Halloween and Everything Everywhere All at Once star Jamie Lee Curtis wants to play Doctor Kureha in One Piece season 2 for Netflix, and she isn’t the only one hoping she’ll land the role. Series writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner Matt Owens talked about how he wants Curtis for the role during an interview with Deadline.
Curtis has been campaigning to join the Straw Hat Pirate crew on social media, proclaiming her love for the original One Piece anime in an Instagram post just a few weeks ago. Fans will almost always favor talent that is familiar with the source material, so for many, casting her as Doctor Kureha feels like a no-brainer. Owens saw the post, and judging by a comment he posted, he seems to agree.
“Mommy dearest, that’s why we sent you that figure!” Owens said. “No need to lobby. Once we get what we deserve and get back to work let’s talk!”
A lot has changed since Owens publicly declared his support for the casting choice. Specifically, the WGA strike came to an end late last month. While the Halloween actress still finds herself fighting for fair treatment and wages on the picket lines, Owens is free to talk about and promote Netflix’s plans for One Piece season 2. With that in mind, Deadline poked a bit further to learn exactly how Owens feels about Curtis donning Doctor Kureha’s iconic purple garb.
Related: What Does One Piece Mean To Me?
“We have opportunities to stunt cast some roles, some rules that are very important, and it came out that Jamie Lee Curtis is a One Piece fan,” Owens said. “As soon as she said that, we were like, okay, we have to try and get her on the show. What can we do? And Doctor Kureha, very luckily, is a character who is coming up in our story, and is someone who is perfect for Jamie Lee Curtis.”
He continued, speaking about how the live-action One Piece team has already started “manifesting” their dream to see Curtis play Doctor Kureha. Following her Oscar win, the One Piece writers room sent the actress a figure of Doctor Kureha with a note that said, “Congratulations on your statue, here’s another one to put next to it. Hope to speak to you soon.” While it is unfortunate that SAG-AFTRA members still find themselves on strike, Owens is hopeful that he’ll get to talk to Curtis soon.
“When she reposted that, it got a lot of fan interest, and I commented on it,” Owens said. “We’re trying to manifest it. Yes, as of right now, SAG is still striking so there have not been real conversations. But as soon as there can be, I’m ready. I will take her out to dinner, we’ll talk about it. We’ll do all of it because at this point we’re writing for her — we really, really want her to come and play with us in Season 2.”
Netflix’s live-action One Piece season 2 is already confirmed to be in development. It’s unclear how much of the show will be adapted from the source material, but it sounds like Doctor Kureha is already in the cards to be involved, as is the anime’s reindeer-human hybrid, Chopper. With SAG-AFTRA still on strike, there’s no telling when the show’s second season will be released, but when it does, you can be sure to read about it here.
