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Prime Video is set to release its first South African original film, the Cape Town-set crime caper comedy “The Shakedown,” which will be available globally on the streamer Aug. 8. Variety has been given exclusive access to the film’s trailer.

“The Shakedown” follows the story of Justin Diamond (Carl Beukes), a well-respected medical aid broker who gets mixed up in the Cape Town underworld after his mistress threatens to reveal the secret of their affair. The plot thickens as Justin’s desperate attempts to maintain his golden boy reputation lead him down a path filled with dangerous criminals, mistaken identities and comic mishaps. When he teams up with his black sheep brother, Dovi (Emmanuel Castis), a comedy of errors ensues, with the chaos only escalating as Justin tries to regain control of his life.

Directed and co-written by Ari Kruger, known for his work on the hit web series “Suzelle...

Adapting beloved characters and arcs from anime into live-action has proven to be no easy feat. Considered sacred source material, the One Piece manga and anime's delightful storylines and a cherished ensemble cast of swashbucklers had no shortage of beloved pirate allies and foes that fans nervously waited to see depicted in live-action. While many live-action anime adaptations have fallen short, Netflix's 2023 One Piece live-action series defied expectations with its surprise success.

By merging various story arcs and characters, the adaptation better renders the few fan-favorite pirates platformed in Season 1, offering even the most devoted One Piece fans a refreshing alternative to the anime and manga. Luffy's allies and adversaries are given impressive live-action adaptations in One Piece, offering fans both faithfully depicted pirates and ones elevated from existing canon with exciting new elements expanding on the source material.

Read Our Review Review: Netflix's One Piece Is Off to a Promising,...

In a crossover video, the live-action One Piece Mihawk actor meets the English dub voice actor, reenacting the Spider-Man meme. Mihawk's presence in One Piece season 1 highlights his power and sets the stage for future high-stakes encounters. Fans appreciate the portrayal of Mihawk in the live-action adaptation and the mutual respect between the actors.

Two Pirate Warlords cross paths on their travels, as One Piece's live-action Mihawk actor Steven John Ward encounters his character's English dub voice actor John Gremillion in a fun crossover video. The famed pirate Dracule Mihawk is one of the franchise's feared Warlords of the Sea, high-ranking pirates who hold a tentative agreement with the World Government due to their terrifying power and influence. In One Piece season 1, Mihawk is hired to hunt down Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), becoming a rival to the swordsman Roranoa Zoro (Mackenyu) when they cross blades.

While audiences eagerly...

Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers through the Season 1 finale of “One Piece,” now streaming on Netflix.

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s bestselling manga “One Piece” launched Friday, giving fans their long-awaited chance to compare the eight-episode first season to its print and anime versions.

The manga takes place in a fantastical world where pirates and marines battle for control over the Blue Sea. Young boy Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) grows up aspiring to be the next king of the pirates, despite his inability to swim — a side effect of the magical “Gum Gum” Devil Fruit he ate as a child, which gave him an extraordinarily stretchy body as a gift from the sea, along with the curse that he cannot survive in its waters. In Luffy’s journey through the East Blue section of the sea while looking for the famed “the one piece” treasure...

One Piece director Marc Jobst opened up about the challenge of casting the right actors to portray Eiichiro Oda’s beloved Straw Hat Pirates in Netflix’s live-action adaptation.

Nearly two years after Netflix greenlit the series adaptation of the long-running manga and anime, the official live-action One Piece cast was announced consisting of Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Taz Skyler as Sanji, and Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp. Speaking with Screen Rant, Jobst explained how important it was for them to find actors, who had "heart," "warmth," and "chemistry" that would make the "audience fall in love with these characters." Out of all the main characters, the creative team had the hardest time casting its lead character Luffy, since it wasn’t easy to find someone who can embody his energy and positivity without being irritating.

Related: One Piece: Nicole Hirsch Whitaker...

The latest promotional video for Netflix’s highly-anticipated One Piece series featured a wholesome encounter between manga creator Eiichiro Oda and live-action Luffy actor Iñaki Godoy.

In the video, Godoy personally met Oda at his studio in Tokyo, Japan. The iconic manga artist warmly welcomed the starstruck actor by immediately embracing him. The promo also showed Godoy asking Oda some questions about One Piece including the reason why Oda has chosen him to play Luffy for the live-action adaptation. The 20-year-old actor got emotional when Oda said that he "can’t imagine anyone else" playing his beloved character other than Godoy, who impressed him with his lively personality in his audition tape.

Related: Netflix Reveals New 'Inside the Story' Promo for Live Action One Piece

Besides Oda, Godoy had also met with Mayumi Tanaka during his trip to Japan which was shown in a previously released promo. Tanaka has been...