Cast Off With the Straw Hat Crew in New BTS Video

Adapting a beloved property is no easy feat, and requires a passionate crew to bring it to life faithfully. Fortunately, the crew behind Netflix’s live-action One Piece adaptation is more than up to the task of bringing the story of Monkey D. Luffy and his friends to fans old and new on August 31. To celebrate being only 10 days out from the premiere, the streamer has released a new behind-the-scenes look at the series, with the cast and key creatives sharing what went into adapting the “most popular pirate-adventure Manga” in the world.

In on-set interviews conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike, the cast share their feelings on joining such a momentous project, with Iñaki Godoy, who plays captain of the Straw Hat crew Monkey D. Luffy sharing his hopes that the series will appeal to both longtime fans of the story — which began as a Manga in 1997, before getting an anime adaptation in 1999, both of which are still ongoing — and those just discovering Eiichiro Oda‘s world for the first time.

Emily Rudd, who plays the Straw Hats’ navigator Nami praises the show’s “found family” nature, while Jacob Romero, who plays the sharpshooter Usopp, emphasized the series’ theme of pursuing your dreams, a cause which unites the Straw Hats, who all accompany Luffy on his search for the One Piece, while chasing goals of their own. Showrunner Matt Owens talks about staying true to Oda’s vision while bringing the story to a new medium, a sentiment echoed by Taz Skylar, who plays the ship’s chef Sanji.

The cast and creatives also talk about finding the right actors to embody the roles, and how much each of the Straw Hats is like their character. From Godoy’s relentless optimism, to Romero’s cheerfulness, their characters feel like roles they were born to play. It’s also something of a full circle moment for Mackenyu, who grew up with One Piece, and for whom Zoro was always a personal favorite.

What Is One Piece About?

One Piece follows Monkey D. Luffy, a young man determined to find the legendary One Piece treasure, and thereby become King of the Pirates. Along as part of his crew are Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji, each of whom has a goal of their own to pursue. Along the way, they are beset by both villainous pirates and the equally intimidating Marines, all of which spells danger for the merry crew of the Going Merry.

One Piece premieres on August 31 on Netflix. Check out the full featurette below: