"Cowboy Bebop" is one of the hottest anime that made a significant impact on the US. Its unique interpretation of the bounty hunter in space have made it a very popular TV series in the country.
Watch Mojo even ranked it as one of the top 10 anime series. Because of its popularity Hollywood has become very interested in the series that they are planning the series' live movie adaptation.
One of the early names that immediately became associated with the live movie adaptation in Hollywood is Keanu Reeves. The former "Matrix" star has been attached to the project for a very long time that he has actually read the script of the possible film adaptation.
But according to Anime News Network, Reeves will no longer play Spike in the Hollywood adaptation citing that the film would be very expensive to make as it would require around "half a billion dollars to make."
But even though Keanu Reeves is no longer part of the planned movie adaptation, the plans of making a live action movie adaptation continues.
Comic Book Movie reports of an interview with the original anime director Shinichirō Watanabe where he states that the movie is still on the radar of 20th Century Fox. Unfortunately, no additional information has been announced by 20th Century Fox with regards to the anime adaptation.
Now that Reeves is no longer attached to the film, fans have been speculating who could be Spike in the live movie adaptation. One fan even took the time to Photoshop "Sherlock" star Benedict Cumberbatch so that he may look like everyone's favorite space bounty hunter.
According to Drama Fever, "some dedicated fan, who also seems to be quite the Adobe Photoshop addict, has merged random acts of cosplay around 'Cowboy Bebop's' tragically short-lived Spike Spiegel with the British thespian who plays Khan from the new 'Star Trek,' Benedict Cumberbatch.