One Piece Director Emma Sullivan Had Trouble Coming Back To Reality After The Netflix Show - Exclusive Interview
Netflix's highly anticipated live action adaptation of the wildly popular manga series "One Piece" has whipped fans into a frenzy around the world ahead of its eight-part premiere on August 31. Costing an estimated $18 million per episode, the streaming series attracted an impressive cast and crew, including Emma Sullivan, who directed Episodes 3 and 4 of the inaugural season.
Sullivan is an experienced director who has helmed episodes of "Doctor Who" and "Call the Midwife," and she has been nominated for a Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and won Best Short Film at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2009 for "After Tomorrow." Stepping onto the "One Piece" set and bringing the beloved Straw Hat pirates to life was a whole new experience for the continually rising director.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Sullivan talked about what went into adapting the long-running manga series to live action and shared some interesting Easter eggs to keep an eye out for in the two episodes she directed.
Sticking to the original vision was important to Sullivan
When adapting such a long-running, beloved series to live action, what was the most important thing to get right?
For the showrunners, Matt Owens and Steve Maeda — who are both huge fans of the "One Piece" — their first priority was to stick to [original "One Piece" creator Eiichiro] Oda's vision, and to make sure that we have fulfilled what he would want for the show, because it means so much to the fans. They're so passionate about it. That's the most important thing: to get Oda's vision correct.
What was the most challenging part about stepping into the series?
It's the biggest show I've ever done, so it has massive scope and scale. We have enormous sets, we have ships, we have mansions — and that's fun, but it's a challenge. Sometimes, the hardest bit was coming back to reality afterwards, because you're living in this amazing world, with lovely actors and amazing crews.
Where did you film your episodes?
In Cape Town, South Africa, which has got some of the most talented crews I've ever had the pleasure of working with. It's a great place to film.
What was the hardest part of whittling down the story arc you tackled, for your two episodes?
I didn't write it, so that's really more about the writers and our showrunners. It was adapted, and they constantly would go back to Oda and check. It's not exactly the same as the manga, and it was a long time ago that he originally wrote it, but [they wanted to make sure he] was happy with the changes that they made. Things change when it goes on to live action, and we have to make sure that it's compelling and enjoyable and that we stick to the theme. Hopefully, people will enjoy that.
Any favorite Easter eggs you can share from the episodes you directed?
I hadn't thought of this question. There are some "Wanted" posters that might be fun to search for, when they arrive in Syrup Village. Keep an eye out for them. We might have a News Coo, as well.
Any favorite moments from the set you can share?
Actually, there's another Easter egg I just thought of. In Kaya's mansion, they built these great big paintings of ships on the walls, and one of the paintings has the whole art department in it, in costume. In the background, as we track through Kaya's mansion and into the dining room, there's a big picture of all these people building ships, and that's our art department.
She hopes the series appeases both old and new fans
Was the general consensus on this project to lean in more toward appeasing longtime fans or attracting new fans?
The main thing is making sure Oda's happy. We would re-shoot scenes if Oda didn't like them, and it was great to have him at the top of our pyramid, making sure it's all within his vision. Hopefully, we'll get new fans, and I hope that the millions and millions of fans that it already has will approve of what we've done.
This live action series is very glossy and accessible, and you'd expect that just being on Netflix would bring in a bunch of new fans.
I would think so. They're releasing it all over the world. I was in Catalonia recently, and there were people there with "One Piece" T-shirts on. There's a French football team called PSG, Paris Saint-Germain, and [their fans] have unfurled banners that cover the whole stadium [featuring] Luffy punching the other team's logo. It's [a] big [franchise].
Outside of this series, what series or film do you consider to be a good example of how to turn manga/anime into live action?
I couldn't commit, because it's a tricky thing to do. It's difficult.
Are you a manga/anime fan? How'd you get involved in this project?
I got involved because I'd [directed episodes of] "Doctor Who" and "The Watch," but I was new to manga, although I love Studio Ghibli, and I'm a big fan of Japanese cinema. My son [is a fan of "One Piece"], and when I said to him, "I'm going to be doing this show about a rubber pirate," his response was, "One Piece!" He'd read it all, as had all my nephews. They're all huge fans. It was lovely to talk to them about what it means to them and to figure out what they've enjoyed about it and what they've loved about it.
I don't know how familiar you got with the whole "One Piece" saga while working on this series, but what do you think would be a fitting ending to the story? Last year, Oda suggested the manga series could end in 2025.
I don't know enough to presume, I'm afraid.
Did you work directly with Oda at any point?
No, I worked further down the supply chain. Our showrunners, Matt and Steve, were the ones who went to Japan and met with him. I met with his right-hand man, but I'd love to meet him. I'd also be quite nervous.
What's next for you? Anything beyond "One Piece" coming down the pipeline?
We are in a bit of a wait and see moment in the TV and film industry [because of the strikes], so fingers crossed there will be something soon. At the moment, I'm looking forward to everybody watching "One Piece" and hoping that they enjoy it and that they learn to follow their dreams. We had a good time making it.
ONE PIECE is a live action pirate adventure created in partnership with Shueisha and produced by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are writers, executive producers, and showrunners. Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, and Becky Clements also executive produce. All eight episodes of the live action adaptation premiere August 31 on Netflix.
This interview has been edited for clarity.