule. A 2026 drop is looking more plausible, though hopefully well if Season 3 is a go before this year is over.