Lazarus: The Cowboy Bebop Creator's New Series & Its John Wick Link Explained

Adult Swim is now in the process of developing an original anime titled "Lazarus" headed by "Cowboy Bebop" director Shinichiro Watanabe and featuring a key talent from the "John Wick" franchise.

As detailed in an Anime News Network report about the upcoming series, "John Wick" director Chad Stahelski is in charge of designing action sequences throughout "Lazarus." Even though he looks nothing like his actor counterpart, Stahelski's present-day Hollywood trajectory kicked off when he worked as Keanu Reeves' stunt double in the "Matrix" movies. Previously, Stahelski doubled for Brandon Lee in "The Crow" and appeared in other high-profile films like "Escape from L.A." His first collaboration with Reeves, however, is what led to the advent of "John Wick" — all four films in the franchise thus far were directed by Stahelski and star Reeves as their titular character.

Of course, given his considerable experience in the field, Stahelski likewise helps choreograph the "John Wick" movies' critically acclaimed fight scenes. Stahelski, then, is among the foremost action sequence experts working in the film industry today and "Lazarus" should benefit greatly from his involvement.

The fact that Shinichiro Watanabe is working on "Lazarus" should be reason enough to excite plenty of anime fans. While "Cowboy Bebop" alone is arguably an all-time great, Watanabe's track record since its 1998 release also includes acclaimed shows like "Samurai Champloo," "Space Dandy," and "Carole & Tuesday."

Animating "Lazarus" is MAPPA, a studio with which most anime fans are likely well familiar by now. Some of the major shows MAPPA has produced in recent years — each of which boasts high-quality animation — include "Jujutsu Kaisen," "Chainsaw Man," Season 2 of "Vinland Saga," and the final season of "Attack on Titan."

This impressive list of talent extends to its music department too. In charge of the "Lazarus" soundtrack are Flying Lotus collaborator and saxophonist Kamasi Washington as well as eclectic electronic music producers Bonobo and Floating Points.

A plot summary reveals that "Lazarus" takes place in a future where what begins as a miracle cure for all diseases and ailments ends up shortening virtually every human's lifespan. A task force then assembles to stop the doctor who engineered this disaster. With such an impressive pedigree, it's worth keeping an eye on how this dream team of experts across the anime, film, and music industries will bring its story to life.