#Matt Owens Steps Down as Showrunner for One Piece Live-Action Series

Matt Owens, co-showrunner of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece, announced last Saturday on his Instagram that he will be stepping down from his role on the series. The second season began production last July and most recently wrapped this past February. An exact premiere date has not yet been confirmed. 

In his Instagram post, Owens cites mental health and taking part in therapy as reasons he has left the series. He said that he will “come back refreshed for the new adventures that await.” Netflix supported him in his decision to depart as co-showrunner. 

Joe Tracz (Percy Jackson and the Olympians co-executive producer) is expected to continue his role as showrunner for the live-action series, after first joining the second season as a new writer and executive producer. Steve Maeda, who developed the series with Owens and served as co-showrunner in the first season, also remains involved as executive producer.

Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva previously reported that the second season of the One Piece live-action series was expected to debut this year, but suggests that the series will not stream until 2026 due to its absence from a Next on Netflix video and event, previewing the streaming platform’s series for 2025. Andreeva suggests the delay may be due to the extensive post-production work on season two, as well as “the time required to get a Netflix show dubbed and subtitled.” 

Additionally, series creator Eiichiro Oda revealed that the second season will cover the story up to the Drum Island arc. This will include story arcs such as Loguetown, Reverse Mountain and Twin Cape, Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island.

Netflix’s One Piece live-action series is a co-production with Tomorrow Studios (Cowboy Bebop live action, Snowpiercer). The first season contained eight total episodes and was released on Netflix on August 31, 2023. 

Oda’s original One Piece manga series was first launched in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on July 22, 1997 under the Jump Comics label. A total of 111 tankobon volumes have been released as of March 2025. VIZ Media releases the manga series in English for North America. 

The manga inspired a 1999 OVA from Production I.G and a long-running TV anime adaptation from Toei Animation that has been airing since 1999. The latter surpassed the 1000th episode mark on November 21, 2021. The franchise also inspired numerous anime films, stage plays, video games, drama CDs, card games, art and guidebooks, and more.

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Source: Selome Hailu (Variety), Anime News Network