Keanu Reeves is Spike Spiegel.

Chew on that for a moment. Stylish, suave, butt-kicking intergalactic bounty hunter Spike Spiegel, one of the main reasons the anime series “;Cowboy Bebop”; is beloved by fans, is being played by the guy best known as Neo in the “;Matrix”; trilogy and “;Ted”; Theodore Logan in “;Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.”;

That was the news that broke Thursday on the Web site of Sunrise, the animation studio that produced “;Cowboy Bebop”; back in 1998, as plans were confirmed for a live-action film adaptation based on the series. Twentieth Century Fox and 3 Arts Entertainment are also involved ... and Reeves has been announced as the first actor attached to the project.

And a collective shudder from anime fans followed shortly thereafter. With the live-action films “;Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li”; and “;Dragon Ball: Evolution”; already looking like they're on track to disappoint fans of those franchises when they open later in the year, the “;Cowboy Bebop”; news came as another blow.

I wouldn't despair quite yet—the film hasn't gone into production, and, as fans who have waited years for live-action versions of “;Neon Genesis Evangelion”; and “;Battle Angel Alita”; to emerge can attest, announcements mean nothing until cameras start rolling. But here's what I feel are keys to watch for to judge this movie's quality:

» The rest of the cast. OK, so it might not be possible to find someone who has the same real-life dimensions as busty, sultry scam artist Faye Valentine. But the chemistry among whoever plays Faye, Bebop owner Jet Black and ace young hacker Radical Edward—and, of course, Reeves as Spike—has to strike just the right blend of humor and dramatic tension to work. And, of course, Ein the data dog must be played by a cute fluffy Sheltie.

» The soundtrack. Take a good look at that name—“;Cowboy BEBOP.”; Yoko Kanno's original soundtrack, with its classic jazz and bebop-infused tunes, added an extra layer of style to the action sequences. Generic alternative-rock tunes with the occasional orchestral flourish won't cut it here.

» The story. Reeves told MTV Movies Blog last month that the story would be based on the first episode, the last episode and selected highlights from the other 24 episodes. Fine ... we can't expect close to 11 hours' worth of complexity crammed into one movie. Just as long as those highlights—and there are many—are reflective of the series as a whole and integrated in a logical manner, it could work.

Stay tuned, space cowboys ... this could be a wild ride.

Meeting roll call

» Oahu Anime Explorer: 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at HMC Academy, 555 N. King St. Visit www.oahuanimeexplorer.com for more details.

Coming up Sunday

There's a bright side to Funimation's recent revival of several former Geneon series: Since those old series are new again, I can review anime that I never got around to the first time and still be timely! Yay! See why I'm thrilled to finally be able to look at “;Last Exile”; in “;Drawn & Quartered”; in the Sunday Today section.