Netflix says production on One Piece Season 3, The Battle of Alabasta, is currently underway in Cape Town. Here’s why the series matters for our local film industry.
Netflix has confirmed that Season 3 of its live-action adaptation of One Piece will be titled The Battle of Alabasta, with new episodes set to arrive in 2027. But for South Africa, the bigger story is what’s happening behind the scenes.
Production is already underway in Cape Town, with the city once again serving as the base for one of Netflix’s biggest international series.
That matters. Large-scale productions like this do more than put South Africa on screen. They create jobs across departments, from set design and costume to transport, stunt teams and post-production. They also give local crews the chance to work at a high level on technically complex projects, helping build long-term confidence in the country’s production capabilities.
Cape Town has become a key destination for international shoots in recent years, but One Piece stands out because of its scale. The series relies heavily on world-building, visual effects, action sequences and detailed production design, all of which draw on local infrastructure and skills.
What Season 3 is all about
For fans, Season 3 will take the Straw Hat crew to Alabasta, a desert kingdom on the brink of civil war. The new season follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew as they race to help Princess Vivi save her homeland from collapse. A rebellion is threatening to tear the kingdom apart, fuelled in secret by the ruthless Sir Crocodile and his underground syndicate, Baroque Works.
The Alabasta arc is one of the most loved storylines in the original manga and anime, and a major turning point in the wider story. It is also expected to bring a new visual scale to the live-action series, with desert landscapes, larger action set pieces and higher emotional stakes than before.
The core cast will return, including Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, Mackenyu as Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp and Taz Skylar as Sanji.
They’ll be joined by returning cast members Charithra Chandran as Princess Vivi, Mikaela Hoover as Tony Tony Chopper, Joe Manganiello as Sir Crocodile, Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday and Sendhil Ramamurthy as King Nefertari Cobra. Several of those characters have also been promoted to series regulars, signalling a bigger role in the new season.
Season 3 will also introduce new faces, including Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace, Cole Escola as Bon Clay, Daisy Head as Miss Doublefinger and Awdo Awdo as Mr. 1.
For local audiences, this is another reminder that South Africa can offer the industry more than just a beautiful backdrop and that it should continue to grow its capacity to be part of the machinery that makes global entertainment possible.
While the story may be set in a fictional desert kingdom, a significant part of the work bringing it to life is happening here. And that is worth paying attention to.
