Netflix officially orders live-action 'ONE PIECE' Season 3—announced at "ONE PIECE DAY 2025," filming to begin in South Africa within the year.

1. Overview of the Announcement: What "Early Renewal" Means

On August 10 (Japan time), at "ONE PIECE DAY 2025" held in Tokyo, Netflix announced the order for Season 3 of the live-action 'ONE PIECE'. This is an "early renewal" at the stage before the release of Season 2, indicating the platform's strong belief in the series' potential and global demand. Production is set to resume **within the year in Cape Town (South Africa)**. As part of a major IP lineup alongside 'Stranger Things', this move suggests a long-term strategy (multiple seasons) is in view.UPINetflix

2. Current Status of Season 2: "Grand Line" Begins, Cast Information and First Footage

Along with the announcement, Netflix released the first look of Season 2 and a teaser. Characters such as Miss All Sunday (Lera Abova), Miss Wednesday (Charithra Chandran), Captain Smoker (Callum Kerr), and **Brogy (Brendan Murray)** were showcased, highlighting the new islands and formidable foes the Straw Hat crew will face on the "Grand Line." There is continued teasing about Chopper's presence, raising expectations for its design and direction in live-action.EW.com

The release period is announced as 2026. Considering the VFX load due to the vast world and creature expressions, as well as remote location shoots, this schedule is deemed reasonable.Netflix

3. Update on the Creative Structure: Transition to Co-Showrunner System

Joe Tracz (known for 'Percy Jackson & the Olympians') and Ian Stokes (known for 'Marvel's Luke Cage' and 'Iron Fist') have been appointed as co-showrunners for Season 3. Matt Owens, who has led the series so far, will step back for the time being, leaving the series' direction to the new duo. This setup can be seen as a "structure-focused" lineup, emphasizing archipelago-like world-building, reorganization of long arcs, and pacing of ensemble dramas. PolygonEW.com

4. Production Scheme: Resuming in Cape Town Within the Year

Filming in South Africa, based at the Cape Town Film Studios, is ideal for managing both the use of large sets like ships, ports, and fortresses, and ocean filming. The start of filming within the year for Season 3 also ties into a proactive approach considering the long-term VFX and post-production processes. The hybridization of wide-area location shoots and studio work is expected to further expand the "textured maritime adventure scenes" established in Season 1.Netflix

The characters shown in the first look of Season 2 (Baroque Works associates, Smoker, giant Brogy, etc.) strongly suggest the original storyline leading to "Little Garden," "Drum Island," and "Alabasta." If so, Season 3 is likely to steer towards "Sky Island (Skypiea)" (Jaya to Sky Island). Of course, the official precise arc division has not been announced, but the classic distribution of "East Blue (S1)" → "Alabasta (S2)" → "Sky Island (S3)" is highly rational in terms of adaptation. What is required here is the balance between adventure elements (boy meets world) and mythological elements ("sky" mythology and beliefs), and the art and VFX design to realize the unknown location of "sky" in live-action. *This section is based on strong views and speculation from public information and is not final.EW.com

6. Performance Backing: Viewing Achievements for Continuation

The live-action 'ONE PIECE' was counted among Netflix's most-watched seasonal works in the latter half of 2023, and the speed of the renewal for S2 within 2 weeks of its release also became a topic of discussion. The decision to order S3 before S2 indicates that this IP holds strategic value as a **"driver for subscription and retention."**Wikipedia

7. Japanese Perspective: Leading the "Reevaluation" of "Live-Action x Shonen Manga"

It is undisputed that 'ONE PIECE' is a work with a high difficulty of adaptation. However, S1 shook the skepticism towards past "live-action anime adaptations" with its solid art and design, as represented by "Arlong Park," the chemistry of the cast, and the adaptation respectful of the original. If S2 can densely implement the political drama and emotional lines (friendship, farewell, vows) of "Alabasta," the trend of "reevaluation of live-action x shonen manga" will become irreversible.

8. Creative Focus: Four Key Elements in S2/S3

1. Ensemble Tempo: How to compress and rearrange the emotional arcs of the Straw Hat crew and the unique characters of each island.

2. Scale Management of the World: VFX workflow to showcase giants, animals, and ability users with "tangible texture."

3. Music and Language: Scores that balance the excitement of maritime adventure and ethnic colors, and the portrayal of regional accents.

4. Action Grammar: Balancing the "flashiness" and "pain (weight)" of battles involving ability users.

9. Business Insights: Family Reach and Global Expansion

'ONE PIECE' is strong in family viewing (coexisting multiple age groups). The IP's merchandising (LEGO, etc.), event linkage, and the annual news hub with "ONE PIECE DAY" form a cycle of distribution and commerce. The continuous release from S2→S3 can be read as an investment decision to **"shorten the gap between seasons,"** which is also reasonable from the perspective of **Churn Control**.Netflix

10. Production and On-Site Challenges: Practicalities of Resuming in Cape Town

Ocean filming is constrained by weather, tides, and wind, requiring flexible management of the shooting schedule. Additionally, stunt safety management, hygiene measures for large crowd scenes (ports, capitals), and advanced VFX pre-visualization are crucial, demanding integrated operation of on-site and post-production. The two-headed showrunner system is expected to create synergy in the simultaneous operation of the writers' room and filming department.Polygon

11. Viewer Guide: "Review Points" to Note Before Watching S2

• End Tone of S1: Depicted the "dreams" and "vows" of the crew with the unique "tactile feel" of live-action.

• Introduction to S2: From Loguetown to Reverse Mountain to Whiskey Peak to Little Garden to Drum to Alabasta. In pursuing the conspiracy line of Baroque Works, the pasts of Nami, Sanji, and Zoro are reactivated.EW.com

12. Conclusion: Proof that "The Sea is Even Wider"

It has been proven that a voyage is possible even in live-action with S1. If S2 can delve deeply into the emotions of Alabasta, the "sky" of S3 is not far off. The early decision for S3 is a direct response to the production team's commitment and the audience's expectations. No matter where the next port of call is, 'ONE PIECE' will "continue."

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