Jamie Lee Curtis desperately wants to play Dr. Kureha in Season 2 of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the manga (and anime) “One Piece,” and it sounds like the team behind the show is just as desperate to have her onboard. After Curtis announced on Instagram that she intends to ask for the role once the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have concluded, showrunner Matt Owens commented, “Mommy dearest, that’s why we sent you that figure! No need to lobby.”
Owens continued, “Once we get what we deserve and get back to work, let’s talk!”
Curtis thrilled fans when she shared her original post. She captioned an illustration of the 141-year-old Kureha on Instagram, “ONCE the STRIKE against the greed of the AMTPT is SETTLED with a FAIR CONTRACT, I will lobby along with the growing fan frenzy to become Doctor Kureha in @onepiecenetflix.” The character is also the adopted mother of character Tony Tony Chopper, who will join the series for Season 2. (And yes, Curtis did get her letters confused when trying to remember the acronym for the AMPTP.)
This isn’t Curtis’s first run-in with the franchise — she previously attended the premiere of “One Piece Film: Gold” with her daughter Ruby, who later said that her mom loves Dr. Kureha and would be game to play her on screen.
Kureha is an intriguing character to be sure. Thought of as a witch by some due to her unusual and violent methods of checking for injury and illness in patients, she began mentoring Tony Tony Chopper after the death of his father figure, Hiriluk. In addition to her medical prowess, Kureha has superstrength and speed, which makes it easy for her to destroy walls and launch massive weapons by hand.
Production on Season 2 of “One Piece” has been stalled by the ongoing Hollywood strikes by writers and actors. Becky Clements, one of the show’s producers, previously explained the timeline for the show’s return once the strikes are over.
“Realistically, hopefully, a year away, if we move very quickly, and that is a possibility. Somewhere between a year and 18 months, we could be ready for air,” Clements said.
