‘one Piece’ Casts Cole Escola as Bon Clay in Season 3

The Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Continues Its Expansion

The live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved manga series ‘One Piece’ has taken another significant step forward with the casting of Cole Escola as Bon Clay. This casting announcement is part of a growing roster of developments for the show, which is currently preparing for its second season on Netflix.

Season 2 Set to Launch in March 2026

The series, starring Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, has already made a significant impact since its debut last year. The first season spent eight weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 and became the streaming platform’s first English-language series to debut at No. 1 in Japan. With over 100 million views, ‘One Piece’ is one of Netflix’s most downloaded shows.

Co-Showrunners and Producers

The live-action adaptation is produced by Tomorrow Studios (an ITV Studios partner) and created in partnership with Shueisha. It has a strong team behind it, including co-showrunners Ian Stokes and Joe Tracz, along with producers such as Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements through Tomorrow Studios, Tetsu Fujimura, Chris Symes, Christoph Schrewe, and Steven Maeda.

Bon Clay: A Master of Performance and Precision

Escola will play the fan-favorite character Bon Clay (aka Bentham, aka Mr. 2 Bon Kurei), who is known for his unique look inspired by swans and his theatrical assassin skills. In the manga mythology, Bon Clay starts off as a villain but eventually befriends Luffy and joins his crew.

Production Plans and Location

Pre-production for Season 3 of ‘One Piece’ is set to begin later this year in Cape Town, South Africa. This international setting adds an exciting element to the show’s production plans, continuing its expansion beyond a single filming location.

Award-Winning Performance by Cole Escola

Cole Escola, known for his roles such as writing and originating the lead role in the hit Broadway play ‘Oh Mary!’ where he won a Tony Award for lead actor, brings a wealth of experience to the live-action ‘One Piece’. His recent performance in ‘At Home with Amy Sedaris’ also earned him recognition through a Writers Guild Award. Escola is now set to star opposite Jesse Plemons in A24’s comedy film ‘Jonty’.

The casting of Cole Escola as Bon Clay marks an exciting addition to the live-action ‘One Piece’ ensemble, further solidifying its status as a significant and well-received series on Netflix.